The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2022 750ml +14%

The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2022 is a standout California Pinot Noir from The Hilt Estate in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (Santa Barbara County). Winemaker Matt Dees (the same talent behind Jonata and The Paring) crafts it as the flagship “Estate” bottling, drawing from the property’s diverse, high-quality vineyard sites on rugged, windy terrain with marine influences and diatomaceous earth soils.

Blend and Production

• Composition: 100% Pinot Noir, sourced primarily from estate vineyards. The 2022 is centered on Radian Vineyard (just over half the blend), with nearly equal parts Bentrock Vineyard and smaller contributions from others. It features a mix of clonal selections for complexity.
• AVA: Sta. Rita Hills – cool-climate, foggy, with strong Pacific influence that preserves acidity and adds minerality/savoriness.
• Winemaking: Cold-soaked for ~3 days; fermented with ~15% whole-cluster. Aged for about 10–11 months in French oak barrels (roughly 20% new, 80% neutral).
• Alcohol: 14.1% ABV.
• Production: Approximately 5,650 cases – a solid volume for an estate Pinot of this caliber.

The warmer 2022 vintage (with naturally low yields and mature ~15-year-old vines) produced a broader, more generous wine than some cooler prior years, while retaining the AVA’s signature precision and energy.

Tasting Notes

Aromas: Inky dark fruit, black cherry, red cherry, assorted darker berries, rose petal, lavender, spice, licorice, mocha, leafy herbs, sage, tobacco, wet slate/mineral, conifer/spearmint, and subtle iodine or earthy undertones (porcini, undergrowth).

Palate: Medium-bodied with plush yet precise texture, silky dark fruit (black cherry, blackberry, cranberry), refreshing acidity, fine-grained tannins with a delicate dusting, and a long, linear, racy finish. It shows beautiful balance—generous and supple without heaviness, with savory/earthy complexity keeping it elegant. Many note it as “glorious,” with solid depth, explosive fruit layered by minerality and spice. It drinks well now but has the structure to evolve nicely.

Style: Classic Sta. Rita Hills Pinot with a darker, richer profile in this vintage—lush dark fruit and floral notes balanced by salinity, herbs, and chalky/diatom-driven texture. It’s more generous than previous vintages yet retains freshness, drive, and that signature “racy” energy. Matt Dees calls it “everything I could hope for in a glass.”

Critic Scores

• Jeb Dunnuck: 93 points (black cherries, darker berries, leafy herbs, sage, rose, iodine; medium-bodied, complex, pretty, and racy with great finish).
• Antonio Galloni (Vinous): 93 points (inky dark fruit, spice, lavender, licorice, mocha; plush and explosive).
• James Suckling / Decanter: 94 points (alluring savory aromas, ripe black cherry, wet slate, conifer, spearmint, rose petal; precise balance and refreshing texture).