Alta Orsa in the Press: Reviews, Articles, Podcasts & Scores
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2025 Experience Rosé Wine Competition Names Alta Orsa Winery Best of the Best - 99 Points
Experience Rosé, a wine competition that focuses exclusively on expressions of pink wine — sweet, dry and sparkling — has announced results of its 2025 contest. Taking top prize this year is a 2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Alta Orsa Winery in Hopland, Calif. Judges described it as “Delicate” and “enthusiastic,” with “bright acidity.”
Winemaker Martin Bernal-Hafner shares: “Our 2024 Orsa Rosé continues the tradition of elegance and precision of the Alta Orsa wines. Sourced from heritage, family-owned vineyards in the Russian River Valley, it’s crafted from Pinot Noir vines that are more than 30 years old. The result is a Provençal-style rosé with notes of rose water, pink grapefruit and tangerine sorbet. It finishes crisp, with a touch of salinity and refreshing natural acidity.”
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In the 8th episode of the Vine and River podcast, host Lenka Davis visits a young vigneron, Martin Bernal Hafner, who leads the small team at Alta Orsa winery.
A native of Colombia, Martin’s winemaking experience spans three continents, including work in Mendoza and the Northern Rhône with the respected producer Chapoutier. Currently, Martin makes wine and co-farms the Alta Orsa property nestled in the hills around Hopland. From the very beginning, Martin Bernal Hafner, Roger Peng, and Ricardo Garcia shared the vision of putting farming at the heart of Alta Orsa’s philosophy. Martin opens up about challenges of farming a site with dense plantings, handling vine trunk disease, logistics of using sheep to graze the vineyards and other environmentally thoughtful activities he is implementing at Alta Orsa.
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92 Points - Wine Enthusiast - Alta Orsa 2019 Soil Series Cabernet Sauvignon
“This purple-hued wine is robust, with aromas of boysenberry compote, blueberry, florals and spice on the nose. Flavors of blackberry coulis, baked peach, cardamom and orange zest interlace with bittersweet chocolate, espresso, supple tannins and a dry finish. Decant and pair with grilled rib-eye.”
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91 Points - Wine Enthusiast - Alta Orsa 2023 Hafner Vineyard Chardonnay
“This supple and balanced Chardonnay brings aromas of pear, nectarine and sweet cinnamon on the nose, while the light-bodied palate delivers flavors of fresh apple, lemon zest, pineapple sage and biscuit that echo softly across the finish.”
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95 Points - Wine Enthusiast - Alta Orsa 2020 Estate Hillside Cuvée
“On the nose, crushed roses and violets, black cherry, plum, currant, unsweetened cacao dust, toasted wood, tar and a sanguine-like umami. The palate keeps this promise, knitting together those flavors with well-integrated firm tannins, generous acidity and balanced alcohol. “
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92 Points - Wine Enthusiast - Alta Orsa 2019 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
“This hits all the marks of a high-quality Cab Sauv that can easily be enjoyed now or cellared for at least the next 10 years. The fruit maintains freshness from start to finish. Accents of oak are secondary, working to uplift and enhance that fruit, while subtle suggestions of age hint at this wine's potential. Find delicious notes of black currant, black plum skins, dried prune, leather, cacao and fennel carried by a firm tannic texture, generous acidity and balanced alcohol. — Stacy Briscoe” READ MORE
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“…wine country it usually means Napa Valley. A road trip to Orsa wines in Mendocino County may just change that thinking. Amazing, affordable wines…”
-Stephen Henson, Journeys with Stephen
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"Estate Reserve quietly snuck onto our radar and proceeded to knock our socks off. ...One taste of their 2005 “Estate Reserve” unleashed a deluge of questions, starting with: Who are these guys? How is their wine library so impressive? ...
