Surprisingly still going strong in old age Notes of bing cherry, cola, Black raspberry, plum, white pepper, vanilla, oak, leather, sage and underbrush. Tons of fruit and lively acidity in this large heated Pinot that was dark red in color. Drink now- 2024 but doubtful for any improvement in the years to come.
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Big & brawny still. Very intense even 15 years onward. Nice body, deep color, still one for the cellar. Direct from the winery. Will taste the next bottle in a few years time. Black cherry, pomegranate, and ripe raspberry. Still kickin'!
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Popped and splash decant...the Botella was ageless...integrated tannins, but still tasted young and deep red in color...another few years to go easily if you have any left
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(cellar inventory cleanup - consumed July 2017) no detailed notes taken contemporaneously, but this well-stored bottle overdelivered on expectations. Clearly new world and modern, but hardly spoofilated or goopy, with ample fruit balanced by decent acidity. Drink up within the next few years.
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Has this with rare grilled ribeye, risotto, broccoli spears and sauteed baby bella mushrooms. I should probably drink up my last two bottles of 2004 over the next year or so, and get in to the 2005s. Also nice accompaniment with Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam triple cream organic cheese from Point Reyes and french bread while watching Madame Secretary, one of our favorite shows. Definitely a good night with Sea Smoke at the center of it
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Poured with almost an inky purple coloring. Initial notes of red fruit, some cedar and vanilla. Never fully opened and gradually added some herbal notes that became off putting. Matched the grilled meats served with dinner very well. Smooth and well put together. Unsure if it will improve.
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Brought to a WL offline dinner. Initial PnP had a well balanced wine, that needed some air time. An hour later this bottle was fully fragrant with some forest floor, ripe cherry, and a bit of smoke.
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Color is a nice ruby, nose with a bit of soy, saltiness. On the palate this wine is fully developed, the sweet fruits subsided with earthen hints coming through, clove, meaty, and an extended finish. Still has several good years to go.
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The very essence of a CenCal/Sta Rita Hills Pinot: Lovely ruby/garnet color, a bouquet of leather, hay and dried red cherry. This is a lovely wine with well balanced tannins that wants food to display it's flavors of pepper, red fruits and a sublte hit of mandarin orange. Smoke a rack of pork and drink this now.
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Opened all 3 2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Bottles - Botella, Southing and Ten. The Botella had good depth of flavor and the tannins gripped and coated the tongue. A little chewy. Ready to drink; maybe last year would have been better. Still had core of dark fruit but the tannins have caught up. The strongest of the three but the most drinkable upon opening. Went really well with food - pork chops and filets.
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A lovely and completely Californian Pinot. Ripe, thorough, and integrated, it's boozy, sure of itself, and both individual and classically Central Coast (though more sophisticated than many). Silky peaches (skin on!); bright, viscous sunshine; sweet and salty sea-side air; long symmetric tail; really beautiful. Improves with a bit of air.
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Dark garnet. Very dark... The nose shows cranberry and other red fruit. The palate is...integrated or raisined depending on your perspective. Very porty. Long finish, but not a very appealing one. At the end of the cycle.
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This has settled down into a very nice, fruity pinot noir. Balance has improved considerably, and the heat has largely disappeared over time. Updated: Even better on Day Two!
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A constantly evolving nose of ripe black cherries, black plums, cinnamon, and clove, which gives way to candied orange peels, breakfast sausage, sous bois, and sandlewood with air. Sweet and savory on the palate, its youthful exuberance now mature and nuanced, with terrific balance and acidity. A slightly capricious wine, but an enchanting one at that, that's at its peak, so drink up now because I don't think it's going to get any better. 90-91 points.
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Open w 30 min air in bottle (did not really need it). Dark ruby to the rim with wonderful dark cherry & violets on the nose. Nice mouthfeel, very smooth almost silky. Tannins present but in nice balance with cherry, blueberry, mineral and a light spicy note mid palette. Hard to believe this is their 3rd wine and pretty exceptional at the price point.
Not sure i would sit on this much longer if you have several bottles - it is drinking very nice right now and really well balanced - not sure how this gets better.
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Perfect with an offal tasting at Legume. The offal brought out the earthiness in the wine, and the wine complimented the "organ-ness" of the offal. Better than the last bottle we had when it was younger.
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Beautiful wine. Soft tannins, bing cherry flavor. Went great with grilled ribeyes done on my new Weber Genesis, a wonderful birthday present from the kids
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Bright, fresh cherry fruit mixed with spice, leather, and mushroom. Acid, tannin, and fruit all in balance. This has matured nicely and is impressive at this stage.
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Doctor pepper, black cherry, and earth; intense with a bouquet like a rich oil painting but a heaviness redeemed by cameos of raspberries, hay, and salinity.
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Wow! I guess I saved the best for last on this one. It was perfect in balance, structure and mouthfeel. Bright red cherries with hints of oak. Fully integrated tannins and a freshness that was impressive given the age of the bottle. Some coffee and cola and nuances of forest floor. Incredible ripe and fresh fruit. Ample nose and exquisite lingering finish. I looked online and this $28 bottle of wine was averaging $122 up to $175 on auction at this time.
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Still a bit of heat on the finish, but a very nice wine. Predominant fruit is cherry, with a "syrupy" quality. Vanilla and a combination of spice and nutmeg show in both the bouquet and finish. Tannins are firm enough to suggest another three years of cellaring potential. Definitely NOT a Pinot for those who prefer Old World, Burgundian qualities.
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The wife picked this one out tonight and good for her. It was our last one, parting is such sweet sorrow.
I got the call from the warden at 2:33pm to pull the cork and I grabbed the duck decanter and proceeded to remove the foil and bury the corkscrew into this baby. There's nothing like extracting the barrier between you and pure enjoyment. OH NO! the cork has a split in it and she's completely saturated on one side with some dark nasty looking syrup stuff running half way down.
I just did an emotional 180, I wanted to cry. Could it be, corked after sitting for 6 years awaiting my calling? I stuck my nose in there and it was completely muted. All I could think was "this will make one hell of a salad dressing".
I poured the bottle through the vinturi and within 10 seconds, there it was... That familiar aroma filled the room. Ah... Sea Smoke welcome home. She's wasn't corked.
Decanted for 3 hours.
Dark brick color and strong nose of candied dark fruit and spice. Mouthfeel was silky smooth, I'm thinking we're near EOL (end of life) because the tannis are muted. Great spice mid-palate with still some heat/alcohol on a meduim/long finish.
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Pleasantly surprised. Still young, with some years left ahead. Yes, big CC pinot, not at all shy. But good acidity balancing the fruit and spice, though a bit of heat when the wine warms up a bit. Someone said burnt cherries, which is about right. Good finish, all together a very good QPR.
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You know, somewhat disappointing; very closed nose and Syrah-like flavors when opened; woke up after an hour into dinner for a while and showed some nuance and fruit - but closed down and disappeared into not a whole lot but oak afterwards. Had hoped for better.
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SUPERB! Still cant believe I only paid $30. Having just arrived home from the windblown WGC-CA Doral Championship, popped and poured to pair With ellen's glazed salmon. Ellen's description, "not Pinot light", QUINTESCENTIAL Pinot Noir. Great nose, body and finish. "Miles" dream. Finished almost all of it in one very enjoyable evening. What good wine aspires to, but doesn't often achieve.
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While this is not normally the style of pinot I prefer, this bottle may make me a believer. Wonderful nose of burnt cherries, rich fruit driven on the palate, and although high in alcohol, it did not dominate the wine. Maybe this is the perfect time to drink Sea Smoke...6+ years after the vintage. It seems the components come together in a harmonious way after a while.
