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...

The 2021 Jonata Todos Vineyard Red Blend delivers a smooth and inviting drinking experience, brimming with enticing aromas and flavours of pomegranate, cherry, red liquorice, vanilla, grilled herbs, and lilacs. Medium to...

( 96+ points) My favorite of these recent releases from The Hilt is the 2023 Chardonnay Bentrock Vineyard, which perfectly encapsulates the maritime nature of the western Sta. Rita Hills. Dominated by crystalline aromas...

Bold aromas of black cherry, dark plum and woody herb show on the nose of this block-designated bottling. The palate pops with acidic energy that bisects the dark fruit and rich woodspice flavors. MATT KETTMANN

95+Minty herbs come together with hints of mocha, then dried violets, stone dust and finally wild blueberries as the kaleidoscopic 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony reaches up from the glass. Cool and collected, this is a...

Love the garrigue herbs on the nose, this captures the exuberance of Paso in its seductive vibrancy and easy pleasure, balancing it with freshly cut herbs, fennel and white pepper, liquorice, bilberry and raspberry...

Packed without being muscular, this bursts with energy, resulting in a vivacious feel as boysenberry, morello cherry and blood orange reduction notes pump along. The core is infused with nervy pennyroyal and savory notes...

Deep ruby-purple, the 2017 True Believer Reserve features pure scents of red and black currants, potpourri, aniseed and exotic spices. The palate offers generous, graphite-laced fruits supported by abundant, pixelated...

Earthy aromas of riverbed and crushed stone open up into lemon blossom and citrus peel on the nose of this estate bottling. There's a lime pith grip to the palate, where ample citrus edges cut into the dried apple...

Leave it to this pioneering Central Coast producer to craft an appellation cuvée that tastes exactly like this region smells. Aromas of sagebrush, pepper, iron and red plum lead into a palate of juniper, bay leaf and...

Mouthwatering, intense and generous, with a core of citrus flavors including Sumo orange, lime zest and salted, preserved lemon, plus fresh ginger. Pretty, aromatic notes of orange blossoms and sweetgrass linger on the...

The 2022 Esprit de Tablas has mellowed in an enticing way, delivering a perfumed bouquet of roses, geraniums, wet slate and dried black cherries. Cooling acidity and inner violet florals impart a graceful character as a...

The 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard sees more whole clusters and less new oak than the other wines in the Pisoni range, a combination that affords it noticeably more clarity and balance. The nose opens with dehydrated...

A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also...

The 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is an attractive, ethereal wine. Sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco and sage are some of the aromas and flavors that open in the glass. I would give this a few years in bottle to soften...

The 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is again centered around Radian, which forms just over half the blend, followed by almost equal parts of Bentrock and Sanford & Benedict. It opens with a darker-fruited profile...

For fans of bigger and more powerful Pinot Noir, the 2010 Bernardus Pinot Noir from their Sierra Mar Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands hits all the right notes. Visually opaque with a deep brick red hue, this wine is...

This is a lesson in white Rhône blends, utilizing the Roussanne and Grenache Blanc base with accents from Picpoul, Clairette, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Aromas of baked orange and almond dust make for a warm nose before...

Lively white flower aromas of honeysuckle and gardenia meet with lemon verbena and guava on the fresh nose of this bottling. The palate is quite floral and tropical, offering coconut and guava cream flavors. — Matt Kettmann

Leading off the reds, the 2022 Pinot Noir Presqu'Ile Vineyard comes from a cool-climate site just outside of Santa Maria and was completely destemmed and brought up in barrel. Bright cherry, mulberries, forest floor, and...

The 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee is bright, airy and wonderfully perfumed. Ethereal and gracious, the 2018 lifts out of the glass with striking aromatic presence to match its chiseled, mid-weight personality...

The 2020 Loner Chardonnay The Thirty-Five Sweet Goodbyes comes from the John Sebastiano vineyard and was matured for 26 months in used French oak and stainless steel. It opens with chalk and saline before revealing scents...

The 2022 Chardonnay “Rinconada Vineyard” bottling from Sandhi is the ripest wine in the lineup this year, coming in at 13.4 percent alcohol in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, bright and very expressive, hopping from...

(92+ points) The bouquet of the 2023 Chardonnay East of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is marked by lees-derived notions of oatmeal, croissant and pastry cream subtly lifted by floral accents and a touch of reduction. On the...

The Pesenti Vineyard boasts 100-year-old, dry-farmed, head-trained Zinfandel vines. The nose is classic Zinfandel: baked red fruits, high-toned spice and dried orange peel. The palate leads with acidity, moderate tannins...

A generous white, with notes of mango, pineapple and ripe, salted melon. Offers accents of butterscotch, candied ginger and orange blossoms, along with accents of crunchy sea salt and apricot pastry, plus a fresh thread...

The 2022 Estate Reserve (formerly "Estate Cuvée Red" following a slight rebranding in 2022) is a blend of 55% Syrah, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out with...

The 2022 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard is the most bracing and tensile of the Roar Pinot Noirs, opening with focused aromas of ripe red fruits, crushed stones, dried herbs and orange peels. The palate is opulent and...

From the Soberanes Vineyard, the 2022 Syrah The Initiation was matured for 15 months in 75% new French oak. It has savory, sanguine aromas of bacon fat, woodsmoke and iron over pure blackcurrant fruit. The full-bodied...

The 2024 Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard is a terrific wine off this Santa Cruz Mountains site planted at 600 feet in elevation. Lemon peel, chalk, slate, mint and dried herbs race across the palate. The 2024 is nervy and...