2016 Pinot Noir Vanguard

It is always a thrill to taste through The Hilt's range with winemaker Matt Dees and his team. For some reason, these wines really suffer from a lack of visibility, and yet their quality is stunning across the range. In the introduction to this article, I wrote that Santa Barbara wines are underpriced relative to global peers. The Hilt was one of the estates I had in mind when I wrote those words.

The bottled 2016s are just as exciting as they were when I tasted them last year from barrel. At this stage, Pinot appears to have the upper hand over Chardonnay in the young 2017s. As a reminder, the Vanguard series wines are done in a more forward, fruit-driven style, while the Old Guard wines emphasize tension and structure. These remain some of the most compelling Chardonnays and Pinots being made in the United States today. That's all there is to it.

The Hilt's 2016s and 2015s are stellar across the board. I find a bit more focus, delineation and structure in the 2016s, while the 2015s are naturally more overt. The Old Guard Chardonnay and Pinot tend to see very little new oak and are conceived in a fresher, linear style, while the Vanguard Chardonnay and Pinot are slightly richer, more immediate wines. But these are relatively small distinctions, as all the wines are truly fabulous and well worth considering. This is a terrific showing from the team headed by Matt Dees.