The Paring’s Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir channels the same diatomaceous chalk and Pacific-influenced minerality as The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir, drawn from the same family of vineyards in the Salsipuedes estate complex. Matt Dees’s approach to the Paring Pinot Noir is deliberately focused on early approachability: shorter maceration times, a higher proportion of neutral oak, and reduced time on skins compared to The Hilt labels produce a wine that offers immediate charm without sacrificing the structural integrity or mineral precision of the site.

The 2023 vintage in Santa Barbara County was considerably less stressful than the challenging 2022 season, with winemakers across the Sta. Rita Hills and Ballard Canyon reporting steady maturation, beautifully high acidity and a level of precision in the growing season that allowed for careful selection and measured harvest timing. The Paring Pinot Noir reflects this vintage’s more composed character, with brighter red fruit and a more expressive floral dimension than the denser, more concentrated 2022.

The Paring Pinot Noir is positioned as an intelligent, quality-forward alternative to the volume Pinot Noir category, offering genuine terroir from one of California’s most important and respected Pinot growing regions at a price point that makes it accessible for everyday drinking as well as restaurant list inclusion. James Suckling has reviewed The Paring Pinot Noir, describing the 2023 vintage as a wine with “youthful fruit still coming into its own” with “mixed berries and bergamot” and “a very long, generous finish.”

Bright ruby with aromas of rhubarb compote, mixed red berries, rose hips, bergamot and a light oak duff. The palate is smooth and fresh with a round, approachable texture and a refreshing, mineral-tinged finish of considerable length. Drink now through 2028.

Youthful fruit is still coming into its own, but it’s already starting to flesh out with flavors of rhubarb compote, mixed berries and bergamot. A dusting of oak duff in the background provides a compelling counterpoint to rose hips, woodsy spice and minerals. Very long on the generous finish. - James Suckling