An argument can be made that Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA is the most unique grape-growing region in the world. The western-most sub AVA in Santa Ynez Valley is at the mouth of the most pronounced transverse (east to west) range on the Pacific side of the Americas. This mountain orientation funnels cool ocean air through the valley, facilitating, as you travel west to east, world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Sta. Rita Hills, scrumptious Syrah in Ballard Canyon, and highly acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.
Sta. Rita Hills also may be the only region on earth where grape vines grow directly out of diatomaceous earth (DE). This white rock (silica) was formed as algae on the ocean floor moved to the surface over thousands of years of earthquakes and volcanic activity. Grapes growing out of DE might cause some to assume that the resulting wines show distinct minerality. This comes down to where one falls on the “science to art” winemaking spectrum. The former can point to the fact there is no scientific evidence that minerals in the soil transfer to the wine. The latter will swear they can detect it on the palate.
In this singular convergence of transverse ranges and DE, Greg Brewer, one of America’s most highly regarded winemakers, has created our February wine of the month, the 2022 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Grapes from the 3D, Machado, Hapgood, and Perilune vineyards, all within Sta. Rita Hills AVA, are blended to create an expressive wine, perhaps a bit Burgundian in style with zippy acidity. A light cherry, plum, and pomegranate core lead to rose petals, baking spices, and turned earth. Use of the four vineyards gives this wine a roundness and makes it approachable and balanced.
We’ll leave it to you whether you taste minerality.
Brewer-Clifton offers several vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, each with a unique focus—and all quite good—at slightly higher prices. From a value standpoint, however, we love the 2022 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, which is $50 through Brewer-Clifton and less than $40 @MrHiTime. We encourage you to buy several bottles to enjoy now, and several to open over the next 8-10 years.
For making an outstanding Pinot Noir from one of the most unique wine regions on Earth at a great price, the 2022 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is our February wine of the month.
Learn more about Brewer-Clifton, purchase their wines, and follow them here:
bygregbrewer.com
@brewerclifton
@mrhitime