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Popped and poured on New Years Eve to pair with Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor. Eclipsed the non-n\vintage Krug that preceded it on our New Years Eve repast. Drinks beautifully now. We easily polished off the bottle.Our qst of 6. Love Sea Smoke!
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Drank this with homemade chicken noodle soup and biscuits.
Deep purple, with a nose of dark cherries, a touch of alcohol, oak? Fantastic with the soup. Very fruit forward, almost no alcohol, a touch of tannin, sugar in balance (but present). Fantastic example of well made new world Pinot.
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Popped and poured, and then consumed over 5 hours. Medium to full-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, candied cherries, light forest floor, and toasted oak. On the palate, black cherry cola, citrus, and light spice on the extremely long 40+ second finish. Loaded with fruit, this wine will never be mistaken for a red Burgundy, but it’s absolutely not hot or supercharged. Clean fruit presides, along with great balance, and a nice acidity. Very well done and still going strong!
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Dark red in color, cherry, vanilla, nutmeg, perfume, and lightly toasted aromas. Nice mouth feel and weight. Soft ripe tannins power past the acid for a long smooth finish. Very nice. Still young. 93pts
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After laying these down for 4 years these are starting to show some restraint, but still have tell-tale California traits.
Color: Garnets and rubies, nice red hues.
Nose: At first a bit muted and funky. After some decant it opens up to some earthy and berry aromas, wild strawberry, nice Pinot nose.
Palate: Very sharp from the get go. It needed to calm down with some decant time. Strawberry and wild berries, earth and a touch of spice. More tannic than I would have thought, but just more than you woudl expect from a Pinot.
Nice but I was expecting more...have a few more to go...this has got some time, 3-4 years tops. Should be best within the next 2 years' time.
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Medium ruby in color. Starting to show signs of oxidation. Cherries, cola and some spice on the nose. Generous and rich flavor profile. Notes of wild earth, blueberry, mineral and sage. Wonderful finish and lingering aftertaste.
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Popped and poured. I'd second Rob's note. This was a nice bottle of wine, has nice clean Pinot flavors, not nearly as rich or thick as I remember my other bottles. Showed a lot of sharp cherry, mushroom/forest floor/earthiness.
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Still drinking very well. It always amazes me that this is the little pinot. Lovely wine with cherry, blackberry and spice with well balanced acidity and a long tasty finish.
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A completely different wine then what I had back in early January. Showed very nice rich fruit flavors with great texture and length. Normally I really prefer the Southing and TEN to the Botella but it looks like these can be really nice with a few years on them. It'll be an exercise in patience to see if I can let all the rest of my Sea Smoke wines get 5 years on them.
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I had one of these about three months ago and it did not go well. This at least was better. It is definitely at the end of its useful life - the fruit is fading without many redeeming complex nuances, but still sweet and tasty. There is a nice blackcherry and berry fruit to this, with enough complexity to make interesting. Glad I pulled this from the cellar now.
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Big black cherry and earth, plus firm tannins. Like a lot of '04 California Pinot, it gets a little oxidized and sloppy with a few hours air, which makes me think in terms of cellaring, probably down hill from here. Missing finesse but there's a saturated plushness that works. Rounds out with a little heat and a big dose of new oak.
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This finally opened up after an hour and a half. It was good but not great. The fruit has faded leaving a more vanilla flavor. The finish did reach the outer portions of my mouth but then quickly faded. I wish I would have opened this about six months ago. If you have any of the 2004 Botella left, drink it soon.
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Have had this three times over the last year, and I'm afraid the fruit is fading. The huge juicy cherry and cola flavors that were so pronounced when this when first came out have faded somewhat and what appears left is not nearly as well received. There are earthy components in the mid-palate as well as unintegrated tannin, and alcohol pouring out of this wine. I definitely enjoyed this in its infancy, but its youth leaves something to be desired. 50+5+13+15+4
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Splash decanted and allowed to open for about 45 minutes. Would much rather have popped and poured as I preferred it immediately out of the bottle. Dark berry and chocolate on the nose. Brawny purple berry with chocolate, and liquorice on the palate. Unfortunately after breathing it showed a bit of heat as well - at least the 14.7 abv on the label, maybe more. Overall much bigger and riper than my current tastes prefer, and correspondingly poorer with food.
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Not sure if I got a bad bottle but this one was terrible. Very astringent and closed off even with extended decanting. I defered actually putting up a rating but I would have given it an 82 based on this tasting. We could not finish the bottle off it was that bad.
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Other CT tasters have noted that the wine is possibly in a closed phase now and if that's the reason for this rather poor showing then I guess I could cut it some slack. Having said that, I will say that I was underwhelmed by this wine. My note on the 06 Botella points out that this is my least favorite of the Sea Smoke wines and I think it's because of the younger style of the wine in comparison to the Southing and TEN. Don't get me wrong, this is still really good stuff and once this had some time to open up, it showed lots of cherry fruits and was fairly strong on the acidity. It's certainly a big, bold pinot but just needs the extra complexity that you get from the other Sea Smoke wines.
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New Year's Weekend @ Rob & Lisa's; 1/1/2009-1/4/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): Dense blackberries, dark cherries, and spice on the nose. I have found with the couple of Botella bottles that I have had that there is a green-ness or woodiness to the taste that takes a good couple hours to subside. I think they go a little overboard on the oak in order to compensate for the lower quality grapes. It's not really offputting, but it definitely puts a damper on this otherwise very well made wine. This is one of the oldest Sea Smoke wines that I have had (although that's not saying much), and having a few additional years on this definitely helps to bring together the big bold fruits that can overwhelm these wines in their youth. Very well balanced and structured, but I just never found anything in here that got me excited.
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This seemed very thin and hollow after opening, but it gained weight gradually and came out after a couple hours in the glass. Sadly, this was after most of it was gone! Agree that it might be in a closed, slightly awkward phase right now.
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A few years back, sadly I broke bottle #1 of 2. Finally I can pair that great aroma with this beautiful wine. Initially stand-offish but after a couple of hours this turns unctuous and earthy. The acids perhaps a tad pronounced which means a great food wine. But the layers are wonderful and the dynamics in the glass over time makes for a wonderful evening. Light but an unusually smooth texture & tart finish. SRH rocks!
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Dark ruby in color. I prefered the 2005 I had recently slightly to this. Very nice nonetheless with that big bold pinot flavor from SRH. Felt a touch tight so this might be going thru a closed phase.
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Popped and poored, straight from the cellar. Not sure if I really liked it more than Southing or Ten, but it was clearly a Yum on my wife's scale (and mine, of course). Did seem to come unwould a bit with air (90+ minutes), so I'm thinking this is approaching Drink Now range. Enjoy!
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Popped and poured with dinner and then followed for about 4 hours. I like this wine a lot more than it's Southing counterpart. The judicious use of oak and ample red/dark red fruit play well together and are engagingly balanced. Took about an hour to an hour and a half to really open up, and really filled in throughout the night. The last glass was the best glass with a juiciness to the fruit that was not there initially. Still can gain some complexity, but I think it's entering a beautiful drinking window now.
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Deep aromas of black cherries, plums, cola nut, and sous bois. Ready to drink with resolved tannins and balancing acidity. A touch of woodsiness on the finish. After a couple of hours the wine fell out of balance, but it came back into balance after being open for four hours. 88-89 points.
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Beautiful nose of allspice, pine, earth, but predominately bright cherry(maraschino?). Bright acidity and focused flavors of cherry with tremendous length. Incredible Santa Barbara Pinot especially at this price point. Should still drink well for a couple of years but drinking great now.
