The Hilt : Estate Pinot Noir 2019

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for The Hilt’s Estate Pinot Noir 2019

Tasting

Color
The wine displays a bright ruby-red hue.

Nose
The nose reveals notes of fresh raspberry and black cherry. Hints of black tea, black pepper, and orange blossom round out the aromatic bouquet. Nuances of hibiscus, orange, walnut, and white pepper add depth to the olfactory palette. With aeration, the wine unfolds an captivating fragrance of black cherry, plum, spices, and lavender.

Palate
On the palate, the wine charms with a texture that is both silky and powerful. The attack reveals a concentrated structure, while the mid-palate shows a generous fruit expression balanced by a signature vibrancy. The finish lingers with spicy notes of clove and white pepper, underscored by fine tension.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Pinot Noir pairs ideally with roasted or pan-seared duck, especially with fruit-based sauces or savory preparations. It also matches beautifully with grilled or pan-seared salmon enhanced with herbs and mushrooms. Roast poultry, coq au vin, and game birds make excellent pairings. Mushroom-based dishes, particularly those featuring umami elements, find lovely harmony with this wine. On a cheese board, opt for soft bloomy-rind cheeses such as brie or camembert, as well as semi-firm cheeses like Gruyère, accompanied by fine cured meats.

Serving and Cellaring

Estate Pinot Noir 2019 can be enjoyed now, but it also offers cellaring potential through approximately 2029, or even beyond a decade depending on storage conditions.

An elegant, structured Californian Pinot Noir

The estate

The Hilt was founded in the 2000s by Stan Kroenke with the aim of producing exclusively Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cool coastal regions of Santa Barbara County. In 2014, the acquisition of the historic Rancho Salsipuedes estate—spanning 3,600 hectares, including 190 hectares of vineyards—marked a decisive turning point. The construction of a new, ultramodern winery was completed in 2019. Under the direction of the talented Matt Dees, winemaker since the beginning, The Hilt has established itself as one of California’s most respected Pinot Noir producers. The philosophy of this American estate is built on the concept of “growing in the margins,” deliberately cultivating vines in challenging terroirs to obtain grapes of exceptional complexity and concentration.

The vineyard

Estate Pinot Noir 2019 comes from the Radian and Bentrock vineyards, located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. This small winegrowing area in Santa Barbara County benefits from a strong maritime influence thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Foggy mornings give way to morning sunshine before afternoon ocean breezes temper temperatures. The soils are primarily composed of marine sedimentary materials, notably Monterey shale and chert, with a remarkable presence of diatomaceous earth. The Radian vineyard, planted on spectacular slopes with nearly 300 meters of elevation change, features exceptionally light diatomaceous earth soils in its upper blocks. The Bentrock vineyard, with gentle hills between 400 and 500 meters in elevation, offers reddish clay-limestone soils rich in iron, silica, and clay. This diversity of terroirs brings complexity and balance to the finished wine.

The vintage

The 2019 vintage proved generally favorable in California. Growers benefited from a harmonious combination of sunshine and well-distributed rainfall. These conditions allowed the grapes to reach optimal ripeness while preserving the freshness and natural acidity characteristic of The Hilt’s cool sites. The vintage captured both the year’s sunny generosity and the vibrant tension typical of the estate’s wind-exposed vineyards.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Estate Pinot Noir 2019 are carefully sorted in the vineyard and then upon arrival on a vibrating sorting table. A cold soak of ten to twelve days precedes fermentation, helping extract color and aromas. Pump-overs are carried out gently, and only two to three punch-downs are performed throughout fermentation. Winemaking includes 35 to 40% whole clusters depending on the parcels. Aging takes place for twelve months in French oak barrels, with only 8% new oak, sourced from prestigious cooperages. The wine is then transferred to stainless-steel tanks for further aging and blending. The wines are never racked and returned to barrel during aging.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir.