Brewer-Clifton Machado Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2022

97 pts                                                              New limited Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir from the famed Brewer-Clifton team. Extremely Limited. 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir Machado is pure class, showing beautiful purity of fruit as well as classic Sta. Rita Hills complexity and spice. Lots of raspberry, strawberry, spring flowers, forest floor, spice, and just a touch of seaside-like iodine all emerge from the glass. It's a wonderfully complete, balanced, seamless 2018 that does everything right....This is another brilliant lineup from Greg Brewer, and these Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (as well as a terrific Syrah) are up with the finest wines in this report. These wines are never shrinking violets and have loads of fruit and texture, yet they always show singular characters, stunning balance, and weightless, elegant textures that make them a joy to drink. I think they're some of the finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming out of California today. These are brilliant wines." 96 Points Wine Enthusiast: "Joyous and aromatically arresting scents of creamy black cherry, black raspberry, licorice and black cardamom grab hold of the nose and don't waver on this bottling. Deep and dark fruit flavors mix with hints of dank herb, tarragon and even cannabis on the palate, where the acidity is penetrating and persistent." 95 Points Robert Parker: "The Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir Machado has a medium ruby color and deep, layered aromas of pure violet, garrigue, laurel, aniseed and forest floor, seamlessly accenting a core of black and red berries. The palate is medium-bodied with loads of lift and silkiness, elegantly fruited and with a long, ethereal finish. 675 cases produced." Brewer-Clifton is both a pioneer in the wine history of Sta. Rita Hills and one of its finest producers. Greg Brewer knows every nook and cranny of this vinous wonderland and securing access to the Machado Vineyard may be one of his finest moves. The vineyard is auspiciously perched next to and overlooking the famed Clos Pepe and Kessler-Haak vineyards situated in the north center part of the appellation. This spot witnesses some of the most extreme diurnal temperature swings, resulting in grapes of intense complexity. Greg uses whole-cluster fermentation, which adds another dynamic to the wine, and he employs neutral oak barrels exclusively to let the fruit do the talking.

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