The Hilt Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, USA 2023

“Radian Vineyard” Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is a striking, high-elevation expression of one of California’s most extreme coastal vineyard sites. It opens with pure, lifted aromas of red cherry, cranberry, blood orange peel, dried rose petal, and wild coastal herbs, layered with subtle notes of crushed rock, spice, and iron-like minerality. The palate is linear and tightly focused, delivering vibrant red fruit framed by firm, chalky tannins and a precise backbone of acidity that drives exceptional energy and tension. Long, saline, and deeply structured on the finish, this is a cool-climate Pinot Noir of remarkable clarity and detail. Refined, cerebral, and built for aging, it stands as a pure expression of site and one of the most distinctive Pinot Noirs in Sta. Rita Hills.

"Within a remarkable set of wines, the 2023 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard gets my nod as the most multidimensional wine in The Hilt's portfolio. While several wines in the lineup display oceanic, kelp and nori-like aromas, none render them with the exceptional purity and vivid nature displayed here. The palate continues this purity, combining outrageous density with a spry, silken texture, seamlessly slingshotting into a vibrant, staining and succulent finish that lingers endlessly, thanks to extraordinarily refined tannins and the site's ubiquitous soaring salinity. This is a reference point for the region and one that I am tremendously excited to follow in the cellar." Wine Advocate 97