Tasting the 2010's at Brewer-Clifton

I'm a fan of Greg Brewer's wines at Melville and Brewer-Clifton. So the lineup of new 2010's and a few older wines being poured at Brewer-Clifton's tasting room for Santa Barbara Vintners' Fest weekend was right up my alley.

If you're not already familiar, Brewer-Clifton makes single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from vineyards throughout Sta. Rita Hills. They control 100% of the fruit from four vineyards- 3-D, Gnesa, Machado and Mount Carmel; while sourcing from many others. The winemaking centers around perfectly ripe fruit maintaining good acidity, adding depth and texture on the Pinot Noir through whole-cluster fermentation. Each wine is fermented and aged identically with aging in neutral French oak. All of this is meant to showcase the individual characteristics of the vineyards, and the common elements of the AVA as a whole.

Overall this lineup was most impressive from the Mount Carmel and Ampelos vineyards. The best of the Pinot Noir tended to maintain a softness and elegance in the face of darker ripe fruit and earthiness. Others were impressive with ripe fruit and presence while falling short of that ideal elegance and texture. The best Chardonnays had a dense complexity to go along with the racy acid, suggesting some life ahead. All of the wines were very enjoyable.

All of my notes are below. The appellation wines retail for $30-$36 and the single vineyard wines retail for $46-$56. Information about the vintages and production of the wines is available from the Brewer-Clifton website. If you're interested in this producer or this region I hope you find this useful~

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir Ampelos, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Alluring aromas of floral, earth, clove and delicate red fruit- very pretty. Deft on the palate with structured acid and fine tannins- great presence and complexity. Very present flavors of earth and spice, but the fruit is focused and pure. Long open finish with mineral and floral influence. (Rating- I love!)

Brewer-Clifton 2009 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Smokey earth and dark fruit on the bouquet. Pure and silky on the palate adding elements of spice and slate and dried herb to the earth and fruit. Fine firm tannins and a full spice-laden finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir Machado, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Dense aromas of earth, violet, plum & dark cherry. The palate shows nice acid and a delicate sensibility. Very nuanced mix of ripe fruit, spice, earth and floral flavors. Polished fine structure and a full open finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Full aromas of tart cherry and dried fruitcake. The palate brings spice and some balance to the dark ripe cherry flavors. Round and ripe and full with fine polished tannins and a pleasant bitterness on the finish. (Rating- I like!)

Brewer-Clifton 2008 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Aromas of vanilla and cream with tropical and citrus fruit. Full tangy lime fruit with mineral, honey and spice. Round and opulent feel with medium weight. Balanced acid structure and a full finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2009 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. The complexity starts on the bouquet- lactic frommage aromas with honey, white-floral, lychee & stone fruit. Dense and smooth on the palate with great complexity and balance. Layers of fruit, mineral, spice and floral flavors. Nice presence and weight with a pleasing tangy gripping finish. (Rating- I love!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay Sea Smoke, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Aromas of honeycomb, spice, lychee & kiwi. Opens on the palate with vibrant mineral notes and lime/tropical fruit. Hints of floral dried herb and eastern spice. Opulent roundness is balanced with acid. Full opulent finish with tinges of slate-mineral. (Rating- I like!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay Gnesa, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Begins on the bouquet with honey, straw, white-floral and stone fruit. Tightly wound stone fruit and lime with hints of vanilla and tangy minerality. Drinks elegantly with smoothness and round feel. Lingering finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Citrus and tropical aromas- banana & kiwi with hints of dried herb and clove. Grassy tropical fruit and lime on the palate- very bright with some opulence. Mineral notes add to the finish along with lingering fruit. (Rating- I like!)