Morgado Rita's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2018

Kimberly Hatcher is both the visionary and Winemaker behind Morgado Cellars. When the team at ACME thinks of strong, unstoppable women in our industry, Kimberly is one of the first that comes to mind. While she is currently enjoying a burgeoning career in wine, few know that Kimberly previously served for the San Francisco Fire Department for two decades. The brutal, physical, and selfless work that the job demanded came to define Kimberly, and so, when her body began to demand that she slow down a bit, Kimberly knew that she needed to plan for a fulfilling second chapter post retirement. Cellar work had always intrigued her – its physically demanding and the stakes were high (you only have one harvest a year!) and it was none other than Russell Bevan, a well-respected 100-point Winemaker, who opened the door for her. She started as a bottom of the totem pole cellar worker, and today manages her own brand at the encouragement of Russell, her now life-long mentor. 

Morgado Cellars is named after Kimberly’s grandmother, Mary Morgado, who is her greatest inspiration in life. She recalls that her grandmother always spoke and carried herself with confidence - never with her head down. She always smiled and greeted anyone who came into her home with warmth and openness. To paint a picture, the mailman, who she knew for 20 years, got a fruitcake every Christmas! Mary Morgado was a strong, spirited woman who lived life fully and loved unconditionally, and Kimberly aims to carry on her grandmother’s legacy of life through her passionately crafted wines.

The fruit for this wine is sourced from the Rita’s Crown Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Established in 2001, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is a unique, ultra-cool climate growing area located in the westernmost section of the Santa Ynez Valley. With the Purisima Hills to the north and the Santa Rosa Hills to the south, these two east-west oriented mountain ranges form the most significant western running corridor into the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Chile. The AVA benefits from brisk daily ocean breezes and lingering maritime fog which blankets the vineyards and makes the Sta. Rita Hills one of the coolest growing regions in all of California. It might not be the beachy experience you wished for your Southern California vacation, but Pinot Noir thrives under these conditions! This wine is aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. The palate is vibrant with notes of spicy black cherry and has a savory forest floor component that gives way to a balanced and textured, yet lustful finish. Only 175 cases produced!