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great fruit - ready to drink - we had a younger pinot before this wine and there was a dramatic difference in fruit, complexity and interest. I wish I had more!
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Initially tight, this wine opened within a few minutes in the glass. Very rich yet elegant with black cherry, clove, minerals, and crisp acidity on the back end. Ready to drink now.
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Santa Barbara Dreaming: Popped and poured out on the deck. Pinot at cellar temperature out in the sun is a good way to go. A decent late-afternoon drink, and we enjoyed it, but makes me miss burgundy.
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Cali Pinot, Great Wine, Poor Notes (NYC): This was our runner up WOTN. Lots of sweet cheeries here. This is Sea Smoke's entry level offer and it is tasty. Can others add?
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This bottle was medium ruby and crimson in color. Black cherry, vanilla and oaky notes on the nose. Initially tasted a bit off. May need more time to develop and may benefit from decanting. Not sure if this bottle may have been corked. Need to compare the remaining to when opened.
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Popped and poured. Beatiful dark clear crimson. Huge nose of black cherry, vanilla, smoke, forest floor, dried cherry, and raspberry. On the palate black cherry, raspberry, mushroom, tea, spice. Long racy finish with dryining tannins. Wow, I wish I had not consumed this but at the same time, I am so glad to experience this wine. It does need more time in the bottle and at the release price, a tremendous value.
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Wow! Is this pinot noir? Beautiful dark crimson color; perfumed nose of blue, red, black fruit, and oaky notes. Big, solid frame of red cherry and raspberry fruit, with intense layers of forest fire, black tea, cinnamon, and Asian spice. That very distinct SRH character is apparent. Very pleasant, but in no way delicate. Long, drying finish, with a touch of heat showing. Some upside remains; this wine needs more years in the bottle before it plateaus. This was an absolute steal at $28 two years ago.
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The last of the QPR Botellas. Nose doesn't give up much, even after an hour in the decanter, but the wine has beefed up considerably in that time, leading me to believe that this really needs another year. Rich mouthfull of cherries, pine/camphor, a bit of pepper. Nice cut, but also a tinge of heat on the finish that is off-putting. Not my favorite bottle of Sea Smoke, but very good at the price.
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Absolutely excellent. The standard from which all other pinot will be judged. Extremely well balanced. Hints of smoke prevail across a spectrum of delights.
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popped and poured. Man this wine took on some weight over the last six months. Nose and taste are dominated by a raspberry/cherry taste with a hint of fresh pine. Still a little tight even after three hours of being uncorked.
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Opened it 2 hours before dinner, but left in bottle to breathe. Had it with roast pork tenderloin prepared with cherries. A fantastic pairing. Wine was still a little closed, but the fruit was massive and wonderful. Still young.
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Still too young as the flavors are wound tight and the Sour Cherry is the prevelant flavor throughout. Very Good but I would lay this down or keep it down for another year ad try it then.
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Full, ripe candied nose of cherries and a good whiff of oak underneath some earthiness and light spice. Full bodied and powerful but very complex with dark cherries dominant on a firm structure. Very nice overall.
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candied cherries and a tight structure. Not a complex wine, really never gave way to anything but massive fruit. Next day tasted a bit better, but a bit disappointing
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Aging very well. Wine gets better as it sits in the glass. Aroma and taste are both full of cherry and other candied fruit flavors. Only a hint of earth flavor. Finish is smooth, but not particularly long. Should age well for another 3-5 years.
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Drank before going out to dinner with friends and family. Had along side some great Oregon Pinots. All were great, including this one. Needed a little more time to open up. Should have let breath a little longer in the glass.
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Tight on opening; better after 30 minute decant. Dark violet red. Great nose driven by cherries and red berries, but with underbrush/pine needles adding terrific interest. Also has some nice vanilla oak in the background. I liked the palate the way the fruit, tannins and acidity came together. It was well matched with pork tenderloin and squash risotto.
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Decanted, but maybe not for quite long enough. Good pinot flavors, not so rich, a little heat, not as good as the Southing because not as heavy in the mouth. But for $30 this was a good buy.
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At Azul, Mandarin Oriental, Miami w Cindy & Jorge Gonzalez, and Stuart & Marlene Blumberg.Excllent rich and slightly plummy. Decanted at table. Wi8ll benefit from additional bottle age.
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Medium ruby color. Some cherry, red/black fruit, and oak on the nose. Same on the palate, but oak was stronger (too much). Didn't like this nearly as much as the Southing from the same vintage.
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Cherry, currants, some oak, but nicely integrated. Nice complexity, lots going on with this wine. Need to work my way up the allocation list at this winery
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A real bruiser. Muted nose. Heavily oaked with some offputting alchohol on the finish. A nice fruit profile, but overwhelmed by everything else. Could be the vintage, but this was not my favorite pinot. Just too over the top for me.
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This wine seemed pretty straightforward. Good fruit up front, nice smoky, oaky notes. Not real complex, but a good, balanced medium bodied CA pinot, at a fair price.
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Decanted for 40 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, black cherries, sandalwood, and cloves. On the palate, dark cherries, blood orange, and spice. Mouthfilling New World wine that is nevertheless well-balanced and lovely. Non-overbearing structure, good acidity, and a very long and enjoyable 30-second finish. Well done Sea Smoke!
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Drank in Cambria for lunch with Main Street Grill; great, great, great. My Brother, Dad, and I really enjoyed this lush wine. Silky red berries with some undertones of forest floor. A little smoke and saddle leather that blew off after about 30 minutes, but overall just a very enjoyable, smooth, but complex pinot. Believe the hype.
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Now I understand what the fuss is all about. Opened this up and took a sip. Yes, nice Cali-Pinot - deep color and with nice legs. Bouquet of cherry and hints of blueberry and spice. In the mouth, the wine was full bodied but balanced. Black cherry and cloves and spice. A hint of vanilla too. Nice and enjoyable. How much did I pay? Yeah - got it from the winery (only 1 bottle allocated). Nice and enjoyable. Yeah I'd buy more. Then I let the wine sit and after a few hours of being open, the wine evolved. Notes of violets and fresh blackberries and raspberries. I was running through the berry patch on the first warm day of spring after a cold, dark winter. The wine was seductive and silky - made me feel giddy - like a beautiful woman caressing my face - and I held her perfume in my hand.
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Decanted about 2 1/2 hours. The nose showed a lot of black cherry, cola, and forest floor. It also had some subtle hints of strawberry and cinnamon. The palate was silky, and had loads of sour cherry mixed with brown spice, strawberry, and a touch of earthiness. The tannins were pretty firm, and it had a very pleasant finish that lasted a good long time.
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I am a huge fan of Sea Smoke and the central coast in general. The Botella, for the price, is truly the prize from this winemaker. A strong representation of St. Rita Hills this wine has dense cherry fruit with the tarry dusty cedar wood after notes you expect from this region. Definite cinnamon as noted by other reviews. Mouth feel was dense and velvety. Drank at dinner 2/9/07. Will lay down remaining bottles for 2 - 3 years to see what comes of them. Highly recommended over more expensive sisters Southing and Ten.
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Cherry, sandalwood, Chinese 5-spice, bright acid, a bit of booze. Suave, but still somehow disjointed. It seems that the bottle showcases either (1) great fruit somewhat undone by the winemaking, or (2) average fruit manipulated by the winemaking. In truth, this amateur cannot tell. I can say that I miss nuances which suggest, to me, a great wine. The mid-palate shows deep rich fruit, but fruit without much differentiation. I miss layers of flavors which make me question what it is that I am tasting. The finish is clean and bordering on lingering, but it doesn't quite make the impression it should. Solid, well-made, but not quite what I think of when I think "impressive."
