Our Rating
Santa Rita Rills
Pinot Noir
The 2021 vintage of Pinot Noir from the El Jabali vineyard offers a grounded, flavor-forward look at what cool-climate Santa Rita Hills can produce when ripeness and restraint are held in balance. With fruit drawn from a breezy coastal site known for diurnal shifts and marine influence, this bottling leans into both freshness and depth. The result is a structured red with lifted aromatics and the kind of savory profile that rewards both attention and air.
Alma Rosa Winery has built a focused reputation in Santa Barbara County for varietals that thrive under coastal conditions, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founded on principles of sustainable farming and minimal intervention, the winery emphasizes clonal selection and site distinction. El Jabali, one of its original estate vineyards, lies on the windward edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, where fog-cooled mornings and well-drained soils allow for steady, gradual ripening.
Bosnian-born Samra Morris brings a precise, vineyard-centric perspective to her work, combining European training with hands-on experience in California. At Alma Rosa, her approach is rooted in small-lot fermentations and restrained oak integration, favoring clarity of fruit and site expression over stylistic flourish. Morris has spoken frequently about her interest in balancing ripeness with structure, a goal clearly evident in this vintage.
Look
The wine pours with medium color intensity and a youthful purple hue. Clarity is excellent, and the viscosity suggests a medium-plus body.
Smell
Pronounced aromatics open with black cherry, mint, and cedar. There’s an herbal edge, oregano and olive, layered against floral violet and damp earth. The oak is present but subtle, integrated into a mix of spice and forest floor.
Taste
Black cherry continues on the palate, joined by raspberry, rhubarb, and a persistent thread of dried herbs. The fruit is ripe but not oversweet, and the herbal elements, mint and oregano, lend freshness. Cedar and leather round out the mid-palate. Tannins are firm, giving grip without harshness, while acidity remains balanced and supportive. The finish is long, tapering with gentle oak and savory depth.
This Pinot Noir delivers concentration without excess, standing out for its herb-driven complexity and structural finesse. Built to evolve, it benefits from a decant and will likely show more secondary detail with time in the bottle. A confident, site-aware expression that illustrates the potential of Sta. Rita Hills fruit under thoughtful guidance. Drinking well now but promising further development through 2035.
USA
Santa Rita Rills
Pinot Noir
14.5
Samra Morris
1 Hour
Now to 2035
Alma Rosa Winery
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