2012 3D Pinot Noir, Clifton Brewer

This is an outstanding Pinot Noir from the renowned Brewer-Clifton.  The 3D vineyard is nestled between Lafond and Ampelos in the Santa Rita Hills and was the first vineyard planted by the Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton in 2007.     It is pure and elegant on the nose with expressive aromas of red cherries, candied raspberry and strawberry.  The palate is expansive with flavours of sweet fruits, tea leaf and fine spices.  Lovely structure and precision here. Incredible finesse and purity.

At Brewer Clifton they strive to remove the winemaker’s signature, allowing the voice of the vineyard to be the overriding expression.  Only neutral barrels are employed and they strive for whole cluster fermentation, interestingly the fruit from each vineyard is handled identically from harvest to bottling, allowing the true essence of each site to be expressed.

They also farm with a focus of ripening the stems of the bunch alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with the exceptional Santa Rita Hills fruit. The analogy they use is roasting fish or meat on the bone, the bone offers complex flavours very different than taking it off of the bone to cook it.