2017 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

This Alma Rosa Pinot Noir is exactly what you’d expect from a team that includes the “Godfather of Central Coast Pinot Noir” and Vinous’ 2020 Vintner of the Year—phenomenal. Boasting the same Burgundian elegance and complex fruit that put Richard Sanford on the Santa Barbara winemaking Mt. Rushmore, this ruby-hued triumph clocks in at a price far below its pedigree.

Dazzling Pinot elegance rarely comes at a price like this. Accolades and nicknames aside, this is a superlative Sta. Rita Hills wine—thrilling and energetic, but gorgeously balanced. It flaunts intricately woven black cherry, hibiscus, and dried rose aromas. And it lands softly on the palate with grapefruit peel, cinnamon, and zippy acidity, showing why Wine Advocate has said Alma Rosa Pinots “excel on the balance and finesse,” and Vinous has called them wines of “considerable personality and pedigree.”

That’s because Alma Rosa has one of most enviable winemaking teams on the Central Coast, if not in the entire state. Nick DeLuca helmed the winemaking for this 2017, harnessing expertise honed at Williams Selyem and Cline Cellars. He was joined by Tony Biagi, a newly-minted Vinous Vintner of the Year who has crafted wines for PlumpJack, Clos du Val, Hourglass, and more. 

Then there’s the man himself, Richard Sanford, a Vintners’ Hall of Fame inductee who pioneered winemaking in the Sta. Rita Hills. Rick planted some of the first vines in Santa Barbara County, which means that every producer there—from cult Pinot house Sea Smoke to Wine Access-favorites Foxen and Dragonette—can thank him for their success.

Sanford’s name is synonymous with a graceful, diaphanous European style of Pinot Noir, putting out releases that critics have called among the greatest ever produced in the state. Still, the thrill we got from this 2017 was not solely a product of history. It was evoked by the wine’s impressive grace, the undeniable reminder that Sanford is still on top—and his estate is still producing some of California’s finest Pinot Noir. 

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA juts out into the ocean, surrounded by water on two sides. Fog gathers in the evening, cooling the vineyards and lingering overnight, while winds off the ocean blow through the east-west valley, moderating the growing climate. Sanford calls it “refrigerated sunshine,” and it unlocks the 2017’s bright acidity and the type of sophistication that typically makes a Pinot’s price skyrocket. 

After 14 months in 33% new French oak, the wine has developed corridors of intricate flavors and layers of delicate fruit. Consummate Sta. Rita Hills Pinots with all-star teams behind them rarely come at a price like this.