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Very tight upon opening. I know, infanticide and all that, but it was quite good. Once the wine decanted for a while, there was a nose of flint, sea, cranberries, black tea, raspberries. The mouth was nice and silky without being too heavy. There was a nice balance and a nice femininity throughout. The color was dark ruby, and the finish was long with flint, and tea along with cherry.
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On the nose, I get candied cherries and earth. On the palate, I get raspberries and blueberries. A very well made wine for $30 that will improve in the next few years. Outstanding.
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Extremely fruit forward. After sitting in glass for 20 or 30 minutes it improved quite a bit with nice cherry, raisins and a fairly light finish. Very approachable and very pinot noir
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Drinking well right now. More approachable than Southing IMO with forward ripe cherry and currant fruit, softer tannins, and medium finish. Decanted 1hr.
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medium dark in color, rich dark cherry component on the nose and palate with a bit of spice. Satisfying finish. Needs some air first. Will try the other half this evening and see how it develops.
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drank at office "potluck". Didnt show well out of bad wine glasses and after co-workers homemade cab. Wrong venue. THe southing is light years ahead of botella.
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Aroma: Rich cherry, red currant, and a slightly dusty smokiness.
Flavor: Terrific balance of cherry and wild strawberry with an acidic bite that was refreshing. Also took on a sweeter, more robust mouthfeel as we ate, particularly with the ginger and other slightly spicy foods.
General impression: A wonderful Pinot Noir value at $28/bottle direct from the winery. Clearly going to cost more next year. A wildly successful accompaniment to the matsutake soup, which brought out the earthiness of this wine more than any other dish.
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Poured directly into the glass. Aromas of earth, mineral, floral, berries and sage. The flavors are well integrated and concentrated with cherry, cola and blueberry. The wine finishes very nicely and makes you desire another sip. The botella is a fruit bomb, forward Pinot Noir-if you like this style
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Strong strawberry aroma. Quite sweet, juicy, ripe, very forward flavors. Dense for Pinot Noir. 14.7% alcohol but all in balance. Probably not a style that will appeal to all but I enjoyed it. Good for drinking now.
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Had at Catalan in Houston. At $41, I asked to buy the rest they had - but it was their last bottle. Not overly complex, but very true Pinot. Cherry, cola and spice. Hints of forest floor on the nose.
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Decanted for an hour, then served in Riedel Vinum Burgundy stems. Wonderful floral and dark cherry aromas, with hints of caramel and smoke. On the palate, thise wine exhibits rich flavors of mixed berries and dark cherry. Medium body. Medium-low acidity. Drinking quite well now, but the depth of flavors and the continued presence of earthy tannins (after 2 hours) tell me that this wine has some aging potential. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up giving this wine a 93 or 94 next year.
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Mmmm. Glad I have another bottle. Would have been better, but we drank in 95+ degree weather. Califonia heat wave!!! Can't wait to try it again when it cools down a bit.
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Well, after great anticipation my first Sea Smoke did not disappoint. After 2 hours of decanting in the sweltering heat in Santa Ynez (just miles from this vineyard) this pinot showed a voluptuous nose of dark cherries and dense spice (but not acidic really) Medium bodied with clean, elegant fruit and a superb long finsh.
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RD opened this at his home last Friday when Chris and I came over. We ended up drinking 3 Pinots and all were outstanding in my opinion. This wine was probably the most concentrated and new world of the 3 wines. Notes of berry and ripe dark red fruit. Only a splash decanting which probably would have opened this wine up even more. 90-91 points.
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Agreed with others that the nose isn't as sexy as the palate. However, the palate does rock, thought it's pretty new world. Vibrant berries, low tannins. A little too low-acid for my food tastes, though it does have a slightly tart finish.
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Restaurant purchase at Clio in Boston for $70. Saw this on the menu for what seemed a reasonable cost... decided to slake my curiousity and my thirst at the same time. Tasted with delicious softshell crab tempura with bacon emulsion, and one of the best duck breast/confit combos I have had. Clio gets a 96.
This is a big rich pinot. Really sexy right out of the bottle. Loads of sweet pinot fruit on the palate: cherry, and dark berry fruit. Touch of cola-ish notes. The nose is a bit tougher with a tiny hint of VA and definitely a touch spirity- but some nice floral notes also poke through. In all this was a delicious wine that paired well with the food, but as it sat in the bottle it developed a bit of hotness on the finish- I think this needs to be drank within a couple of years before the fruit fades and lets the alcohol dominate.
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Took this to the Walker's residence. Very open with pinot fruit + cremy finish. Drank this one next to the Kosta Browne 2004 RRV and it was very similar. In the beginning, I probably preferred this wine since it's flavor developed more in the glass but after an hour, the warmer temperature made this wine slightly more harsh on the palate.
Damn, I wish I coulda got some more...
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Absolutely terrific wine; needed about 30-45 minutes of decanting; pencil lead and rich floral/cherry aromas; lots of mouthfilling cherry flavor, along with some other nice red fruit and smooth tannic activity. Amazingly good for the price!
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This was on the verge of "Outstanding", but we didn't decant it long enough. Maybe with a bit more time it would have gone from excellent to outstanding. Pretty remarkable bottle of juice nonetheless. The nose is a little deceptive, making me think it wouldn't be as special as it was.
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I'm not a huge Pinot drinker, but if this is the cheap stuff from this winery, I can't wait to try the other 2. Very nice ruby color to the edge. What a great pinot after about 2 hours in the decanter.
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11/25/2023 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little flat as the juice had aged. Still much better than a poke in the eye.
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3/31/2023 - PGMwine234 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still bright and delicious. Age definitely added complexity. Could still go a few more years.
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12/7/2019 - Chris Keller wrote: 93 Points
Surprisingly still going strong in old age Notes of bing cherry, cola, Black raspberry, plum, white pepper, vanilla, oak, leather, sage and underbrush. Tons of fruit and lively acidity in this large heated Pinot that was dark red in color. Drink now- 2024 but doubtful for any improvement in the years to come.
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10/28/2019 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 94 Points
Big & brawny still. Very intense even 15 years onward. Nice body, deep color, still one for the cellar. Direct from the winery. Will taste the next bottle in a few years time. Black cherry, pomegranate, and ripe raspberry. Still kickin'!
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11/17/2018 - hanasowner wrote: 92 Points
Popped and splash decant...the Botella was ageless...integrated tannins, but still tasted young and deep red in color...another few years to go easily if you have any left
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7/9/2017 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 91 Points
(cellar inventory cleanup - consumed July 2017) no detailed notes taken contemporaneously, but this well-stored bottle overdelivered on expectations. Clearly new world and modern, but hardly spoofilated or goopy, with ample fruit balanced by decent acidity. Drink up within the next few years.
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1/18/2017 - jwebtx wrote:
Still all about the fruit, but no edges any more. I don't expect any improvement from here, but they should drink well for at least a few more years.
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10/21/2016 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle of the 2004. Still drinking wonderfully. On to the 2005s
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4/17/2016 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Has this with rare grilled ribeye, risotto, broccoli spears and sauteed baby bella mushrooms. I should probably drink up my last two bottles of 2004 over the next year or so, and get in to the 2005s. Also nice accompaniment with Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam triple cream organic cheese from Point Reyes and french bread while watching Madame Secretary, one of our favorite shows. Definitely a good night with Sea Smoke at the center of it
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7/10/2015 - jegoldman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Beautiful wine
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7/5/2014 - vinolovers wrote: 90 Points
Poured with almost an inky purple coloring. Initial notes of red fruit, some cedar and vanilla. Never fully opened and gradually added some herbal notes that became off putting. Matched the grilled meats served with dinner very well. Smooth and well put together. Unsure if it will improve.
