2016 The Hilt "Old Guard" Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
96JD
96VN
94RP
$49.99
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96
Jeb Dunnuck
Reviewed October 2018The 2016 Pinot Noir Old Guard offers more Bing cherry and even hints of blue fruits, and is concentrated, rich, and incredible pure. Smoked earth, leafy herbs, violets, and underbrush all emerge from this rockingly complex, concentrated, yet ethereal beauty. It has ample structure, yet it's so beautifully interwoven into the wine that you hardly notice. It needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will cruise for 10-15 years or more.
Professional Reviews
96
Vinous
Expressive floral, savory and mineral notes give the 2016 Pinot Noir Old Guard much of its super-distinctive personality. Hints of crushed rocks, graphite, blueberry and lavender develop in the glass. Above all else, though, the 2016 is a wine of structural intensity and persistence. I loved it. (AG)
94
Wine Advocate
The 2016 Pinot Noir Old Guard was my favorite of these wines from The Hilt, unfurling in the glass with a lovely bouquet of plum, rich soil, truffle, licorice and nori. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, its rich chassis of tannins cloaked in a youthfully primary but attractively sapid core of fruit, its mid-palate deep and layered, and its finish bright and sappy. The Old Guard derives from later-harvested parcels and was fermented with 40% whole clusters. Winemaker Matt Dees observes that, while the Vanguard emphasizes texture, the Old Guard emphasizes structure. 430 cases were produced. 94+ (WK)
Notes
Winery Notes: Fruit from a few select vineyards in Rancho Salsipuedes located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA: Radian and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards. Vines between 8-44 years of age. Radian Vineyard's steeper, more rugged and rocky terrain is the core of The Old Guard. Vineyards for The Hilt wines are all high in altitude, but Radian's ridgelines are the steepest, reaching nearly 700 feet at its highest points.SOIL Rocky and diatomaceous earth. The last Pinot to be picked. 100% whole-cluster. Aged 12 months in 100% neutral French oak.
Details
| Type | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Origin | Santa Maria/Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| Bottle Size | 750 mL |
| SKU | 1419456 |