… The answer to each was surprisingly simple: They’re nearly off the grid! Deep in Mendocino, in the timberlands of Duncan Peak…”
—Ian Cauble, Master Sommelier
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"They were all excellent—Martin is one of the top winemakers of his generation, and learned the art of terroir-driven wines alongside Paul Hobbs in Argentina and California, and Guillaume Pouthier at M. Chapoutier"
—WineAccess
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"Meticulousness meets magical realism meets Martin
…Rooted in science, conservation, and a dash of wonder, Martin’s winemaking process is both meticulous and metaphysical. Natural yet carefully nurtured. While drinking wine may elevate the human experience, Martin believes it’s the unique combination of grapes, terroir, farming practices, and human hands that shape the larger experience.”
-Maker Wine
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"Winemaker Martin Bernal-Hafner, who hails from Colombia and has done wine work on three continents (his mentors include Paul Hobbs)"
…specializes in single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sonoma County fruit and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hopland estate, where Merlot, Petit Verdot, and a few other varieties also grow. While sipping his gracefully made wines, you’ll learn about the commitment of Bernal-Hafner and his team to holistic, organic, regenerative farming practices.”
Daniel Mangin
Blogger and writer for Fordor’s
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"At Alta Orsa Vineyards (perched on a hillside, and offering fantastic views),
visitors can enjoy complimentary tastings in the cellar or under the trees and a tour of the vineyards with either the winemaker, Martin, or his one employee. “
-Brooke Herron
Freelance journalist (Decanter, SommJournal, North Bay Bohemian, North Bay Biz Mag, winecountry.com, sonoma.com, Edible Marin and Wine Country)
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"Focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Alta Orsa currently produces under 2,000 cases of wine and works with both estate fruit as well as grapes that they purchase from growers in different regions.
…and they utilize regenerative soil practices such as no tilling, planting cover crops, and dry farming.”
Carpe-travel.com
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These 10 Hidden Gems Are California's Best-kept Secrets
“Located in the southeastern corner of Mendocino County, the lovely town of Hopland makes for an excellent jumping-off point for wildly good wine tasting …make an itinerary that includes tastings at Saracina or Alta Orsa wineries, a day in the hot springs at Vichy Springs Resort, or time among redwoods in Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve.”
Chelsee Lowe for Travel + Leisure Magazine
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“Winemakers like Martin Bernal-Hafner at Alta Orsa
in Mendocino, which produces about 1,000 cases annually, says that, while his sales are down slightly online, they’re booming in-person.”
-Kathleen Willcox
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My guest for this episode is Martin Bernal-Hafner. Martin is doing some beautiful and hard work in Mendocino County for Alta-Orsa on a vineyard that is as difficult to farm as it is magical.
“Martin may be the perfect guy for such a difficult job. He’s humble and unassuming, thorough and careful, with kindness and patience to boot. And maybe that’s why you haven’t heard of him or Alta Orsa, but that, and the kind of farming he’s doing despite herculean challenges, are exactly why I wanted to talk to him for the podcast.
But even more than that, the Alta Orsa estate vineyard is something special. Halfway up a mountain at the end of what looks and drives like a dirt fire service road you come upon what could be an old Italian wine villa if it was set in Middle Earth. When the gate opens and you pass through the weathered stone entry, it’s like going through a faery door into another realm. Vineyard rows that have never been tilled in 30 years twist and turn over the steep contours of the mountainside, so closely planted that they must be tended entirely by hand… and the wine that flows from them is dusky, rich, and complex.”
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Using holistic farming techniques, Martin Bernal-Hafner of Alta Orsa crafts wines that are good on the planet and good on the palate.
This 100% Chardonnay is light and racy yet balanced, with citrus and mineral notes that pair perfectly with oysters, smoked salmon sandwiches, and sunny afternoons with friends.
Martin’s winemaking process is both meticulous and metaphysical. Natural yet carefully nurtured. Based on science but filled with wonder. While drinking wine may elevate the human experience, Martin believes the unique combination of grapes, terroir, regenerative farming, and human hands shape the larger experience. And so do we.