"The Vanguard" is a New World style wine characterized by its ample fruitiness and rich flesh.
The aroma is gorgeous and the taste is very full-bodied with a pronounced fruitiness.
The name means "pioneer."
"The Vanguard" is a New World style wine characterized by its ample fruitiness and rich flesh.
The aroma is gorgeous and the taste is very full-bodied with a pronounced fruitiness.
The name means "pioneer."
There are hints of orange blossom, brioche with freshly baked apricots, cinnamon and flint.
It's taut and energetic, framed by crisp pear and soft notes of toasty oak.
The rich fruitiness and saltiness continue into a long, refined finish.
– Matt Dees, Winemaker The Hilt is a premium winery producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its own vineyards on the coast of Santa Barbara County.
It is owned by Stan Kroenke, the owner of Screaming Eagle, the epitome of California cult wine, and is known as a sister winery to Screaming Eagle.
The wine is made by Matt Dees, a young and talented winemaker with a promising future.
Matt is an expert in producing wines with a "transparent" quality, and is able to express the terroir of the vineyards directly in the wine.
His specialty is brewing science and he is known as a soil geek.
The Hilt's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are wines that only an otaku like him could make.
The grapes used to make The Hilt wines are grown in very harsh natural conditions.
The Santa Rita Hills AVA, which stretches from east to west, is a complex network of landmasses, divided into four districts: north-facing, south-facing, near the Pacific Ocean, and inland.
The fields used by The Hilt are closer to the Pacific Ocean and are north-facing plots that are influenced by sea breezes.
This is a region known for being very difficult to cultivate, but it is said to produce the best grapes.
The area where The Hilt is based is known as Rancho Salsipuedes and is located 20km inland from the Pacific Ocean.
This is an undulating plateau with no barriers to block the cold winds that blow in from the sea, with a wide range of altitudes, aspects, soils and microclimates.
The diversity of this vineyard gives The Hilt's wines unique character and complexity.
Rancho Salsipuedes has three vineyards of its own: Radian, Bentrock, and Puerta del Mar.
The Hilt produces three different style blends from these vineyards.
The main lineup consists of "The Vanguard," which uses a large amount of new oak barrels to give it fruitiness and structure; "The Old Guard," which uses mainly old oak barrels to feature Old World delicacy and aroma; and estate wines that are blended with nuances that are "right in the middle" between these two extreme wines.
In 2019, the long-awaited winery was completed on the Puerta del Mar site.