The ever-changing nose of the 2013 Southing exhibits dusty red fruit, savory spices and rose petals. The fine tannins and minerality are enhanced by our estate vineyard’s characteristic cool climate acidity.
Reviews:
- Wine Enthusiast: Ripe and racy on the nose, this always much-anticipated release shows black raspberry, baked strawberry, wet cement, cinnamon and mace spice and cola on the nose. The palate is surprisingly, refreshingly restrained, with sizzling acidity cutting across the chocolate-dipped black cherries, baking spice, dried oregano and rosemary that show in the mid-palate.
- Wine Spectator: Elegantly styled, with spicy earth and floral-scented plum and raspberry flavors, offering delicate, understated notes that linger and gain depth.
Producer Information
Sea Smoke Cellars is a Californian winery in Santa Barbara County that focuses on premium Pinot Noir. The estate was established in 1999 by Bob Davids in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. Its production is relatively small and mostly distributed through its mailing list. The name of the winery was inspired by the cooling marine fog that is carried into the vineyards along the Santa Ynez River. All the grapes used in Sea Smoke wines come from the estate vineyard. The property has 40 hectares (98 acres) of vines planted with ten different Pinot Noir clones as well as 4ha (10 acres) of Chardonnay. The vines are in transitional soils, with elevations between 300-700ft (90-210m) above sea level, which makes for varied growing conditions. Sea Smoke has used organic and biodynamic farming practices since the 2013 vintage. Sea Smoke makes three Pinot Noir wines: Botella, Southing and Ten, which is a blend of all ten Pinot Noir clones. A change in the winemaking approach around the 2009 vintage shifted the style of the Pinot Noir, with subsequent vintages having less extraction and getting less new oak. In the mid-2000s Sea Smoke introduced the Gratis Chardonnay exclusively as a reward for mailing list members. It was so well received that a second Chardonnay was introduced and added to the regular catolog of available wines. Sea Smoke rounds out its collection with a sparkling Pinot Noir made in the traditional method as a Blanc de Noirs. In 2016, Sea Smoke acquired the 61-acre (24-hectare) Rita’s Crown Vineyard which neighbors the estate site and is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
