Five bottles were on the table at the Brewer-Clifton tasting on Tuesday. Winemaker Greg Brewer was pouring. On the way to his next event, he graciously stopped by my table, accused me of hiding in the corner, and chatted for a few moments about these acclaimed craft wines from Santa Barbara County.
I do hide from winemakers at tastings. Talking about a wine with someone who worked to bring it from bunch to bottle is heavy. It’s intimidating. It feels like–I’m not even exaggerating–like when someone shows you their one-year-old baby. In those moments, “Cool new human!” doesn’t feel like an adequate comment, and neither does “Nice wine!”
So here I am with my notes for the 2024 “Ex Post Facto” Pinot Noir. I am now, appropriately enough, trying to find something smart to say about it after the fact.
Bright medium ruby in the glass, with luscious red aromas of candied red cherry, strawberry fruit leather, and smooshed raspberry. The concentrated, fruit-snack flavors are lightly overlaid with a hint of caramel or toasted sugar. It’s dry but unapologetically fruity with a soft, round texture and a playful sucker-punch of acidity. The liqueur-like strength of this Pinot (it’s 14.5% ABV) is only evident at the end, where it contributes to a long, aromatic finish of cranberry sauce, Seville orange rind, and orange brandy.
The grapes for Ex Post Facto are de-stemmed before fermentation in steel vats, unlike the Brewer-Clifton flagship Pinot Noir which is made with “stem participation.” (Great wine language–I’m stealing it!). I tasted that delicate, strawberry tea-like Pinot, this vibrant and fruit-led Pinot, and three intense-but-measured Chardonnays from the Brewer-Clifton lineup.
Over the first two days that these wines were on the bar, I sat in (read: eavesdropped and hovered) with various people as they tasted Brewer-Clifton. One thing that struck me about this portfolio: Everybody seemed to prefer a different wine for a different reason.
That’s not always the case–more often, a consensus settles around one or two bottles. But these aren’t wines that are trying to be all things to all people. Rather, they’re made in distinct, discrete styles with a sense of commitment and even risk-taking.
I really liked all the wines–but I was hungry and the Ex Post Facto seemed like the best candidate to take on some takeout. My wife and I split the bottle and drank it with a DoorDash order of Hawaiian barbecue. (Junk food pair-ers take note: Spam musubi + Pinot Noir is a sweet/salty/umami combo that is absolutely to die for.)
Ex Post Facto is 100% Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, rested in neutral barrels for just 3 months. Inaugural release.
Bottle: “Ex Post Facto” Pinot Noir by Greg Brewer (2024) – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California
Variety: Pinot Noir (100%)
ABV: 14.5%
Retail (local pricing): $34
My rating: 9.2 (out of 10)
Other wines tasted:
Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay (2023) – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California – $35
Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir (2023) – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California – $46
Diatom Chardonnay (2024) – Santa Barbara County, California – $23
Brewer-Clifton “3D” Chardonnay (2022) – Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California – $74
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. (I received a complimentary tasting with my membership at The Wine Authority.) Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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