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4/6/2014 - cjsavino wrote: 92 Points
Brought to a WL offline dinner. Initial PnP had a well balanced wine, that needed some air time. An hour later this bottle was fully fragrant with some forest floor, ripe cherry, and a bit of smoke.
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2/13/2014 - cjsavino Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fully integrated wine with a bit of smoke, juniper, reduce red fruits, and a bit of cedar. Needs an hour of air before serving.
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12/20/2013 - cjsavino wrote: 92 Points
Color is a nice ruby, nose with a bit of soy, saltiness. On the palate this wine is fully developed, the sweet fruits subsided with earthen hints coming through, clove, meaty, and an extended finish. Still has several good years to go.
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9/8/2012 - bbakove wrote: 91 Points
(PnP - Review Pending
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5/24/2012 - brianofthevine wrote: 90 Points
Red cherry/strawberry, cinnamon spice, nice acidity, decent finish.
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3/19/2012 - diastole wrote: 92 Points
Soft floral nose. Balanced and still complex. Pepper and spice with noticeable cherries and complex tannins. Good with grilled meat. Nice.
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2/8/2012 - bbakove wrote: 93 Points
The very essence of a CenCal/Sta Rita Hills Pinot: Lovely ruby/garnet color, a bouquet of leather, hay and dried red cherry. This is a lovely wine with well balanced tannins that wants food to display it's flavors of pepper, red fruits and a sublte hit of mandarin orange. Smoke a rack of pork and drink this now.
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11/30/2011 - louis1ma wrote: 90 Points
Opened all 3 2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Bottles - Botella, Southing and Ten. The Botella had good depth of flavor and the tannins gripped and coated the tongue. A little chewy. Ready to drink; maybe last year would have been better. Still had core of dark fruit but the tannins have caught up. The strongest of the three but the most drinkable upon opening. Went really well with food - pork chops and filets.
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11/23/2011 - NaughtyGeo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit is fading, but blackberry and currant still persist. Tabacco and smoke round out the complexity to make this enjoyable and subtle.
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11/20/2011 - mapighini wrote: 84 Points
Nice fruit, good acidity, but tasting a bit hot. I would drink soon before the heat overwhelms the rest of the wine.
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10/8/2011 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
A little ham-fisted compared to prior bottle of just weeks ago.
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9/25/2011 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
A lovely and completely Californian Pinot. Ripe, thorough, and integrated, it's boozy, sure of itself, and both individual and classically Central Coast (though more sophisticated than many). Silky peaches (skin on!); bright, viscous sunshine; sweet and salty sea-side air; long symmetric tail; really beautiful. Improves with a bit of air.
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8/19/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Dark garnet. Very dark... The nose shows cranberry and other red fruit. The palate is...integrated or raisined depending on your perspective. Very porty. Long finish, but not a very appealing one. At the end of the cycle.
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7/1/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes before traveling to PASTIS. Excellent strawberry rhubarb notes, rich flavor. We all loved it.
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6/19/2011 - tdcd@comcast.net wrote: 91 Points
Exquisite as always
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5/19/2011 - kgh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Pinot, with cherry and spice flavor profile, but somewhat closed and less vibrant than last bottle. Drink now.
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5/12/2011 - MLwine wrote: 92 Points
This has settled down into a very nice, fruity pinot noir. Balance has improved considerably, and the heat has largely disappeared over time. Updated: Even better on Day Two!
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2/5/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
A constantly evolving nose of ripe black cherries, black plums, cinnamon, and clove, which gives way to candied orange peels, breakfast sausage, sous bois, and sandlewood with air. Sweet and savory on the palate, its youthful exuberance now mature and nuanced, with terrific balance and acidity. A slightly capricious wine, but an enchanting one at that, that's at its peak, so drink up now because I don't think it's going to get any better. 90-91 points.
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1/2/2011 - JOsgood wrote:
A bit too funky. IMO this is over the hill. Disjointed and out of balance. Got progressively worse with air.
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1/2/2011 - the godfather wrote:
opened up really nice and seemed to close down with air. Over the hill? I'd suggest drinking drinking now
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12/20/2010 - dresden wrote: 92 Points
Good color, tannins opened up after about 30 minutes. Lots of cherry and earthiness typical for California Pinot. Overall, excellent.
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11/27/2010 - CMz wrote: 92 Points
Open w 30 min air in bottle (did not really need it). Dark ruby to the rim with wonderful dark cherry & violets on the nose. Nice mouthfeel, very smooth almost silky. Tannins present but in nice balance with cherry, blueberry, mineral and a light spicy note mid palette. Hard to believe this is their 3rd wine and pretty exceptional at the price point.
Not sure i would sit on this much longer if you have several bottles - it is drinking very nice right now and really well balanced - not sure how this gets better.
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11/18/2010 - jsteckbeck wrote: 93 Points
Perfect with an offal tasting at Legume. The offal brought out the earthiness in the wine, and the wine complimented the "organ-ness" of the offal. Better than the last bottle we had when it was younger.
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11/14/2010 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. Soft tannins, bing cherry flavor. Went great with grilled ribeyes done on my new Weber Genesis, a wonderful birthday present from the kids
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10/12/2010 - kgh wrote: 94 Points
Bright, fresh cherry fruit mixed with spice, leather, and mushroom. Acid, tannin, and fruit all in balance. This has matured nicely and is impressive at this stage.
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9/19/2010 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Doctor pepper, black cherry, and earth; intense with a bouquet like a rich oil painting but a heaviness redeemed by cameos of raspberries, hay, and salinity.
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9/4/2010 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote: 89 Points
Wow! I guess I saved the best for last on this one. It was perfect in balance, structure and mouthfeel. Bright red cherries with hints of oak. Fully integrated tannins and a freshness that was impressive given the age of the bottle. Some coffee and cola and nuances of forest floor. Incredible ripe and fresh fruit. Ample nose and exquisite lingering finish. I looked online and this $28 bottle of wine was averaging $122 up to $175 on auction at this time.
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7/15/2010 - bwaverley wrote: 91 Points
Still a bit of heat on the finish, but a very nice wine. Predominant fruit is cherry, with a "syrupy" quality. Vanilla and a combination of spice and nutmeg show in both the bouquet and finish. Tannins are firm enough to suggest another three years of cellaring potential. Definitely NOT a Pinot for those who prefer Old World, Burgundian qualities.
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7/3/2010 - jwebtx wrote:
This bottle is in a rocking place. The fruit is still there and only a tiny bit of heat on the back. I was surprised how well this showed.
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6/20/2010 - tim_c wrote: flawed
Damn it to hell. I hate cork. I wish everyone would go to screwcap.
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5/17/2010 - StephenE05 wrote: 92 Points
More intense than southing. This had a lot of earth to it, as well as a high-pitched red-fruitiness. Tasty, but not stunning.
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5/7/2010 - brigcampbell Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wife picked this one out tonight and good for her. It was our last one, parting is such sweet sorrow.
I got the call from the warden at 2:33pm to pull the cork and I grabbed the duck decanter and proceeded to remove the foil and bury the corkscrew into this baby. There's nothing like extracting the barrier between you and pure enjoyment. OH NO! the cork has a split in it and she's completely saturated on one side with some dark nasty looking syrup stuff running half way down.
I just did an emotional 180, I wanted to cry. Could it be, corked after sitting for 6 years awaiting my calling? I stuck my nose in there and it was completely muted. All I could think was "this will make one hell of a salad dressing".
