The Pinot Noir Region That Never Stops Evolving

10 Ninths Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills Estate Radius 2021 Link to the wine: https://www.winex.com/10-ninths-pinot-noir-sta-rita-hills-estate-radius-2021.html Join our Daily Email Offer List: https://cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/f3da488a-d10b-11ee-94a3-62718bdc6118 It's one thing to buy a struggling winery. It's something entirely different to buy a winery that's already producing outstanding wines... and believe you can make it even better. That's exactly the story behind 109th Street. The estate is the former Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, a property long respected by Santa Rita Hills insiders for producing beautifully structured, age-worthy Pinot Noir. When entrepreneur Michael Mente, founder of Revolve, purchased the property, he wasn't looking for a turnaround project. He was looking for refinement. Instead of tearing everything down and starting over, he assembled an elite winemaking team to fine-tune an already exceptional site. Leading that effort is Frédéric Emile, alongside talented winemaker Jessica Gasca, who approached the vineyard with remarkable patience. Every block is being studied individually, fermented separately, and evaluated on its own merits as they learn every nuance of this extraordinary estate. It's less about changing the vineyard than uncovering its fullest potential. The 2021 Radius Pinot Noir offers a fascinating snapshot of that evolution. The vineyard occupies one of the most intriguing locations in the Santa Rita Hills, where the famous diatomaceous earth soils begin transitioning into sandier terrain. That unique position creates wines with the mineral precision and tension associated with the western Santa Rita Hills, while adding a supple generosity and early approachability that sandy soils naturally encourage. Winemaking is intentionally restrained. Native yeast fermentation, minimal new French oak, and a focus on preserving the vineyard's voice rather than the cellar's influence allow the site to speak with remarkable clarity. The result is captivating. Lifted aromas of wild cherry, raspberry, rose petals, baking spice, forest floor, and subtle stem spice give way to a palate that's simultaneously vibrant and silky. The fruit feels pure and energetic, while beautifully integrated oak quietly frames the wine without ever stepping into the spotlight. What impressed us most is how complete the wine already feels. Many of Santa Rita Hills' coolest sites can be wonderfully intellectual in their youth but require years of patience before revealing their full personality. Radius seems to bridge both worlds, offering the complexity collectors seek while remaining remarkably inviting today. Antonio Galloni agreed, awarding the 2021 Radius Pinot Noir 95 points, recognizing both the quality of the vineyard and the promise of what's clearly becoming one of Santa Rita Hills' most exciting new projects. Add in several years of bottle age, a terrific vintage, single-vineyard pedigree, and exceptional pricing, and you have one of the most compelling Pinot Noir values we've tasted this year. Sometimes greatness isn't about starting over. Sometimes it's about making something exceptional just a little bit better.