2008 Brewer-Clifton Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills

(96 Points  ---   Wine Advocate)

The dark plum/ruby-colored 2008 Pinot Noir Ampelos, which comes from a tiny 1.7-acre parcel, is extraordinary. Sweet raspberry, blueberry, and boysenberry notes interwoven with hints of spring flowers and loamy soil are followed by a full-bodied, beautifully textured, sumptuously styled wine that is fabulously concentrated, silky smooth, and truly world-class. It is one of their bigger wines in terms of alcohol (15.2%), but that’s buried beneath the complexity and richness of this extraordinary Pinot Noir. (RP)   Review Date: 08/2010