I poured the bottle through the vinturi and within 10 seconds, there it was... That familiar aroma filled the room. Ah... Sea Smoke welcome home. She's wasn't corked.
Decanted for 3 hours.
Dark brick color and strong nose of candied dark fruit and spice. Mouthfeel was silky smooth, I'm thinking we're near EOL (end of life) because the tannis are muted. Great spice mid-palate with still some heat/alcohol on a meduim/long finish.
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4/4/2010 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Pleasantly surprised. Still young, with some years left ahead. Yes, big CC pinot, not at all shy. But good acidity balancing the fruit and spice, though a bit of heat when the wine warms up a bit. Someone said burnt cherries, which is about right. Good finish, all together a very good QPR.
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3/13/2010 - noiregonian wrote:
You know, somewhat disappointing; very closed nose and Syrah-like flavors when opened; woke up after an hour into dinner for a while and showed some nuance and fruit - but closed down and disappeared into not a whole lot but oak afterwards. Had hoped for better.
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3/11/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
SUPERB! Still cant believe I only paid $30. Having just arrived home from the windblown WGC-CA Doral Championship, popped and poured to pair With ellen's glazed salmon. Ellen's description, "not Pinot light", QUINTESCENTIAL Pinot Noir. Great nose, body and finish. "Miles" dream. Finished almost all of it in one very enjoyable evening. What good wine aspires to, but doesn't often achieve.
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3/3/2010 - Edclr wrote: 94 Points
While this is not normally the style of pinot I prefer, this bottle may make me a believer. Wonderful nose of burnt cherries, rich fruit driven on the palate, and although high in alcohol, it did not dominate the wine. Maybe this is the perfect time to drink Sea Smoke...6+ years after the vintage. It seems the components come together in a harmonious way after a while.
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2/18/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. SPECTACULAR Pinot. Rich fruit. Excellent bouquet. Ellen thought it wonderful, and at the price merited a 94.
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1/19/2010 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
As delicious as the last bottle.
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12/31/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured on New Years Eve to pair with Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor. Eclipsed the non-n\vintage Krug that preceded it on our New Years Eve repast. Drinks beautifully now. We easily polished off the bottle.Our qst of 6. Love Sea Smoke!
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12/12/2009 - slogan wrote: 93 Points
Drank this with homemade chicken noodle soup and biscuits.
Deep purple, with a nose of dark cherries, a touch of alcohol, oak? Fantastic with the soup. Very fruit forward, almost no alcohol, a touch of tannin, sugar in balance (but present). Fantastic example of well made new world Pinot.
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11/27/2009 - leadpencil wrote: 93 Points
Ruby red, medium to full bodied. Rainier cherry, allspice, hint of anise. Very good. Drink now.
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11/26/2009 - sbfireman wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for several hours - smooth in the glass. Lighter in color than I would have thought. Long finish. Burst of fruit early.
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11/7/2009 - oaxaca90049 wrote:
no notes just a lovely fragrant and feminine expression of pinot.
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10/18/2009 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured, and then consumed over 5 hours. Medium to full-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, candied cherries, light forest floor, and toasted oak. On the palate, black cherry cola, citrus, and light spice on the extremely long 40+ second finish. Loaded with fruit, this wine will never be mistaken for a red Burgundy, but it’s absolutely not hot or supercharged. Clean fruit presides, along with great balance, and a nice acidity. Very well done and still going strong!
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9/4/2009 - Beachrooster wrote: 93 Points
Dark red in color, cherry, vanilla, nutmeg, perfume, and lightly toasted aromas. Nice mouth feel and weight. Soft ripe tannins power past the acid for a long smooth finish. Very nice. Still young. 93pts
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8/1/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 91 Points
After laying these down for 4 years these are starting to show some restraint, but still have tell-tale California traits.
Color: Garnets and rubies, nice red hues.
Nose: At first a bit muted and funky. After some decant it opens up to some earthy and berry aromas, wild strawberry, nice Pinot nose.
Palate: Very sharp from the get go. It needed to calm down with some decant time. Strawberry and wild berries, earth and a touch of spice. More tannic than I would have thought, but just more than you woudl expect from a Pinot.
Nice but I was expecting more...have a few more to go...this has got some time, 3-4 years tops. Should be best within the next 2 years' time.
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5/29/2009 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby in color. Starting to show signs of oxidation. Cherries, cola and some spice on the nose. Generous and rich flavor profile. Notes of wild earth, blueberry, mineral and sage. Wonderful finish and lingering aftertaste.
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5/24/2009 - blondon wrote:
Popped and poured. I'd second Rob's note. This was a nice bottle of wine, has nice clean Pinot flavors, not nearly as rich or thick as I remember my other bottles. Showed a lot of sharp cherry, mushroom/forest floor/earthiness.
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5/23/2009 - GolferChris wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking very well. It always amazes me that this is the little pinot. Lovely wine with cherry, blackberry and spice with well balanced acidity and a long tasty finish.
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5/19/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
A completely different wine then what I had back in early January. Showed very nice rich fruit flavors with great texture and length. Normally I really prefer the Southing and TEN to the Botella but it looks like these can be really nice with a few years on them. It'll be an exercise in patience to see if I can let all the rest of my Sea Smoke wines get 5 years on them.
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5/2/2009 - thebonnydooner wrote: 91 Points
I had one of these about three months ago and it did not go well. This at least was better. It is definitely at the end of its useful life - the fruit is fading without many redeeming complex nuances, but still sweet and tasty. There is a nice blackcherry and berry fruit to this, with enough complexity to make interesting. Glad I pulled this from the cellar now.
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4/19/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 84 Points
Thick, over-extracted, one-dimensional alcoholic fruit juice with a lot of fat and no tannic structure. No complexity or length.
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4/6/2009 - swp3 wrote: 90 Points
Big black cherry and earth, plus firm tannins. Like a lot of '04 California Pinot, it gets a little oxidized and sloppy with a few hours air, which makes me think in terms of cellaring, probably down hill from here. Missing finesse but there's a saturated plushness that works. Rounds out with a little heat and a big dose of new oak.
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3/12/2009 - Big Daddy wrote: 88 Points
This finally opened up after an hour and a half. It was good but not great. The fruit has faded leaving a more vanilla flavor. The finish did reach the outer portions of my mouth but then quickly faded. I wish I would have opened this about six months ago. If you have any of the 2004 Botella left, drink it soon.
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3/9/2009 - psirah wrote: 87 Points
Have had this three times over the last year, and I'm afraid the fruit is fading. The huge juicy cherry and cola flavors that were so pronounced when this when first came out have faded somewhat and what appears left is not nearly as well received. There are earthy components in the mid-palate as well as unintegrated tannin, and alcohol pouring out of this wine. I definitely enjoyed this in its infancy, but its youth leaves something to be desired.
50+5+13+15+4
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3/5/2009 - jdiv wrote:
Splash decanted and allowed to open for about 45 minutes. Would much rather have popped and poured as I preferred it immediately out of the bottle. Dark berry and chocolate on the nose. Brawny purple berry with chocolate, and liquorice on the palate. Unfortunately after breathing it showed a bit of heat as well - at least the 14.7 abv on the label, maybe more. Overall much bigger and riper than my current tastes prefer, and correspondingly poorer with food.
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1/29/2009 - cvvhrn wrote:
Not sure if I got a bad bottle but this one was terrible. Very astringent and closed off even with extended decanting. I defered actually putting up a rating but I would have given it an 82 based on this tasting. We could not finish the bottle off it was that bad.
