2015 Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

Refrigerated Sunshine. That’s legendary winemaker Richard Sanford’s term for what makes the Sta. Rita Hills one of the most spectacular Pinot Noir-growing areas on the West Coast. It’s also a big part of why we jump at wines like Sanford’s 2015 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir. Sourced from vineyards that make it into Sanford’s $60+ single-site bottlings, the 2015 is hitting its full stride right now, and is primed for enjoyment.

Our relationship with Alma Rosa secured us this gorgeous, easy-drinking Pinot from the man who put Sta. Rita Hills on the map. Boasting a berry-rich, woodsy nose with hints of wild mushroom and a high-toned palate laden with pomegranate and peppered strawberry, you won’t want to miss this zesty case-buy Pinot from one of the legends of Santa Barbara County. 

Richard Sanford was one of the first to see the potential of Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills, where he planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard—one of the five most iconic vineyards in California according to Wine Enthusiast—and the source vineyards for Sanford’s Sta. Rita Hills Pinot bask in what makes the area perfect for Pinot. Surrounded by the Pacific on two sides, fogs gathers over the region in the evening and lingers overnight until around 10 a.m., while winds coming off the ocean blow through moderating the growing climate. Temperatures peak around noon. “I call it refrigerated sunshine,” says Sanford. 

The 2015 is largely sourced from two of the sites that compose Richard’s $60+ single-site Pinots: La Encantada Vineyard and Rancho La Vina. In fact, yields were so low in 2015 that Alma Rosa didn’t bottle a Ranch La Vina vineyard-designate, which means all that first-class fruit made it into the Sta. Rita bottling. It’s swirling with red and blue fruits and blooming with beautiful mushroom and forest floor notes.