"We have refrigerated sunshine. It is sunny all the time, but it is never hot." The Hilt winemaker, Matt Dees, was referring to the one-two punch of the cold Pacific Ocean mere miles away and the mountains just south of The Hilt vineyards that block warmer, more southerly influences.  

I had tasted The Hilt Pinots before and found them not just crunchy, but almost raw. With such a vivid vineyard description, it certainly was easier to understand the wines' dispositions. 

The two main Sta. Rita Hills vineyards at The Hilt are Radian (mostly for Pinot Noir) and Bentrock (primarily for Chardonnay). At Radian, the ocean propels 55-mph winds onto the vines that stand on precipitously steep, north-facing slopes. (Yes, north-facing!) As a side note, Radian stands on one of the largest-known formations of diatomaceous earth, a soil type better known for its use to filter wines rather than grow vines. Anyway, Radian doesn't sound like a place I would want to stay long, much less be rooted to the earth there. I can't blame the Pinot Noirs for being a bit austere. Bentrock is less harsh thanks to its rolling hills and good portion of clay in the soil along with Monterey Shale. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I found The Hilt Chardonnay a much more approachable wine.

Dees claims to be "anti lieux-dits", or against making wines from specific plots. (But, stay tuned, as he did mention that he is becoming tempted to experiment with some single plots, even if only for his own understanding of them.) As such, the Hilt wines are made as blends, reflecting parcels from all over the 3,600-acre estate. Not only does The Hilt have an astonishingly large property, it is one of the few wineries in the area that owns its vines, even if ownership is becoming more common place as time passes.

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The Hilt 2018 Chardonnay Estate Santa Rita Hills 13% $45
Dees said, "There is so much Chardonnay in the world that it needs to be memorable, not just good." On its own, Chardonnay from The Hilt could be pretty memorable for its extremes - at least on paper. Dees says he has never bottled a Chardonnay here that was over 3.1 pH, and most of his Chardonnays have had eight grams of total acidity! However, rapier-like acidity on its own doesn't make good Chardonnay (despite the preferences of some "acid geeks" today). Dees admits to losing sleep over wines he thought might shatter a glass when poured, and that would be extreme, indeed. (No, no, this is not possible. It's just winemaker humor.) However, with the 2018 Estate Chardonnay, there are absolutely no worries. The glass won't shatter, but it might seem like there's a hole in the bottom it does down so quickly and so very nicely.

Almost seething with energy, this vibrant, crisp Chardonnay is tantalizingly savory and minerally. Some of the pulsing, tactile energy comes through the modest but evident stream of tannins. This is a delightful wine on its own, but it's seriously primed for food. The attack has a generous, caressing texture that turns surprisingly crisp as the pithy tannins dominate the final impression, seemingly cutting off the flavor to give it only medium length. The flavors of Asian pear, celery and donut peach weave gently from the nose through to the palate. A bit like white Burgundy, this doesn't show quite as well on Day 2, so do plan to finish the bottle! Dees prefers drinking California Chardonnay on the early side. He thinks it will be stunning in five years and hopes it will still be fresh in ten years. I'm going to side with him on just enjoying how good it is now. Approximately 2,000 cases made.
Drink: 2021-25 

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The Hilt 2018 Pinot Noir Estate Santa Rita Hills 13.5% $45
Dees said, "I look for the dark side and a hint of corruption in Pinot Noir." He went on to say that the diatomaceous earth at Radian makes the grape clusters smaller (an entire cluster can be as tiny as a golf ball!) and the pungently cold winds makes the skins thicker. This brings on a gamey, salty side of Pinot Noir that Dees likes.  

While the saline streak was apparent in the Estate Chardonnay, I didn't pick it up in this crisp, dazzlingly youthful Pinot Noir. Laden with crunchy cranberries and pomegranate seeds on the nose, tart raspberries join the mix on the palate along with mint and orange zest. The electric acidity is well-managed and mercifully less polarizing than the other Pinots I have tasted. The tannins are notably soft given the rambunctious, fresh energy instilled in this wine from such a cold site. Approximately 4,000 cases made.
Drink: 2021-25