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Brewer-Clifton

Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton described 2012 as "an extremely strong vintage, with elements of '11, '10 and '09 rolled into one package." The chardonnays I tasted here this fall confirm that view, as they show a suave blend of richness and vivacity, with the spine to age but plenty of immediately appealing fruit as well. Speaking of B-C's chardonnays, I tend to find them quite cerebral and relatively restrained for their power, while the pinots show an extroverted, even exotic character, with more opulent fruit expression than the chardonnays. I'd go so far as to say that the B-C chardonnays demand more patience than the pinots; put another way, the pinots provide more upfront pleasure and demand less patience to reveal their charms than the chardonnays. As for the 2011 pinots, Brewer and Clifton think that they're already beginning to hint a bit at complexity, with expressive aromatics that give them near-term appeal, but that they also have the requisite acidity to age gracefully. The whole-cluster regimen here means that the Brewer-Clifton pinots are always well-structured, despite their opulence, but those stems also bring out exotic spice and floral character, giving the wines (like these '11s) great sex appeal straight out of the box.

From Focus on California's Central Coast (Nov 2013) by Josh Raynolds

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2012 Chardonnay Acin Sta. Rita Hills

Color: White

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