90 Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media

"Bright ruby. Powerfully scented, seductive bouquet of fresh red berries, herbs and anise. Silky and sweet, offering clean raspberry and cherry flavors and a pleasantly bitter fruit skin quality. A bit wound-up initially, but gained sweetness with air. Finishes with very good lift and sweet persistence." 90 Points - Josh Raynolds - International Wine Cellar

Cellar Tracker favorite! This wine scored a median of 90 points in 30 notes! Click here to read all of the reviews.

WINE:
"Produced from grapes from our organically-farmed estate vineyard... Clones 667 and Swan are combined in the ’06 La Encantada bottling, aged in a combination of both new and used French oak barrels. Luxuriant, dark and supple, packed with vivid ripe berry flavors, a deep smokey plumminess, and slick balanced tannins, the wine promises a very rewarding future (although the present is quite nice as well). Wonderful with grilled or roasted game; mushroom and Tasso pasta; paprika-rubbed pork ribs; lamb chops; etc." -Winery

VINEYARD:
"La Encantada Vineyard is the westernmost Alma Rosa vineyard and is one of the coolest sites in the region. The vineyard is planted on a ridge which straddles the Santa Ynez River Valley and is open to the full impact of the cooling afternoon maritime breezes."

"The 100 acre vineyard was planted in 2000 to 96 acres Pinot Noir, 1.9 acres Pinot Blanc, and 1.5 acres Pinot Gris. Like the El Jabalí vineyard, the soils of the La Encantada Vineyard are derived from the Monterey Formation. Soil types include: Gazos clay-loam, Ballard fine sandy-loam, and Sta. Lucia shaly clay-loam." -Winery

ORGANIC FARMING:
"Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards maintains over 100 acres of organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The El Jabalí vineyard, planted in 1983, and the La Encantada vineyard, planted in 2000, have been farmed organically since planted and were the first in Santa Barbara County to be certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) (September 21, 1999) All vineyard-designated wines are produced from the estate organic grapes."

"Rosa Winery & Vineyards employs only sustainable farming practices, which include mechanical weed control by plowing and hand hoeing, the planting of cover crops for weed abatement, and the use of beneficial insects and sticky tape for insect control. No chemical herbicides or pesticides are used."

"Operating without conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients is not the easiest or least expensive way to farm, but the Sanfords believe it is the right thing to do - to live in a way where nature and agriculture work together in sustainable harmony." -Winemaker

This wine was also scored 88 Points by Allen Meadows of the Burghoud.com and 87 Points by the Wine Spectator.