2021 | Brewer-Clifton | Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay

Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay shows aromas of lemon, kiwi, orange blossom, and sweet basil. Flavors of jasmine, lime, ginger, and mineral notes. On the palate, orange zest and fresh sea salt.

Reviews:

• Wine Enthusiast: This appellation blend is even more compelling than some of this vintage's single-block expressions. Aromas of lemon peel, apricot, chamomile, mint, yogurt and seashore make for a dynamic nose. The palate is lined with a minty shiso leaf flavor that carries through the lemon-confit core, with tart freshness that enlivens the mouth.

• James Suckling: There's terrific focus and intensity to the bright citrus flavors at the core of this white, with yuzu, ruby grapefruit, Meyer lemon and lime zest notes, plus plenty of salty, minerally accents that add a mouthwatering minerality, followed by hints of lemon basil that linger on the finish.

Producer Information

Brewer-Clifton is one of the top producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1996 by Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, its single-vineyard wines have received high praise in the press. Steve Clifton was a surfer and rock singer in San Diego before making his way to Santa Barbara County where he worked up the ranks at several local wineries. Greg Brewer was a French professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara before going into winemaking. Both wanted to make single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines (which weren't common on the Central Coast at the time). They combined their savings and started Brewer-Clifton, whose winery is situated in Lompoc, roughly 160 miles (260km) west of Los Angeles. Both have other projects: Clifton has the label Palmina, which focuses on Italian varieties and is also based in Lompoc, while Brewer (who was the winemaker at Melville Vineyards) also produces the diatom and Ex Post Facto labels. Brewer-Clifton, diatom and Ex Post Facto are all owned by Jackson Family Wines, who puchased the operation in 2017. The Sta. Rita Hills benefits from a maritime influence, keeping the vineyards cool and promoting a long growing season. The complexity derived from the long hang-time lends itself to a liberal use of oak – Brewer-Clifton employs French barriques from Sirugue in Burgundy. The resulting wines are full-bodied examples of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which often score in the 90's with several critics. Brewer-Clifton uses estate-grown fruit from five vineyard sites in the Sta Rita Hills: Gnesa, Machado, 3-D, Hapgood and Acin. Single-site Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are produced from each vineyard, and a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine is made from fruit from the 3-D vineyard.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.