2021 Pinot Noir La Encantada

Winemaker Samra Morris turned out a gorgeous set of 2021s. Over these last few years, Morris has succeeded in righting the ship for a winery that had been up and down in terms of quality and all over the stylistic map. Today, the Alma Rosa wines offer a striking combination of energy and texture. There is a bit of new oak, but wood is rarely overpowering. The same is true of whole clusters, which are used judiciously in the Pinots. One of the recent developments here has been bottling the single-vineyard Pinots earlier, in August, as opposed to December, which really seems to preserve freshness and vibrancy. As good as the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are, the Rhône wines have really come along, showing just how well-suited this sector of the Sta. Rita Hills is to those varieties.