The 2011 Pinot Noir Mount Carmel is a spectacular effort that delivers beautiful raspberry, strawberry, sappy underbrush, sea breeze and spice to go with a medium-bodied, rich and elegant palate. Knockout stuff that’s perfectly balanced and rich, without ever losing any focus or precision, it will evolve for 4-5 years and drink nicely through 2026. Drink now-2026. A benchmark estate in the Santa Rita Hills, these first rate efforts are made by Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer. The wines are all handled identically in the cellar, so what you get is exactly what the vineyard delivers. In addition, this estate is moving to only estate-farmed vineyards, with Gnesa, Machado, 3-D and Hapgood being the only single-vineyard releases going forward. These 2011s are fantastic and should not be missed! Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com