Winemaker Boyd Morrison
Boyd Morrison believes cultivating Pinot Noir requires an absolute dedication to estate winegrowing. Thanks to our site-specific focus at MacMurray Estate Vineyards, Boyd brings years of Pinot Noir winegrowing expertise and his signature laser focus to the cellar, eliciting the unique flavors and characteristics inherent in each of our cool-climate vineyards.
“Estate sourcing is especially important when it comes to growing Pinot Noir,” Boyd says, “because we’re able to hone flavor and character on a block-by-block basis.” The Bay Area native walks our vineyards throughout the year to observe the evolution of the vines, working closely with our viticulturists to steward our fruit to a successful harvest each vintage.
“Pinot Noir really expresses where it’s grown, better than many other grapes,” he observes. “There really is no other variety like it.”
An early fascination with fermentation, courtesy of home brewing, led Boyd to earn a degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis before he expanded upon his expertise working at wineries in Napa, Chile and California’s Central Coast near Monterey. He explored the diversity of winemaking further through posts at historic Simi Winery and Alexander Valley Vineyards in Sonoma.
At MacMurray Estate Vineyards, Boyd finds that Pinot Noir affords endless challenges and opportunities to evolve as a winemaker. “We're still discovering how we can make our Pinot Noir better, how we can grow the grapes better, and how we can do that consistently, no matter what a vintage throws at us or what challenges we face,” says Boyd.