Press

.

"A complete 13-vintage tasting of Brewer-Clifton's Machado vineyard Pinot Noirs reveals winemaker Greg Brewer's craft and Machado vineyard's promise. Wine Spectator's James Molesworth shares his scores and tasting notes for every vintage."

Wine Spectator listed the 2022 Diatom Chardonnay as #7 of the Top 10 Values of 2023.

92 points 

California Under his Brewer-Clifton label, Greg Brewer’s Chardonnays have long been intense, vibrant and expressive. His Diatom Chardonnay is just as precise and refined—but in an even more transparent way. As he puts it, he’s trying to capture Chardonnay before it becomes “something else.” That means the grapes are picked at night, pressed, cold-fermented in stainless steel and bottled early. Without the distractions of malolactic conversion, oak treatment or extended aging, this is one the most primal expressions of Chardonnay from one of the coldest regions in California. It’s also one of the most exciting white wines I reviewed last year—a restrained, savory and tightly wound bundle of mouthwatering energy. Minus any extra winemaking wizardry, the purity of Chardonnay under Brewer’s deft hand and minimalist approach has never been more thrilling, powerful or intense. 17,000 cases made.—MaryAnn Worobiec

Brewer-Clifton 2021 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills)

Even Greg Brewer’s appellation cuvée carries his hallmark, addictive combination of sensory sensations. Light in the glass, it begins with aromas of fresh strawberry, red plum, wild thyme and chaparral spice on the nose. The palate snaps with refreshing acidity, powering through vibrant red fruit, earthy herb and peppery spice flavors. Delicious, fun, memorable. Editor’s Choice. 95 Points — Matt Kettmann

Wine Spectator listed the 2022 Diatom Santa Barbara County Chardonnay as #37 in the Top 100 Wines of 2023.

92 Points

Offers grilled pineapple, white peach and lemon blossom flavors that are robust and effortless on a sleek, juicy frame, with fresh-cut green apple, tarragon and sea spray notes emerging on the mouthwatering finish. Drink now. 17,000 cases made. —MW

MaryAnn Worobiec, Apr. 2023

Jeb Dunnuck listed the 2021 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir as #42 in the Top 100 Wines of 2023.

95 Points

Leading off the reds, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills offers a pure, complex, intense perfume of ripe raspberries, peppery herbs, exotic flowers, and underbrush. This deep, rich, medium to full bodied Pinot Noir has a layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. It will stand up to anything in the vintage and should be snatched up by savvy readers.

Jeb Dunnuck, Aug. 2023

Wine Enthusiast listed the 2021 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir as #4 in the Best Wines of 2023.

95 Points, Editors Choice

Even Greg Brewer’s appellation cuvée carries his hallmark, addictive combination of sensory sensations. Light in the glass, it begins with aromas of fresh strawberry, red plum, wild thyme and chaparral spice on the nose. The palate snaps with refreshing acidity, powering through vibrant red fruit, earthy herb and peppery spice flavors. Delicious, fun, memorable.

Matt Kettmann, Aug. 2023

98 points, 2020 Brewer-Clifton 3D Chardonnay 

"The 2020 Chardonnay 3D features delicate, precise aromas this vintage: lemongrass, candied citrus and white peach are complemented by deeper wafts of matchstick and honeycomb. Medium-bodied, its generous, ripe citrus flavors are enlivened by bursts of mouthwatering acidity and anchored by a gentle textural grip, and it finishes with exotic, alluringly herbal flavors and great length. Such a singular expression this vintage!"

98 points, Diatom Chardonnay

"The Diatom 2021 Chardonnay has inviting poached pears, quince and lemongrass aromas with touches of baker's yeast, honeycomb and acacia. The medium-bodied palate balances generous, exotic fruits and a touch of textural grip with bright waves of acidity, finishing long and flavorful. This Chardonnay is dynamic and so delicious!"

98 points, Ex Post Facto Syrah 

"The 2020 Syrah from Ex Post Facto is lovely at this youthful stage, made without new oak and sourced mainly from the Santa Maria Valley (although moving forward, winemaker Greg Brewer says fruit will come instead from the Sta. Rita Hills). Medium ruby-purple, it offers blackcurrants, dried red cherries and incredible natural spice, like black licorice, cocoa powder, cracked pepper and lilac. The palate is stunning, offering powerful, spicy fruit supported by generous freshness and powdery tannins, and it finishes with great length and definition. Wow!"

