2021 Brewer-Clifton '3D' Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

"Another utterly brilliant Chardonnay, the 2021 Chardonnay 3D comes from a site in the Sta. Rita Hills. It has a balanced, full-bodied, incredibly layered style as well as classic notes of honeyed citrus, stone fruits, crushed stone, and white flowers, with classic Sta. Rita Hills marine-like salinity and oyster shell-like nuances. A powerful, concentrated effort, it has flawless balance, beautiful freshness, and a great finish. It's one of the finest Chardonnays in this report. Hats off to Greg Brewer for continuing to set his own path and make richly textured, powerful, world class Chardonnay." - Jeb Dunnuck Review Date: August 2023

“A gorgeously knit together Chardonnay of depth and vibrance from the 4ha and aptly named 3D Vineyard. Five clones comprise this Chardonnay, creating a marriage of verve and opulence with aromas of honeyed pear, candied ginger and briny seaspray aromas. The palate is lush, offering ample depth. Flavours of hazelnut skin, savoury thyme and lemon oil make way for concentrated lemon cream notes. Just stunning. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033.” – Clive Pursehouse

“The 2021 Chardonnay 3D is a powerful, phenolic wine, tempered by the cool nature of the year. Citrus peel, white flowers, herbs, mint and crushed rocks abound. More than anything else, the 3D impresses with its textural resonance and palate presence. Superb. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2031 This is a superb set of wines from Greg Brewer. The first thing that is immediately noticeable is that alcohol levels have quietly come down significantly, which is a pretty big development for a producer who in the past railed that Chardonnay had to be picked at 15% or more to be ripe. In any event, the 2021s are stellar, and that is what counts. As always, the Pinots are done with essentially 100% stems (a bit less for the appellation wine), but it is the Chardonnays that steal the show this year. I have to say, the more enlightened style here of late is hugely appealing.” – Antonio Galloni Review Date: July 2023