2013 Pinot Noir Vanguard

Once again, I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from The Hilt, proprietor Stan Kroenke's Chardonnay and Pinot winery in Santa Barbara. As the names imply, the Old Guard wines are a bit more classic in style, with greater emphasis on structure and tension, while the Vanguard wines are supple and overt. The Old Guard Chardonnay is made mostly from Solomon Hills fruit, where the maritime influence tends to produce tighter wines, and is aged in neutral barrels, with virtually all of the malolactic fermentation blocked. The Vanguard Chardonnay sees a good bit of new oak, more malolactic fermentation and is made mostly from Sanford & Benedict, a site with a good deal of textural softness. Similar themes apply to the two Pinots. The Old Guard features some stem inclusion and is aged in mostly neutral barrels, while the Vanguard is made with destemmed fruit and sees a good bit of new oak.

Things change quite a bit in 2014. Readers will note the addition of the Cool Hand Chardonnay and Pinot, now the entry-level wines in the range. Vineyard sourcing also changes quite a bit with the introduction of Puerta del Mar, Radian and Bentrock, all estate vineyards Stan Kroenke acquired last year. It is my firm belief that the role of California wine is to be...Californian. Still, when I look at the prices of The Hilt's Old Guard Chardonnays and Pinots and think about what that money can buy in Burgundy, well, there is little doubt that those wines are highly likely to please Old World-leaning palates. This is a superb set of wines across the board, though, with a number of highlights and plenty to look forward to.

This is a magnificent set of new and upcoming releases from The Hilt and winemaker Matt Dees. Both the 2012s and 2013s are fabulous, with the 2013s having a slight edge right now. In just a few years, The Hilt has succeeded in making some of the most compelling Pinots and Chardonnays in California, largely on Dees's ability to source fruit from some of the region's most pristine vineyards.