97pts Tasting Panel

Aromas: Lemon blossom, straw, vanilla wafer The marine layer that runs from west to east across the Sta. Rita Hills is referred to as "sea smoke." This estate, known for its dynamic Pinot Noirs, also excels in Chardonnay craftmanship. Winemaker Don Schroeder harvests at a lower Brix and reduces the amount of French oak, ensuring purity in this prestigious white. It's glacial-like in its mouthfeel, with high notes of iced lemon; white peach; and delicate, creamy marzipan enveloping the tongue.

94pts Vinous

The 2022 Chardonnay is rich, cool-toned and leesy, showing honeyed apple, golden mango, toasted spice and a touch of cinnamon over a grippy spine of acid and phenolics. Beneath the voluptuous fruit lies tension and drive that keep the wine on point. It carries weight, yet everything is balanced by structure and lift.

93pts Wilfred Wong of Wine

The precisely rendered 2022 Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard Chardonnay captures the transparency of its Sta. Rita Hills terroir reveals layered aromas of sunbaked stones, crushed chalk, and dried citrus peel. Its tension and mineral drive make it a natural partner for freshly steamed Dungeness crab. 

Tasting Notes

An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of lemon curd, star fruit, fresh cut peach and wet stone. Complemented by satsuma mandarins and a touch of hazelnut in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of this estate vineyard.

About the Winery

Sea Smoke’s approach to winemaking is highly intuitive. Every wine is made as a barrel selection; throughout fermentation and aging, we keep each block and clone combination as separate lots. Our approach provides us with a deep understanding of the characteristics of every block and yields an array of flavors and characteristics that our winemaker draws upon during blending, ensuring that each of our wines displays a consistent character profile.

Sea Smoke’s portfolio is comprised of a collection of elegant, expressive and beautifully complex wines with an inherent structure that will reward long-term aging.

For years, vintners have coveted a stretch of land in the western end of Santa Barbara's Santa Rita Hills AVA known to have the perfect microclimate, soils, and exposure to grow world-class Pinot Noir. In 1999, fulfilling a long-held dream of owner Bob Davids, this sought-after stretch of land became Sea Smoke Vineyard.

At Sea Smoke, we produce Pinot Noir grown exclusively on the south-facing hillsides of our estate vineyards. On summer evenings, the Santa Ynez River canyon funnels a cool maritime fog layer (sea "smoke") across our hillsides, slowing the ripening process and providing the extended maturation period essential to the development of top-quality Pinot Noir. Our shallow clay soils are planted to French clones on vigor-reducing rootstocks, resulting in fewer grape clusters of intense flavor, and our artisinal approach to winemaking results in wines that are a reflection of the unique land on which they are grown.

We believe that Sea Smoke's rare geography and commitment to quality have produced wines of exceptional complexity and grace. We hope that you agree and welcome your comments.