The 2023 10 Ninths “Radius” Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills comes from a new estate with an established vineyard. Founder Michael Mente purchased the former Hilliard Bruce property in 2021, including roughly 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay planted in 2004. Radius is positioned as the winery’s Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, priced at about $45, and it’s made in a hands-on, low-intervention style: hand-harvested and sorted, fermented with native yeasts in open-top stainless steel, with some lots seeing about 25–35% whole cluster, then aged in 27% new French oak.

Critics have been notably strong on this release, with two excellent 94-point reviews. James Suckling scored it 94 points, calling it “vibrating with life,” highlighting “the bitterness of orange rind,” “herbal-liqueur-like aromas and flavors,” and a savory fruit profile of “salted black raspberries and pomegranate seeds,” carried by “acidity… a dusting of tannins and earth” into a “crunchy finish.” Wine Enthusiast also rated it 94 points, with Matt Kettmann describing “juicy aromas of plum and rhubarb” that are “quickly cut by herbaceous layers of sage and damp fennel,” and noting a “wild chaparral character” that brings a “savory, seaweed-kissed edge” alongside “plum and pepper.”

Vinous was close behind at 93+ points, with Billy Norris emphasizing refinement and restraint: “elegant and marked by savory nuance,” building toward “rose stem, hibiscus, black tea and orange peel,” while remaining “cool-toned and velvety.” He adds that it’s “polished and refined,” though “a little compact through the mid-palate,” suggesting that short-term cellaring should help it broaden.

Taken together, Radius 2023 reads as a coastal Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir that prioritizes savory detail, herbal lift, and citrus-tinged structure over overt sweetness or weight.