2018 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir 3-D

The darker ruby/plum-hued 2018 Pinot Noir 3D offers more forest floor, gamey herbs, salted meat, and assorted mulled red and black fruits notes as well as a richer, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured style on the palate. It's a big, rich, seamless Pinot Noir that excels on its texture and balance. This is another brilliant lineup from Greg Brewer, and these Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs (as well as a terrific Syrah) are up with the finest wines in this report. These wines are never shrinking violets and have loads of fruit and texture, yet they always show singular characters, stunning balance, and weightless, elegant textures that make them a joy to drink. I think they're some of the finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays coming out of California today.

The 2018 Pinot Noir 3D is exotic and beautifully layered in the glass. Sweet red cherry, cinnamon, orange peel and a host of floral/savory overtones open up first. The 3D emerges from a sandy site, which along with the whole clusters, yields a Pinot with notable aromatic breadth. The 2018 is deep and yet also light on its feet, with superb resonance and a real sense of vibrancy. The 3D needs a few hours of air to open up, as it has so much going on.