

Brewer-Clifton Winery is a partnership between Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer and is located in the Sta. Rita Hills. This AVA (is located at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley) is known for its foggy evenings and mornings which assist in the production of chardonnay and pinot noir. Their 2012 Hapgood Chardonnay is all honeysuckle slowly fading to pineapple and a long acidic finish. Beyond my budget, but great to savor for this evening.

soft grapefruit aroma, a lemon creamsicle texture, finishing long and soft. Quite nice.

Returning to the cooler Sta. Rita Hills, we sample the Lafond Winery 2011 SRH Pinot Noir which is made from the Martin Ray clone (need to look that one up). This winery is part of the Santa Barbara Winery family, which was the first post-prohibition winery in Santa Barbara - opening in 1961. Lafond opened eighteen years ago in 1996. Their 2011 SRH Pinot Noir is delicious, what I referred to as a cherry cayenne chocolate bar with silky texture. A tiny bit of heat is present at 14.7% abv but balanced and priced nicely at $27.

Cheers to the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association, Shawn, #WBC14, and #winechat.