The Hilt Vanguard Pinot Noir 2013
I recently took a trip to CA to visit my daughter to celebrate her birthday and wanted to taste some great wines I cannot readily get back east. We also visited Jonata Winery in Santa Barbara, sister winery to The Hilt. The Hilt makes pinot noir and chardonnay from California’s well–known coastal winegrowing regions of Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley AVA’s. Their wine growing philosophy employs practices that enable grapes to show full transparency of site, which is key to The Hilt’s philosophy. Within this framework, The Hilt ferments two distinct styles of wine; The Old Guard and The Vanguard. The Old Guard relies on elegant clonal selections planted on poorer soils along with minimalist cellar methods to produce a wine with minerality and structure. The Vanguard is sourced from more robust clones planted on slightly richer soils revealing a wine with balance, power and fruit driven qualities. As hinted at in the name, The Hilt goes “all the way” in its quest for expression and quality; nothing is held back in terms of effort.
On our trip we tasted many outstanding Santa Barbara County wines, The Hilt was one of them. The wine we tasted from The Hilt was their 2013 Vanguard Pinot Noir. Aged 40% new French oak and 60% neutral French oak, dark Ruby with aromas of black fruits with a touch of smoky spice notes. The palate is complex brings forth concentrated black cherry and slightly tart strawberry fruit, spice, with bold dusty tannins. The finish had earthy and smoky tones and lingered through the ending. Very Nice, small production, 1400 cases. Tasting Sample.
Cheers!