External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 53 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dlowrey99 on 11/22/2020 & rated 93 points: tldr: still going strong, this wine has another 7-10 years in it at least - will be interesting to see what develops. good structure, decent complexity, great counterplay of acid/fruit/body/alcohol. enjoyable on its own or with food. personally i liked it more somewhat chilled before nearing room temp.
Color: medium gold
Nose: fragrant but singular; fresh citrus and grassy
Body: med+
Acid: high enough to keep this otherwise big wine in check/balance
Alcohol: 14% - makes itself known
Palate: a bit racy with the alcohol, improves with air; citrus rind, juicy yellow apple, crisp minerality; still all very fresh; slight oak to round things (1100 views) | | | Tasted by Kayeman100 on 4/17/2019 & rated 90 points: I found this Chard to be a amazing after 10 years in the bottle. Still seemed young to me. The layers and acid and balance were all there. Paired it with, of all things, chicken livers. It was bang on. This ‘09 is drinking very well. If you can find some, get some as it’s aging very nicely. Santa Rita Hills !! (1407 views) | | | Tasted by Christoffer78 on 5/4/2017 & rated 92 points: Rich, fatty texture with tons of elegant colza flowers accompanied by butterscotch and lovely razor sharp minerals emerging after some time in the glass. Actually this effort gives a rather youngish impression despite its age and it also has a rather elegant approach. Yes, there is power but there is also refinement - perhaps a result of very gentle oak treatment. The palate adds nicely to this first impression with balance and integration as keywords. Everything is in place here and nothing is over the top. Acidity is perhaps a bit more forward compared to the other components. The wine drinks lovely at present and I would say it is hitting its prime drinking window. Length on the finish lasts some 35-40 seconds. Vert nice indeed!
Tasted in a flight with 2009, 2012 and 2015 Brewer-Clifton S:ta Rita Hills Chardonnay. (2148 views) | | | Tasted by BilboBaggins on 6/11/2016 & rated 91 points: Well matured new world chardonnay. The acidity is not as high as I hoped, and I therefore suggest drinking the rest of the bottles now. It has some nice nutty notes on top of light honey and good fruit. Quite well balanced, but could use some more acidity. Enjoyable wine to drink in the sun, while eating salmon or chicken.
3 bottles tried, which all showed very similarly. (2234 views) | | | Tasted by mgstull on 10/18/2015 & rated 87 points: Mid yellow. Lemon, gasoline, apple, and wet stones on the finish. The finish is a bit clipped or this would merit a higher score. (2398 views) | | | Tasted by RAD2626 on 6/9/2015 & rated 88 points: Good citrus and minerality. Has an In Pursuit of Balance terroir. Very nice wine at the price point. (2070 views) | | | Tasted by jonahfactor on 12/30/2014 & rated 90 points: (Pre-New Year's Lobsterfest with H, M and the Kens.) Still in its infancy, likely with at least another 7-8 years left. Champagne yellow in the glass with nice legs. Lemon zest and petrol in the nose, with Meyer lemon, distilled pineapple, quince and stream-side pebbles on the palate. Finishes light with some vague popcorn notes and a dash of sea salt. L picked up almond biscotti in the finish (brilliant!). Overall, delicious. (2166 views) | | | Tasted by ABM on 8/29/2014 & rated 93 points: One of my most favorite CA chardonnays. Excellent depth, character, and balance. Interesting fruit, good finish! (2076 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 3/24/2014 & rated 89 points: Coming around, develops better coming from the cooler side of the fridge as you approach it. (2278 views) | | | Tasted by theoves on 1/3/2014 & rated 89 points: It's a very nice wine with a lot of complex notes of tropical fruits. I just hope they are paying attention to the complaints about the seal on the cork. It's awful. Really no way to remove it. If you go through it, which seems to be the best alternative, you still get pieces of plastic in the wine which you have to pick out -- very frustrating and annoying. It's a shame for such a nice wine to be diminished by the packaging. I would never serve this wine to guests unless I opened it ahead of time and decanted it -- not practical at all. (2377 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 9/27/2013 & rated 86 points: Med yellow. Nose is toasty and nutty, not much fruit. The palate is the same with some apple fruit on the mid palate. A touch of bitterness and tannin on the finish. Lacking fruit and disappointing. (2518 views) | | | Tasted by tooch on 9/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Glad I gave this some time to flesh out. At first it was a bit one-note and gummy, but with time the flinty and citrus notes really took off. Such a great value from California. (2628 views) | | | Tasted by Hugo and Ines on 8/18/2013 & rated 89 points: Tropical notes with hints of banana, pineapple and peach. Round and lush but with well inter grated oak. (2082 views) | | | Tasted by JOJ on 6/29/2013 & rated 93 points: Excellent, as always. On the nose, pineapple, melon and wet rock. Flavors of pineapple, melon, peach and green apple lead to a flinty finish -- tart and refreshing enough to leave you wanting the next sip. Great. (2016 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 6/26/2013 & rated 92 points: This wine has evolved for the better. The first of my six bottles was too acidic. The citrus is still there, but adds to the experience now rather than overwhelming everything. Has an unusual array of other flavors......perhaps some pineapple. Wish I was good enough to identify all of them. Good wine for those that do not like overly buttery chardonnays. (1670 views) | | | Tasted by BUBBA DAWG on 6/25/2013 & rated 91 points: beautiful straw color...unripe pineapple, green apple and subtle hint of verbena give way to minerality, stoniness and toasted oak on the nose...surprisingly well balanced acidity and fruit with a rather elegant full/long finish...new world style with old world restraint...great wine for the $...btw, the plastic capsule really isn't a problem and does provide a further layer of protection, simply pretend it's not there, the top piece covering the cork will pop off after the corkscrew penetrates the wax into the cork (1466 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 5/19/2013 & rated 89 points: Similar as before, big acid attack. More yellow apple, young lemon, and papaya. Seems to have a revolving complexity, but lacks that harmonious punch. 89 (1559 views) | | | Tasted by JOJ on 4/28/2013 & rated 94 points: Another great bottle of this. On the nose, lovely tropical aromas of pineapple and white peach, with a distinct note of wet rock and minerals. On the palate, an explosion of flavor -- pineapple and papaya -- with a hint of creme brulee and nutmeg. Mouthfilling, yet with bracing acidity -- a very difficult trick to pull off.
