Hilliard Bruce Vineyards expands estate Pinot Noir portfolio with “Earth” and “Sky”
(March 24, 2014; Lompoc, CA) Hilliard Bruce Vineyards, an artisan producer of estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County, introduced two new Pinot Noirs. The new “Earth” and “Sky” bottlings join Hilliard Bruce’s existing “Moon” and “Sun” Pinot Noirs, and are lighter and more complex in style due to both the cool 2011 vintage and a choice to conduct earlier picks from select blocks. The 2011 Earth ($45, 240 cases) and 2011 Sky ($55, 420 cases) are being released this month with distribution in California, Florida, New York, Missouri and Hawaii, as well as direct through Hilliard Bruce’s website at www.hilliardbruce.com.
“As former artists and master gardeners, we enjoy the creative process of producing four distinct expressions of our vineyard,” says John Hilliard, who shares the role of co-founder and winemaker with wife Christine Bruce. “Our vineyard has demonstrated its ability to grow beautifully rich fruit, but we’ve also become increasingly interested in exploring more esoteric styles. Because of the focus we place on viticulture, we are really able to capture a diverse snapshot of the western Sta. Rita Hills.”
The Hilliard Bruce vineyard was planted in 2004 to 15.7 acres of Pinot Noir (Clones: Calera, Pommard, 115, 667, 777) and 5.3 acres of Chardonnay (clones 76 and 96). The diverse hillside terrain is divided into blocks by soil, rootstock and clone variety and farmed at the highest standards. In the winery John and Christine draw on a wide range of individual wine lots to create the final blends. The complete lineup of Hilliard Bruce Pinot Noir wines are as follows:
