The 2016 Morgado Rita’s Crown Pinot Noir is truly special. This is a Pinot Noir that looks like Cabernet in the glass; inky and dark. The aroma of brambly blue fruit and sweet orange blossom describes a signature from Rita’s Crown that I have loved for years. The majesty of this site makes this wine so uniquely amazing and it always translates to what we have in the glass. There are rich flavors and silky textures that draw you in and won’t let go. This is a fun wine that you should share, though you absolutely don’t have to. I only bottled 150 cases and I wish I had more. The extreme conditions of wind and lack of rain along with the moon dust soil (diatomaceous earth) keep the yield so low, but the trade-off is amazing complexity and flair.

I make my wines to be big and bold with plush textures and no hard edges. That, in a nutshell, is Morgado 2016 Rita’s Crown Pinot Noir; the fruit is the star, and the minerals and supple tannins are the ever-important supporting cast. It has a deep core of fruit that is so powerful and pure. When you pop the cork, you will know that it is Rita’s Crown. To say that these vines struggle is to understand the remarkable purity and depth that is the fruit in this wine. 1.5 tons to the acre is a normal yield from this site. 1.5 tons of the most amazingly precious elixir. I am so grateful to be working with this site and to be able to craft a wine that speaks to the harmony and love that I feel from this wonderful vineyard.