# 2020 Greg Brewer was named Winemaker of the Year by the Wine Enthusiast for their annual Wine Star Awards.
 
97-Points by Wine Enthusiast.
Vibrant and snappy aromas of pomegranate and strawberry are topped with snipped thyme and green sage on the nose of this crisp bottling. The palate adds raspberry and dank herb flavors to the experience, proving juicy while complex.
 
Comprised of a vast array of elevation, aspect, and soil profiles, Perilune is by far and away the most ambitiously complex of all our vineyards. From beach sand to botella clay, the rugged terrain and dramatic inclines offer a myriad of opportunities for dynamic fruit expression. Mindful clonal selection of equal parts clone 37 and 667 and bespoke for each of the forty-two unique blocks further amplifies the diversity of this south-facing parcel, which has swiftly become the predominant core of our wines.
 
Brewer-Clifton is one of the top producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1996 by Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton, its single-vineyard wines have received high praise in the press. 
Steve Clifton was a surfer and rock singer in San Diego before making his way to Santa Barbara County where he worked up the ranks at several local wineries. Greg Brewer was a French professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara before going into winemaking.
Both wanted to make single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines (which weren't common on the Central Coast at the time). They combined their savings and started Brewer-Clifton, whose winery is situated in Lompoc, roughly 160 miles (260km) west of Los Angeles.
Both have other projects: Clifton has the label Palmina, which focuses on Italian varieties and is also based in Lompoc, while Brewer (who was the winemaker at Melville Vineyards) also produces the diatom and Ex Post Facto labels. Brewer-Clifton, diatom and Ex Post Facto are all owned by Jackson Family Wines, who puchased the operation in 2017.
The Sta. Rita Hills benefits from a maritime influence, keeping the vineyards cool and promoting a long growing season. The complexity derived from the long hang-time lends itself to a liberal use of oak – Brewer-Clifton employs French barriques from Sirugue in Burgundy.
The resulting wines are full-bodied examples of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which often score in the 90's with several critics. Brewer-Clifton uses estate-grown fruit from five vineyard sites in the Sta Rita Hills: Gnesa, Machado, 3-D, Hapgood and Acin.
Single-site Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are produced from each vineyard, and a méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine is made from fruit from the 3-D vineyard.
In 2014, the winery's 2012 vintage of its Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir received the distinction of being named #8 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines while in 2020, Brewer was named Wine Enthusiast magazine's Winemaker of the Year