“Alma Rosa wines offer a striking combination of energy and texture.” – Vinous

Or we could just drop this: 96 Points with 60% OFF…🤯 from $95 to $36 and call it a day. But we must tell more, as there is something truly special about this wine today…

Alma Rosa’s ‘Elevado’ is a delicious, elegant, yet powerful Pinot, a crimson delight we absolutely adore. Classic Santa Rita Hills, with plenty of flavor, an approachable profile, and an abundance of character.

Samra Morris survived the Bosnian War as a kid, later to become the first Bosnian American winemaker in California. DOZENS of her wines have scored 95-99 points from multiple critics. She just landed a Wine Enthusiast Wine Star nomination in 2025.

Before Alma Rosa handed her the keys earlier this decade, she trained for 3 harvests under Thomas Rivers Brown. Yep, that “Top Gun” as Wine Spectator calls him, behind Pinots by Schrader’s Boars’ View, Senses, Shibumi Knoll, and his own Rivers-Marie. Behind a client list of 40-plus Napa labels that collectors fight to get on the list for. She didn’t make those wines, BUT she trained under the guy who did, then went on to build her own. And here’s what we know from experience: every time a Wine Spies file features a TRB protégé like her, the wine sells out FAST.

Make no exception here; it will FLY. While Samra is in charge day-to-day, they also have one of the most prominent consulting winemakers, as Wine Advocate explains, “In the cellar, winemaker Samra Morris and consultant Tony Biagi craft the wines with clarity and precision while emphasizing a fairly dense, concentrated style.” Biagi also oversees To Kalon Vineyard Company, Shafer Vineyards, Hourglass, and Amici, to name a few of his other clients.

We tasted a lineup of Alma Rosa, and while ALL delivered on flavor, this one was a unanimous YES. Elevado is Spanish for ‘high,’ and true to the name, this fruit comes off two high-elevation blocks sitting at 750 feet on the El Jabali estate, planted in 1983 by founder Richard Sanford; (first certified organic vineyard in Santa Barbara County!) You may know this wine by its previous ‘Barrel Select’ designation.

Bright red and black cherry lead first, lifted, with a thread of toasted sage curling underneath. It carries unusually deep concentration, the kind that builds through the middle rather than sitting up front. Racy acids run straight through the core, keeping all that packed fruit upright. Polished tannins grab on the back end, but the wine never loses its lift. Finish keeps rolling, fresh the whole way through.

As Jim Gordon says below, “The Elevado block of the estate vineyard has sandy soil and lots of wind exposure, giving extra concentration and complexity.”

What he doesn’t say is how little is made and how hard it was to get a small stash out in front of you here, at this never-before-seen price.

96 Points – James Suckling “There’s a supple texture and a great through-line in this wine, with opulent, creamy cherry and blueberry flavors. The Elevado block of the estate vineyard has sandy soil and lots of wind exposure, giving extra concentration and complexity. Aged in 60% new oak because the wine’s concentration can take it. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.”

94 Points – Vinous “This is another strong set of new releases from Alma Rosa. Winemaker Samra Morris worked with fully destemmed fruit for the Pinots and did some bleeding to build richness in the wines. The 2022 Pinots were all bottled before the 2023 harvest in order to preserve freshness. Founder Richard Sanford remains the Brand Ambassador, which is great to see as he (along with Michael Benedict) was responsible for discovering the potential of the Sta. Rita Hills as an elite, world-class winegrowing region many decades ago. The 2022 Pinot Noir Elevado is the new version of the wine that used to be called Barrel Select. It’s a powerful, dense wine endowed with tons of concentration and sheer power. The weight of the fruit buries the 5% stems. This offers tons of concentration, but it’s also on the heavier side. Drink 2024-2034.”