Antonio Galloni of Vinous listed the 2020 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir as a wine that massively over delivers for the price.

Machado Chardonnay, 97+ Points

"The 2020 Chardonnay Machado is slightly more tight and focused, with abundant minerality in its stone fruits, white flowers, honeyed melon, and orange zest-like aromas and flavors. It's beautifully textured on the palate, with medium to full body as well as bright yet integrated acidity. This stunning Chardonnay offers everything you could want from this variety and region. It's spectacular now but will benefit from a year in bottle and evolve for 10-15 years if well stored."

"There’s not much to report at Brewer-Clifton, other than the wines are once again stellar. In 2020, the Chardonnays are especially of note, but I also loved the appellation Pinot. Greg Brewer noted that the timing of weather events was more favorable for Chardonnay overall. The wines are done with the same minimalist aesthetic as always, which means a lot of whole cluster for the Pinots, aging in neutral oak and no racking until bottling. At the end of the tasting, Brewer poured the 2009 Chardonnay Gnesa and 3D Pinot, two wines I tasted on my first visit to Brewer-Clifton over a decade ago. It was so interesting to revisit those wines. I thought the Gnesa was especially fine, yet another data point as to how special Chardonnay can be in the Sta. Rita Hills."

“Next, I walk a couple of blocks to Brewer-Clifton, where I’m greeted by Greg Brewer, who last year was named winemaker of the year by Wine Enthusiast. The honor doesn’t seem to have gone to his head: He’s dressed casually, in a black V-neck that reveals arms tattooed with bamboo and an octopus, and as we sip a beautiful 2015 3D pinot noir in his Japanese-inspired tasting room, he describes the recognition as being for the region, not himself.” 

“Greg Brewer considers the accolade of being named Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2020 winemaker of the year ultimately to be a recognition of the Santa Rita Hills appellation in California’s Santa Barbara County where he makes highly lauded Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.” 

“Growing the company from 400 acres to 4,000 and seeing the awareness of the region explode, clearly takes drive, confidence, stubbornness – and, as with any field where people are successful, the ability to take a risk.”

"Greg Brewer’s primary focus in the winery is the pursuit of refinement. He is engaged in every aspect of his work from vineyards to market, and every level of the process is given equal attention. To him, a mindful approach where strategic and efficient actions are taken to incorporate the needs of the entire ecosystem is essential. This pursuit creates a confident and calming environment, yielding a space where everyone and everything is appreciated. The goal is the synchronicity of the system. The result is wine that is honest and driven, expressive of the place and the team who collectively stewards them."

“The latest honor for winemaker Greg Brewer is a perk for Santa Barbara County, too: it’s the first time a Santa Barbara-based vintner has been named Winemaker of the Year by the popular publication, Wine Enthusiast.” 

"Winemaker Greg Brewer, one of the original founders, fashioned the complex Machado 2018 (95, $80), with lithe minerality and rich savoriness to the concentrated red fruit flavors. This site-specific bottling is a prototype for the best of what the appellation has to offer."

“We don’t Photoshop or Autotune our wines,” says Brewer, whose passions beyond wine include French poetry. “It’s the imperfections that allow the beauty to show through.” 

“The Pinots all offer clean, pure red-fruit expressions, tinged with freshly plucked forest herbs, while the Chards are truly unique, pairing citrus pith energy with dairy notes and nutty finishes. Brewer is also making a savory Syrah under the brand Ex Post Facto and stainless steel, tropical-leaning Chardonnays under the brand Diatom.” 

“A thirst for great pinot noir has driven other growers to similarly remote areas. The most interesting areas for California pinot noir today include the Anderson Valley and points north in Mendocino County, the extreme western edges of the Sonoma coast, the craggy hillsides of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Rita Hills in the western limits of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County.”

#8 – 94 points – Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2012

“The 12-year-old Sta. Rita Hills AVA occupies that portion of the Santa Ynez Valley west of Highway 101. Home to some of Santa Barbara’s best Pinot Noir vineyards, this AVA extends nearly to the Pacific Ocean, at Lompoc.”

“Santa Barbara winemakers are taking Cali chards in crisp new directions.”