Even better, the 2012 Pinot Noir Machado has sappy, grippy texture to go with notions of rose petal, earth, underbrush and both blackberry and raspberry-styled fruit. Medium to full-bodied, rich, textured and beautifully balanced, I love the overall energetic vibe here, and it should evolve nicely for upward of a decade. 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