97pts James Suckling

An intense, linear wine. So bright, tangy and cherry-like, with great acidity lifting raspberry, cranberry, sage, chalk and rooibos tea flavors.

96pts Wine Enthusiast

Snappy, exuberant aromas of black raspberry and cherry draw the nose into this bottling, and then lines of cinnamon and lemon peel add elegance to the lush core. The palate is zesty, candied and refreshing, carrying cherry, strawberry, red spice and white pepper into a long-lasting finish. 

96pts Wine Spectator

Offers a beautiful, steady stream of blood orange, bitter cherry and raspberry coulis notes stitched finely with subtle rooibos tea, singed sandalwood, dried anise and savory details. Feels pinpoint in focus, with serious length on the finish thanks to the nicely buried mineral tension. Drink now through 2038. 586 cases made.

95pts Jeb Dunnuck

Lastly, the 2022 Pinot Noir Machado has a juicy, upfront nose of wild strawberry and framboise-like fruit as well as spring flowers, violets, and baking spices. Shining for its remarkable purity and freshness, it has medium to full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's much closer to the 459 in style than the Perilune (although these each have their own unique style) and is one for those who love the more pure, lively, fruit-driven style of Pinot Noir. 761 cases.

94pts Decanter

Greg Brewer started making the Machado designate wines as a counter to the 3D bottlings, beginning in 2008. The 7ha block is in good company adjacent to the famed Clos Pepe site. Redolent with ripe berries and spice aromas, elements of ripe raspberries, mint leaves and exotic brown spices leap forth. The palate is generous, as black tea melds with blue and blackberry fruits; there are feral elements from the whole cluster and a mineral saline tone that cuts across the entire affair. Raspberry leaf savouriness lifts to the finish.

92pts Vinous

The 2022 Pinot Noir Machado is a pretty wine with understated density and terrific balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, mint, spice and blood orange fill out the layers. Machado is the most reticent of the vineyard designates. It will be interesting to see what time brings here.

92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The most poised and refined Pinot Noir of the range, the 2022 Pinot Noir Machado leads with red licorice, black cherry compote and orange peel aromas. The palate is rich and layered yet pleasantly lifted by the inclusion of whole clusters, finishing with a lovely balance between fragrant, lifted fruits and faintly drying tannins.

About the Wine

Looking to secure a mirror-image sister ranch to our 3D Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, we began working with the Machado family in the winter of 2008. Our 15 acre parcel on their land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak Vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy loam soils.

At Machado, the majority of the planting is dedicated to pinot noir with equal amounts of such selections as Pommard, Merry Edwards, Mount Eden, and 459. In addition to pinot noir, we also planted a small, two-acre plot in the sandiest portion of the field to the Sweeney Canyon selection of Chardonnay.

Winery Notes

Brewer-Clifton believes the geographic, geologic and climatic uniqueness of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation provides an ideal place to grow chardonnay and pinot noir grapes of intensity, complexity and specificity. This is why Founder and Winemaker Greg Brewer, Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Winemaker of the Year, has dedicated his life to this region. Within this appellation, each vineyard carries its own imprint. The Brewer-Clifton mission and passion is to present wines that convey the characteristics inherent to each of these sites, with uncompromising quality.

Brewer–Clifton has the utmost respect for nature. They believe when working with a product of nature, it is necessary to maintain an awareness of the elements and phenomena sometimes beyond their understanding and control. As such, any intervention in the natural evolution of the product must be carried out with the utmost attentiveness and care.