2017 WALT Rita's Crown Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir - Rita's Crown
Critic Review
"The brightness and salinity on the nose entices as the wine engages with black and red fruits that mingle with spice box undertones. The palate shows good freshness and a wonderfully soft texture. Black tea, exotic spices, blackberry and shades of cran-pomegranate combine with the diatomaceous earth undertones. While this is drinking beautifully now, this complex and delicious Pinot Noir will cellar well for a decade or more."
92 Points | Vinous, Josh Raynolds
"Full ruby. Expansive red and blue fruit, mocha and vanilla aromas are enlivened by a spicy nuance and a touch of smoky minerality. Broad and velvety in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet, oak-spiced black raspberry and cherry cola flavors that slowly tighten up on the back half. Smoothly plays richness off energy and shows no rough edges. Finishes with gentle tannic grip, repeating blue fruit and vanilla character and strong persistence."
Central Coast AVA
Roughly 250 miles along the coastline of California
from Santa Barbara County to San Francisco County
Sta. Rita Hills
Follows a clearly defined maritime “throat” that
ushers in the Pacific fog and constant cooling breezes.
Sandy Loam Soils
Cause vines to produce grapes with powerful varietal
character
Bright ruby hue with darker undertones, this wine opens with warm aromatics of rose petals, concentrated red fruit, and Chinese 5-spice. The palate is unctuous and full with flavors of nougat, ripe raspberry, and black tea. This wine is full of energy, delivering a long finish laced with the refreshing minerality and bright acidity driven by the vineyard’s proximity to the coast.
Rose Petals
Nougat
Ripe Raspberry
Minerality
The Rita's Crown Vineyard is an exceptional site comprised mainly of steeply rolling hills planted to south facing vineyards. Limiting cobble clay loam soils and extremely well drained slopes produce small vines and berries of intense flavor and depth. Rita's Crown is nestled between the east west aspect of the Santa Rosa and La Purisima Hills, allowing the cool ocean fog to roll through the vineyard - perfect for Pinot Noir.
