Professional reviews
James Suckling (94)
Aromas of pie crust dough, lightly cooked apple and white peach. Dried flower. Flinty. Mineral. Medium-bodied with creamy texture and citrusy at the end.
Jancis Robinson (17)
Restrained nose but there is green-apple fruit, toasty complexity and a honeyed note too. The persistence moves into a hard-cheese sort of quality. Super-tangy with beautifully defined fruit and a lovely twist of sour citrus.
Vinous (92)
The 2020 Chardonnay Estate is bright, tense and sizzling with energy. Lemon peel, mint, white pepper and a gentle touch of new oak inform this gorgeous Chardonnay from The Hilt. There is plenty of tension, but more depth and therefore better balance, than in the 2019.
Jeb Dunnuck (92)
The 2020 Chardonnay Estate is terrific and has classic Sta. Rita Hills character. Salted citrus, melon, white flowers, and a kiss of peach all emerge on the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant mouthfeel, outstanding balance, and a great finish. It’s well worth the price of admission and will keep for 4-6 years.
Decanter (95)
The Hilt estate sites sit in the southwestern corner of the Santa Rita Hills. This is a blend of the three different sites – the ridgetop Bentrock and Radian vineyards, and the Puerta del Mar – which combine various soils, elevations and mesoclimates. The wine is matured in a combination of French oak (34% new) and stainless steel. Ronan Sayburn MS: Floral and elegant with wonderful energy and focus. Long, taut and elegant. Mouthwatering while still rich and smoky. Eugenio Egorov: Fresh notes of orchard fruits and citrus blossom. Superb persistence, a touch of salinity, well-integrated oak and light butter at the end. Ben Gubbins: Plentiful attack but thins out a bit too soon. Good complexity and fruit character, though. Citrus, apple, oak, pithy texture.
Wine Enthusiast (96)
This is a layered yet expertly restrained and mineral-driven Chardonnay. Aromas of white flower petals, grapefruit pith and the slightest hint of toast are wrapped in ashy and chalky elements on the nose. The palate is vibrantly tight with rock and citrus peel flavors, exhibiting a brilliant acidity. Drink now–2040.
