2021 The Hilt Bentrock Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills, Santa Barbara,California

The 2021 The Hilt Bentrock Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from one of The Hilt Estate’s three distinctive vineyards in the southwestern corner of Sta. Rita Hills, an estate shaped by cool Pacific influence, fog and challenging coastal conditions. The Hilt was established in 2004 after winemaker Matt Dees spent years studying the AVA before the estate acquired its 3,600-acre property in 2014. Bentrock is the estate’s easternmost vineyard, with long rolling hills between 400 and more than 500 feet in elevation, where clay, sediment, shale and pockets of diatomaceous earth contribute to wines with depth and natural freshness. The 2021 fruit came from 14-year-old vines planted across three blocks, with 60% Calera, 25% Clone 667 and 15% Clone 828.

Produced from 100% Pinot Noir, the wine was aged for 12 months in French oak, with 25% new barrels and 75% neutral barrels. The 2021 vintage shows the distinctive Bentrock combination of generous fruit and coastal tension, bringing together raspberry, black cherry, pomegranate and blood orange with mint, clove, fresh herbs and subtle cedar. Its silky texture, bright acidity and delicate chalky tannins give the wine both immediate appeal and structure for further aging. Only 376 cases were produced, making this a particularly limited single-vineyard expression of The Hilt’s Sta. Rita Hills estate.