much more masculine version of Pinot Noir, the 2012 Pinot Noir 3D has nice dark plum, forest floor, licorice, pepper and tinges of leather in its medium to full-bodied, concentrated personality. The stem component really shows here, yet it stays balanced, with solid mid-palate depth and high-quality, ripe tannin on the finish. Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer continue to produce a bevy of beautiful releases from the Sta. Rita Hills. Looking at their latest releases, their 2012 Pinot Noirs are superb and check in near the top of the vintage. While the Chardonnays are solid, and in some cases outstanding, I thought they lacked concentration and had too much acidity for their own good. Looking at the Pinot Noirs, which as a whole I found more successful than the Chardonnays, these were all harvested on the same date, fermented with 100% whole cluster and aged in neutral oak. Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com