2020 The Hilt Bentrock Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Hilt located in the Sta. Rita Hills is part of a small portfolio of boutique wineries owned by E. Stanley Kroenke, an entrepreneur who owns numerous professional sports teams. He also owns Screaming Eagle and Jonata wineries. The Hilt’s debut vintage was 2008 and it makes three styles of wines: The Old Guard, The Vanguard and Estate. Winemaker is Matt Dees, who also makes wine for Jonata. The Old Guard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are “stylistically elegant” and “balanced,” according to the estate. Vanguard wines are “lusher, fleshy, and fruit-driven,” the estate notes. Estate wines are “approachable,” the estate says. The Hilt wines have earned high compliments from reviewers, who typically give the wines ratings in the low to mid-90s.

Santa Rita Hills AVA in northern Santa Barbara County was granted appellation status in 2001. Located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton, it has a total area of 30,720 acres with 2,700 vineyard acres. The area is considered a cool climate for vineyards, so vineyards are most often planted with the cool-weather grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The hills in the western part of this appellation are directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, meaning that maritime winds and fog make the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA particularly cool. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard planted in 1971 was the first vineyard in the district and is still considered one of the best.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.