Hilliard Bruce
Moon Pinot Noir
Sta. Rita Hills, Central Coast, California, USA
2014 opened Oct 2020. Hilliard Bruce was my favorite of the Santa Rita hills Pinot producers. I got an email a while back that they went out of business. So sad.
IMHO the vineyard from which they sourced the grapes for The Moon produced some of the most complex and luscious Pinots in the Santa Rita Hills. Well, here’s my review of a wine we’ll see no more of.
Raspberries and sage on the nose. Lots of bouncy high notes plus a delicate tannic structure that starts on the front of the tongue and that carries through to the mid palate. More of the raspberry fruit comes out on the mid-palate — almost a Crème de Framboise intensity — but it’s offset by slightly smokey finish. Please don’t take any of these descriptors is being negative, because they all work together. This wine has a wonderful balance. Not as fantastic as a 2009 Moon, but this is a worthy vintage indeed.
2014 opened Oct 2020. Hilliard Bruce was my favorite of the Santa Rita hills Pinot producers. I got an email a while back that they went out of business. So sad.
IMHO the vineyard from which they sourced the grapes for The Moon produced some of the most complex and luscious Pinots in the Santa Rita Hills. Well, here’s my review of a wine we’ll see no more of.
Raspberries and sage on the nose. Lots of bouncy high notes plus a delicate tannic structure that starts on the front of the tongue and that carries through to the mid palate. More of the raspberry fruit comes out on the mid-palate — almost a Crème de Framboise intensity — but it’s offset by slightly smokey finish. Please don’t take any of these descriptors is being negative, because they all work together. This wine has a wonderful balance. Not as fantastic as a 2009 Moon, but this is a worthy vintage indeed.
2010 opened Oct 2017. I gave this wine an 8.7 a few years back, and I didn't think it had much hope for improvement, but either my tastes have changed or its improved quite a bit over the past few years. Leather and unripe cherries on the nose. Tannins are smoother and stronger now. Slightly unpleasant chlorophyll notes on the top of the palate, but they're pretty much extinguished by the velvety finish (dark red velvet). So I don't mind the off-notes. I don't see why this wine gets a 9.4 average rating though unless it's due to grade inflation. ;-)
2010 opened Oct 2017. I gave this wine an 8.7 a few years back, and I didn't think it had much hope for improvement, but either my tastes have changed or its improved quite a bit over the past few years. Leather and unripe cherries on the nose. Tannins are smoother and stronger now. Slightly unpleasant chlorophyll notes on the top of the palate, but they're pretty much extinguished by the velvety finish (dark red velvet). So I don't mind the off-notes. I don't see why this wine gets a 9.4 average rating though unless it's due to grade inflation. ;-)
Oct 14th, 2017Buttery. Delicious! Beautiful nose!
Buttery. Delicious! Beautiful nose!
Jan 26th, 2017
