Sea Smoke has announced the acquisition of the 201-acre Rita’s Crown Vineyard, which is adjacent to its existing vineyard in Santa Barbara County, California.
Rita’s Crown includes 61 acres of high-density pinot noir and chardonnay vines that were planted in 2007. Acquired from Santa Colina Vineyard, it will be farmed on behalf of Sea Smoke by Atlas Vineyard Management, which will also continue to oversee the sale of the vineyard’s grapes to outside wineries.
The property will not be absorbed into the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard or used to produce grapes for Sea Smoke’s wines, the company confirmed.
“The acquisition of Rita’s Crown reflects our commitment to our neighbourhood’s long-term reputation,” said Victor Gallegos, Sea Smoke’s vice-president, director of winemaking and general manager. “Because Rita’s Crown is already a source for top vineyard-designate wines made by Babcock, Ken Brown and Sandhi, this purchase adds a turnkey business to our portfolio. It also expands our ability to preserve our area’s reputation for exceptional wines by immediately transitioning Rita’s Crown to organic farming, which will also strengthen the ecological health of our neighbourhood.”
Sea Smoke’s own estate vineyard is farmed 100% organically and biodynamically, and will officially complete its organic and biodynamic certifications in the autumn.
The vineyard is planted to ten elite clones of pinot noir, and a smaller section of chardonnay. Sea Smoke makes three distinctive bottlings of pinot noir – Ten, Botella and Southing – and produces a chardonnay, as well as Sea Spray, a methode champenoise blanc de noirs.
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