I tasted the wine about a year ago and I would describe it as firmly AFWE style. Too far for my taste but I’m sure it’s right in the wheelhouse for others. I would describe the wines as having an interesting structure and seemed “well made”, whatever the hell that means haha.
Are there whites considered AFWE too?
Wow. Funny thread resurrection. I dimly remember claiming years ago here and on EBob that just reading the label for the ABV really didn’t tell you the whole story about these wines. My firsthand experience very much mirrord Steve Pepe’s.
These wines often got slagged by people who I suspect never tasted them, and just found it easy to trash (with some reason) the “dead ringer for La Tache” review, which said far more about the reviewer than the wine. And unfortunately the respondents as well.
I guess its good that discussion took on more nuance since 2011.
I would say yes, but I don’t know everything. I clicked a lot more with the chardonnays than the pinots. The pinots had a lot of tea notes that turned me off because of my own personal preference. There’s a lot of people who will find these wines outstanding, including a number on these boards.
BC pinots are the best proof I know that high alcohol wines can indeed age well. Old ones are simply fabulous.
I’ve had one bottle of Brewer Clifton Pinot and enjoyed it. It was a 2013, found good balance, enough complexity and nice finish. I didn’t notice it was 14.5%.
I bought a few of the mixed six packs years ago and have one of several of these pinots from most of the various vineyards left from '02 to '04. Had been burried in off-site storage until recently. I will try and test the theory on how they age. I don’t remember which one was the “La Tache ringer” but let’s hope if have that one.
Cheers
A big + 1
These are the notes from my tasting with Greg Brewer last June in Los Alamos. Sparing you the scores and ABV.
brewer-clifton 2015 CHARDONNAY, STA. RITA HILLS The nose is a well focused golden stone fruits, licorice and Meyer lemon zest. The palate is bright and centered with minerally wet stone and lightly toasted grains. Crisp yet lush finish with juicy lemon, toast and grain. Drink 2017 – 2024. 2015 CHARDONNAY, 3D A fresh, floral nose of jasmine with notes of mint and clove. The palate has a lush entry of waxy citrus with spicy pear and brioche in the core. Drink 2017 – 2024. 2015 CHARDONNAY, HAPGOOD A beautiful nose of clean, precise citrus flesh, chalk and mineral dryness. The palate entry is fleshy and rich, round with less acidity in the core. It finishes with beautifully textured white currant, pear and brioche. Drink 2017 – 2023. 2015 PINOT NOIR STA. RITA HILLS A beautiful nose of lavender, cherry, blueberry and whiffs of conifer. The palate is delicate on entry with notes of lean forest floor and mint and full shadings of earth and cherry. Drink 2017 – 2024. 2015 PINOT NOIR, MACHADO Velvety black cherry aromas with subtle wet stone and florals. The palate entry is beautifully focused black fruit and spice. The core offers up brightly textured red berry with plenty of structure. Drink 2018 – 2027. 2015 PINOT NOIR, 3D The nose offers up all of that Pommard weight and spice; Licorice, black cherry and violet. Gorgeous on the palate entry, seamless and lush velvet-like, red cherry, spice box and piquant cranberry. Drink 2017 – 2028. 2015 PINOT NOIR, HAPGOOD From the first hint of the bottle opening there is something beyond ordinary in this wine. Bottomless dark aromatics; cherry, spice box, currant in a richly dense balance. The palate is uncannily precise on entry with bright essences of cranberry, supple orange that give way to enormously silky textured dark cherry, spice and forest floor. Exceptional and utterly flawless. Tasted over three days with consistent results. Drink 2017 – 2030. 2015 PINOT NOIR, ACIN The nose is focused and dusty showing a leaner impression of cherry, orange zest and tobacco leaf. The palate is fresh and velvety with notes of tropical fruit and graphite showing in the long textured finish. Drink 2017 – 2026. 2015 PINOT NOIR, 459 Notes of ripe orange, cedar and full, saturated black and red fruits. The palate is a lush sandalwood and supple black fruits accented by a gorgeous silky acidity. Drink 2017 – 2025. 2015 PINOT NOIR, DRUM CANYON The nose is ripe, soft blueberry, sandalwood and dusty rose petals. The palate has well defined textured and weight on entry with the core filling out with supple red cherry, spice box and cola. Drink 2017 – 2024. diatom [chardonnay] 2016 HILLIARD BRUCE The nose is fresh lemon and warm grains, firm and crisp green apple. The palate is honeyed and dense on palate entry with a brilliantly focused acidity balanced by a punch of fresh citrus on the finish. Drink 2017 – 2022. 2016 MACHADO The nose is a tropical banana and pie spice with whiffs of white pepper. The palate has a broader round quality in entry with a cut velvet texture of tropical fruits and well-integrated acidity. Drink 2017 – 2022. 2016 SPEAR A richer lemon crème nose with orange marshmallow and notes of lees. The palate is a rich lemony textured core with an effortless feel, finishing clean. Drink 2017 – 2022. 2016 SANTOS ROAD White pepper, peach and citrus in the nose with underlying notes of licorice. The palate is nicely and well-defined lemon and grapefruit with notes of chalk and well-integrated acidity. Drink 2017 – 2022.
I had another bottle of the 2015 B-C Chard at a restaurant and this one was a bit too zippy for my salmon sandwich. The lemony notes are strong on it. I don’t think I’ll buy more.
They have moved their main tasting room to downtown Los Olivos, taking over the Byron space. Very nice - well worth a visit if in the area . . .
Cheers!