2009 Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

This is truly one of my favorite Pinot Noir producers, because they make some of the purest and most delicious wines on the planet. They're also one of the few producers that ferments their juice in neutral oak barrels and relies heavily on the the quality of the fruit in the vineyard. These wines can be described as having a beautiful purity of fruit and a stunning balance of acidity.

The 2009 Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is sourced largely from estate managed vineyards, principally Mount Carmel and 3-D complemented by fruit sourced from Rio Vista and Zotovich. The wine was whole cluster fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels.

On the nose I get beautiful aromas of wild strawberry, cranberry, rose petal, and just a slight hint of spearmint. It's a very scrumptious bouquet and makes you want to really devour the wine. The brambly strawberries and cream notes are mouthwatering.

On the palate the wine shows flavors of red raspberry, strawberry rhubarb, and a chalky mineral complexity. It's extremely fruit driven and has a razor sharp acidity that helps the wine finish with extended length. This vintage seems to have just a spike of alcohol on the finish as well, which is slightly disappointing, but doesn't throw the wine too far off. 90 points

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