“Tyler Thomas presented a compelling set of wines at Dierberg. There’s no shortage of intensity here, that much is certain. The Pinots in particular are impressive…” - Vinous

Agreed.

And Jeb Dunnuck in his 94 POINT note adds, “With the wines made by Tyler Thomas, Dierberg continues to fashion classic, elegant wines that almost always represent terrific value.”

He means the full $85. NOT the 66% OFF for a Pinot by a former DRC apprentice???

Tyler is a protégé of Aubert de Villaine. Who’s that, you ask? Only the co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the greatest Pinot producer in this universe or the next.

This is a master class in what the Sta. Rita Hills AVA does: restraint with impact. It’s got the bones of something extraordinary, the right address to back it up, and the winemaking lineage to match.

Drum Canyon is the kind of place that sounds almost too good to be true. Ocean-cooled hillside slopes. Sandy, well-drained soils. Ridgelines that defy California convention and funnel Pacific fog straight into the vines. Cool, slow, and relentlessly focused on finesse. It grows Pinot Noir the way Burgundy would if Burgundy had better weather.

The Dierberg family has farmed it with a Grand Cru mindset since 2003. Every decision is made with the long game in mind, and Tyler Thomas is exactly the winemaker that philosophy demands. His guiding principle, shaped at DRC, is simple: stay out of the way. Let the vineyard speak. Don’t intervene unless the wine demands it. For instance, this vintage marked the first time 100% of the fruit was destemmed. A deliberate choice to let the site’s inherent structure carry the wine entirely. And boy does it deliver.

Open this, and you know it’s a bad mamma-jamma before you even taste it. Dark fruit, black cherry, mulberries. Layered with earthy spice, dried herbs, and something almost savory underneath. This wine has a compelling depth that pulls you in slowly. The palate is concentrated and structured, with a midpalate richness that rolls into a long, precise finish with just enough acidity to keep everything singing.

Even with some modest age, it’s just dealing the goods. Open it now (swirl, swirl, swirl), and you’ll be impressed, but you can also give it 5 to 7 more years in your cellar, too. Jeb and Antonio agree.

In our opinion, Dierberg is one of those wineries that Wine Spies, deep undercover in the wine trade and serious Pinot circles, have been quietly sitting on. It walks a razor’s edge between wanting to share their greatness, while knowing that every person you tell is one less bottle for you. Yes, you want to put this in front of your friends and watch their faces. But you also know not to, because that means less for you.

Decisions… decisions…

Yeah, that took about two seconds. HELL YES at $29 a bottle. Grab it, because the last time we had a Dierberg to offer was in 2017. That’s how limited, small production these wines are…

Tell your friends. Just maybe not all of them! 😀

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck “With the wines made by Tyler Thomas, Dierberg continues to fashion classic, elegant wines that almost always represent terrific value. Spiced black cherries, mulberries, leafy herbs, earth, and a touch of scorched earth nuances all emerge from the 2020 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard Hillside, another broad, layered, concentrated, and incredibly impressive Pinot Noir from this estate. It brings a touch more density and depth compared to the 2021 Drum Canyon release, but both are gorgeous wines. 2020 was the first year where the wine was completely destemmed, as Tyler felt they didn’t need any additional structure. Aged 15 months in 35% new French oak, this flagship release will keep for 10-12 years and is a brilliant Pinot Noir. Drink 2023-2035.”

93 Points - Vinous “The 2020 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon Vineyard is a blend of three hillside blocks on the property. It offers up copious dark blue/purplish fruit, licorice, cloves, and leather. This potent, brooding Sta. Rita Hills Pinot has tons of fruit density and the structure to match. I would give this a few years to soften, as the tannins are pretty fierce today. Drink 2022-2030.”