As a note -- to all those complaining about the wax capsule, simply put your corkscrew through the top and operate as you would any bottle with the capsule removed. Works every time. The "effort" will be rewarded with this particular wine. (1533 views) | | | Tasted by Clovernook on 3/25/2013 & rated 85 points: The other comments about the rubber/plastic cap cover are right on. The cap is so hard to get off that it makes the whole experience with the wine not worth it. Wine is pretty good (I guess). I have one more bottle left but shy away from it because of the difficulty in opening. (1819 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 1/11/2013 & rated 89 points: med yellow. Dark for a 2009. Served quite cold. Very bright nose.. perhaps some alcohol. Interesting apple and lemon fruit in nose and palate. Minerally and fresh but not comfortable in the mouth. Will last. (1755 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 11/24/2012 & rated 88 points: First off, this wax cap is a pain in the butt. Once you get past that, wine is a bright goldenrod hue. Nose of lemon and hay. Salted lemon and saline body (think salted Jolly Rancher). Not very complex, but the expression has serious volume. Short, tart, bright acidity at finish with green apple. 88/B = 50/5/11/7/8/7 (1838 views) | | | Tasted by dbarco on 10/31/2012 & rated 85 points: Acidity predominates, then grapefruit and apple with a smoky finish. Overall likeable, but a little simple (and highly acidic). Also a little "hot" for my taste. (1994 views) | | | Tasted by kmerriman on 9/17/2012 & rated 85 points: I've "suffered" this wine twice in the last 10 days. Both times (& in different settings) the wine was angular, hot and simplistic. And both times the same rubbery, wax-like capsule. I've learned 2 things: 1) you can drive a corkscrew directly through the fake wax, and 2) the first bottle couldn't be explained away as a bad bottle ... they were both disappointing. (2215 views) | | | Tasted by Tom Henriksveen on 4/13/2012 & rated 87 points: Lemon yellow color, long legs suggesting high alcohol (and it was at 14%). Tropical fruit and yellow apples on the nose. On the palate the acidity feels a little hars, but nice fruit. Oak is well intergrated and the wine has a smokey finnish. Somehow the wine does not feel balanced. With some air and with food (panfried sole), the wine shows a completely new face, balanced and mellow. I will leave a bottle for a few years as i think this will age gracefully. (2479 views) | | | Tasted by DDS wine lover on 4/8/2012 & rated 88 points: Hate those stupid wax covered corks!!!! Had to chip it off and the pieces flew all over the place. Almost sliced off my finger. Well balanced Chardonnay. Definite acidity but balanced with a nice citrus flavor. Oaky with a hint of lemon. Not great but a notch above others at this price. (2320 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, A Spotlight on Santa Barbara (7/31/2018)
(Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills White) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Exploring California's Central Coast (Aug 2011)
(Brewer-clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Sta. Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Brewer Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Brewer-Clifton Producer website
Addt'l Info (Jackson Family Wine Group)
Born of an obsession with Santa Barbara County terroir, we formed Brewer-Clifton in the early 1990’s. We both had significant sales and production experience with a multitude of Santa Barbara County wineries, and always felt compelled to push the limits of the fruit from the area further than our previous employers had set forth to do. We set out to put the essence of the best vineyards in the area into a bottle.
We focus our efforts solely on the production of vineyard designated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from several carefully selected, extreme vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. The area's long growing seasons and diversity of marine-based soils combine to produce dynamic and explosive wines with great purity and precision. Each vineyard site is nurtured identically, allowing the pedigree of place to play the most significant role in our portfolio of wines.
In addition to our collective efforts, Steve Clifton also produces wine under his own label, called Palmina, which focuses exclusively on Italian varietals, and is the winemaker at Tritono, an Argentine producer of Malbec. Greg Brewer produces wine under the diatom label, as well as being the winemaker at Melville, a Santa Rita Hills winery dedicated to estate grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
Brewer-Clifton wines are only available in small quantities. Total production averages between 4,000 and 6,500 cases annually.
Brewer-Clifton is owned and operated by Steve Clifton, a musician, and Greg Brewer, a former professor of French. The pair started Brewer-Clifton in 1995 and they source grapes from the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Brewer-Clifton makes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. The wines earn ratings in the 90s from reviewers, and Wine Advocate has noted that “Brewer and Clifton consistently deliver delicious wines that are also deeply thought provoking with regards to the potential these vineyard sites hold.”Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA Wikipedia |
|