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1/2/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 88 Points
Other CT tasters have noted that the wine is possibly in a closed phase now and if that's the reason for this rather poor showing then I guess I could cut it some slack. Having said that, I will say that I was underwhelmed by this wine. My note on the 06 Botella points out that this is my least favorite of the Sea Smoke wines and I think it's because of the younger style of the wine in comparison to the Southing and TEN. Don't get me wrong, this is still really good stuff and once this had some time to open up, it showed lots of cherry fruits and was fairly strong on the acidity. It's certainly a big, bold pinot but just needs the extra complexity that you get from the other Sea Smoke wines.
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1/2/2009 - jhannah27 wrote: 88 Points
New Year's Weekend @ Rob & Lisa's; 1/1/2009-1/4/2009 (Scott's Valley, CA): Dense blackberries, dark cherries, and spice on the nose. I have found with the couple of Botella bottles that I have had that there is a green-ness or woodiness to the taste that takes a good couple hours to subside. I think they go a little overboard on the oak in order to compensate for the lower quality grapes. It's not really offputting, but it definitely puts a damper on this otherwise very well made wine. This is one of the oldest Sea Smoke wines that I have had (although that's not saying much), and having a few additional years on this definitely helps to bring together the big bold fruits that can overwhelm these wines in their youth. Very well balanced and structured, but I just never found anything in here that got me excited.
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12/22/2008 - dionysis wrote: 90 Points
This seemed very thin and hollow after opening, but it gained weight gradually and came out after a couple hours in the glass. Sadly, this was after most of it was gone! Agree that it might be in a closed, slightly awkward phase right now.
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9/28/2008 - NotNYC wrote: 91 Points
A few years back, sadly I broke bottle #1 of 2. Finally I can pair that great aroma with this beautiful wine. Initially stand-offish but after a couple of hours this turns unctuous and earthy. The acids perhaps a tad pronounced which means a great food wine. But the layers are wonderful and the dynamics in the glass over time makes for a wonderful evening. Light but an unusually smooth texture & tart finish. SRH rocks!
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9/26/2008 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
See my earlier note. This wine has integrated very nicely. Flavor profile is consistent with earlier notes.
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8/10/2008 - the godfather wrote: 91 Points
tasty, but just too big for my taste
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8/9/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby in color. I prefered the 2005 I had recently slightly to this. Very nice nonetheless with that big bold pinot flavor from SRH. Felt a touch tight so this might be going thru a closed phase.
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8/7/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poored, straight from the cellar. Not sure if I really liked it more than Southing or Ten, but it was clearly a Yum on my wife's scale (and mine, of course). Did seem to come unwould a bit with air (90+ minutes), so I'm thinking this is approaching Drink Now range. Enjoy!
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8/5/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
2004 Sea Smoke Botella - WOTN - this was lovely Mike/Lenny
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7/18/2008 - rjoyer wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured with dinner and then followed for about 4 hours. I like this wine a lot more than it's Southing counterpart. The judicious use of oak and ample red/dark red fruit play well together and are engagingly balanced. Took about an hour to an hour and a half to really open up, and really filled in throughout the night. The last glass was the best glass with a juiciness to the fruit that was not there initially. Still can gain some complexity, but I think it's entering a beautiful drinking window now.
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7/4/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Deep aromas of black cherries, plums, cola nut, and sous bois. Ready to drink with resolved tannins and balancing acidity. A touch of woodsiness on the finish. After a couple of hours the wine fell out of balance, but it came back into balance after being open for four hours. 88-89 points.
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6/29/2008 - MLwine wrote: 89 Points
Very nice pinot noir. Solid fruit. Cherry flavor without being overly sweet. Not very complex. A little hot.
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6/14/2008 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
As incredible as the last bottle!
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6/6/2008 - CBurbank wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of allspice, pine, earth, but predominately bright cherry(maraschino?). Bright acidity and focused flavors of cherry with tremendous length. Incredible Santa Barbara Pinot especially at this price point. Should still drink well for a couple of years but drinking great now.
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5/24/2008 - Kate363 wrote: 92 Points
great fruit - ready to drink - we had a younger pinot before this wine and there was a dramatic difference in fruit, complexity and interest. I wish I had more!
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5/20/2008 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Initially tight, this wine opened within a few minutes in the glass. Very rich yet elegant with black cherry, clove, minerals, and crisp acidity on the back end. Ready to drink now.
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5/9/2008 - B&T wrote: 90 Points
Great candied cherries, coupled with a mixture of rose and garden vegetables on the nose. Drinking very well right now.
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5/5/2008 - cgseldin wrote: 90 Points
Nice, but not nearly as seductive as the first few bottles I had upon release.
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4/18/2008 - BradE wrote:
Santa Barbara Dreaming: Popped and poured out on the deck. Pinot at cellar temperature out in the sun is a good way to go. A decent late-afternoon drink, and we enjoyed it, but makes me miss burgundy.
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4/16/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Cali Pinot, Great Wine, Poor Notes (NYC): This was our runner up WOTN. Lots of sweet cheeries here. This is Sea Smoke's entry level offer and it is tasty. Can others add?
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4/12/2008 - air guitar & pinot noir wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was medium ruby and crimson in color. Black cherry, vanilla and oaky notes on the nose. Initially tasted a bit off. May need more time to develop and may benefit from decanting. Not sure if this bottle may have been corked. Need to compare the remaining to when opened.
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4/12/2008 - GalvezGuy wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Beatiful dark clear crimson. Huge nose of black cherry, vanilla, smoke, forest floor, dried cherry, and raspberry. On the palate black cherry, raspberry, mushroom, tea, spice. Long racy finish with dryining tannins. Wow, I wish I had not consumed this but at the same time, I am so glad to experience this wine. It does need more time in the bottle and at the release price, a tremendous value.
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4/7/2008 - scott davis wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Is this pinot noir? Beautiful dark crimson color; perfumed nose of blue, red, black fruit, and oaky notes. Big, solid frame of red cherry and raspberry fruit, with intense layers of forest fire, black tea, cinnamon, and Asian spice. That very distinct SRH character is apparent. Very pleasant, but in no way delicate. Long, drying finish, with a touch of heat showing. Some upside remains; this wine needs more years in the bottle before it plateaus. This was an absolute steal at $28 two years ago.
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3/31/2008 - ruddy wrote: 90 Points
The last of the QPR Botellas. Nose doesn't give up much, even after an hour in the decanter, but the wine has beefed up considerably in that time, leading me to believe that this really needs another year. Rich mouthfull of cherries, pine/camphor, a bit of pepper. Nice cut, but also a tinge of heat on the finish that is off-putting. Not my favorite bottle of Sea Smoke, but very good at the price.
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3/30/2008 - tdcd@comcast.net wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely excellent. The standard from which all other pinot will be judged. Extremely well balanced. Hints of smoke prevail across a spectrum of delights.
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3/28/2008 - jmacky614 wrote:
popped and poured. Man this wine took on some weight over the last six months. Nose and taste are dominated by a raspberry/cherry taste with a hint of fresh pine. Still a little tight even after three hours of being uncorked.
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3/16/2008 - slogan wrote: 92 Points
Opened it 2 hours before dinner, but left in bottle to breathe. Had it with roast pork tenderloin prepared with cherries. A fantastic pairing. Wine was still a little closed, but the fruit was massive and wonderful. Still young.
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2/1/2008 - chateaumiller wrote: 87 Points
VERY GOOD
Still too young as the flavors are wound tight and the Sour Cherry is the prevelant flavor throughout. Very Good but I would lay this down or keep it down for another year ad try it then.
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1/6/2008 - Cosmo3 wrote:
Full, ripe candied nose of cherries and a good whiff of oak underneath some earthiness and light spice. Full bodied and powerful but very complex with dark cherries dominant on a firm structure. Very nice overall.
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1/2/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 87 Points
candied cherries and a tight structure. Not a complex wine, really never gave way to anything but massive fruit. Next day tasted a bit better, but a bit disappointing
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12/29/2007 - fultonjf wrote: 92 Points
Aging very well. Wine gets better as it sits in the glass. Aroma and taste are both full of cherry and other candied fruit flavors. Only a hint of earth flavor. Finish is smooth, but not particularly long. Should age well for another 3-5 years.
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12/22/2007 - CADomer wrote: 91 Points
Drank before going out to dinner with friends and family. Had along side some great Oregon Pinots. All were great, including this one. Needed a little more time to open up. Should have let breath a little longer in the glass.
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11/1/2007 - darrel_f wrote: 92 Points
Great Pinot. Nice backbone, livey fruit, cherry, rasberry.
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10/10/2007 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Tight on opening; better after 30 minute decant. Dark violet red. Great nose driven by cherries and red berries, but with underbrush/pine needles adding terrific interest. Also has some nice vanilla oak in the background. I liked the palate the way the fruit, tannins and acidity came together. It was well matched with pork tenderloin and squash risotto.
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10/9/2007 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
Hawaii Vacation Wines - Fall 2007; 10/4/2007-10/14/2007 (Big Island, Hawaii): Another great effort from Sea Smoke. This wine delivers great cherry, blackberry and spice with a nice backbone of acidity to balance this lovely wine. Great mouthfeel and long finish for a CA Pinot.
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8/27/2007 - ruffsurf wrote: 88 Points
intense fruit but borderline over the top jammy, undermining balance.
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8/18/2007 - GOL wrote:
Decanted, but maybe not for quite long enough. Good pinot flavors, not so rich, a little heat, not as good as the Southing because not as heavy in the mouth. But for $30 this was a good buy.
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8/18/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
At Azul, Mandarin Oriental, Miami w Cindy & Jorge Gonzalez, and Stuart & Marlene Blumberg.Excllent rich and slightly plummy. Decanted at table. Wi8ll benefit from additional bottle age.
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8/8/2007 - Olch wrote: 92 Points
excellent
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8/8/2007 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful sweet red cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors with incredible mouthfeel and finish.
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7/22/2007 - shaneajohnson wrote: 87 Points
Medium ruby color. Some cherry, red/black fruit, and oak on the nose. Same on the palate, but oak was stronger (too much). Didn't like this nearly as much as the Southing from the same vintage.
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7/4/2007 - CooGAR wrote: 92 Points
One of the best, if not THE BEST, pinot noirs I've even had.
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6/2/2007 - ksmith wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, currants, some oak, but nicely integrated. Nice complexity, lots going on with this wine. Need to work my way up the allocation list at this winery
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6/2/2007 - jacobp wrote: 94 Points
INcredible fruit; great finish.
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6/2/2007 - longhorncab wrote: 93 Points
Velvety mouthfeel, nice finish, continued to evolve all the way to the end of the bottle
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5/31/2007 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
Rich, balanced and fruitful, still some tannins to resolve but still a pleasure to drink. I'll hold the rest for another two years. Beautiful wine.
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5/30/2007 - mouton45 wrote: 94 Points
This possibly is the best Califoirnia pinot noir I've ever had. Unreal flavors. went great with braised pork chop in a mushroom gravy
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5/15/2007 - Cheryl wrote:
My first wine of the night!! RC, SeaSmoke, Zepaltas, DeLoach (NYC Fairway): My WOTN . Loved it. Really a perfect wine. Kristina noted it had the marshmellow burnt smell and it did! It was lovely, as it breathed, I got a short acetone taste on the finish, but very quick.
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5/2/2007 - TomTom wrote: 84 Points
A real bruiser. Muted nose. Heavily oaked with some offputting alchohol on the finish. A nice fruit profile, but overwhelmed by everything else. Could be the vintage, but this was not my favorite pinot. Just too over the top for me.
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4/29/2007 - blgros wrote: 90 Points
This wine seemed pretty straightforward. Good fruit up front, nice smoky, oaky notes. Not real complex, but a good, balanced medium bodied CA pinot, at a fair price.
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3/31/2007 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 40 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, black cherries, sandalwood, and cloves. On the palate, dark cherries, blood orange, and spice. Mouthfilling New World wine that is nevertheless well-balanced and lovely. Non-overbearing structure, good acidity, and a very long and enjoyable 30-second finish. Well done Sea Smoke!
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3/24/2007 - CADomer wrote: 92 Points
Drank in Cambria for lunch with Main Street Grill; great, great, great. My Brother, Dad, and I really enjoyed this lush wine. Silky red berries with some undertones of forest floor. A little smoke and saddle leather that blew off after about 30 minutes, but overall just a very enjoyable, smooth, but complex pinot. Believe the hype.
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3/1/2007 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Now I understand what the fuss is all about. Opened this up and took a sip. Yes, nice Cali-Pinot - deep color and with nice legs. Bouquet of cherry and hints of blueberry and spice. In the mouth, the wine was full bodied but balanced. Black cherry and cloves and spice. A hint of vanilla too. Nice and enjoyable. How much did I pay? Yeah - got it from the winery (only 1 bottle allocated). Nice and enjoyable. Yeah I'd buy more.
Then I let the wine sit and after a few hours of being open, the wine evolved. Notes of violets and fresh blackberries and raspberries. I was running through the berry patch on the first warm day of spring after a cold, dark winter. The wine was seductive and silky - made me feel giddy - like a beautiful woman caressing my face - and I held her perfume in my hand.
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2/25/2007 - mmurry wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 2 1/2 hours. The nose showed a lot of black cherry, cola, and forest floor. It also had some subtle hints of strawberry and cinnamon. The palate was silky, and had loads of sour cherry mixed with brown spice, strawberry, and a touch of earthiness. The tannins were pretty firm, and it had a very pleasant finish that lasted a good long time.
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2/19/2007 - ahgoodman wrote: 92 Points
HUGE wine, drinks like syrah.great fruit very enjoyable
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2/11/2007 - corkandcompass wrote: 93 Points
I am a huge fan of Sea Smoke and the central coast in general. The Botella, for the price, is truly the prize from this winemaker. A strong representation of St. Rita Hills this wine has dense cherry fruit with the tarry dusty cedar wood after notes you expect from this region. Definite cinnamon as noted by other reviews. Mouth feel was dense and velvety. Drank at dinner 2/9/07. Will lay down remaining bottles for 2 - 3 years to see what comes of them. Highly recommended over more expensive sisters Southing and Ten.
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2/4/2007 - Moorese wrote: 89 Points
Cherry, sandalwood, Chinese 5-spice, bright acid, a bit of booze. Suave, but still somehow disjointed. It seems that the bottle showcases either (1) great fruit somewhat undone by the winemaking, or (2) average fruit manipulated by the winemaking. In truth, this amateur cannot tell. I can say that I miss nuances which suggest, to me, a great wine. The mid-palate shows deep rich fruit, but fruit without much differentiation. I miss layers of flavors which make me question what it is that I am tasting. The finish is clean and bordering on lingering, but it doesn't quite make the impression it should. Solid, well-made, but not quite what I think of when I think "impressive."
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2/3/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
Same notes as before.
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1/25/2007 - KenK wrote: 92 Points
Rich cherry cola nose. Dense fruit forward red cherry and chocolate with cinnamon spice. Dark toasty flavors linger. A nice tasty treat.
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1/18/2007 - silvercup wrote: 94 Points
Very tight upon opening. I know, infanticide and all that, but it was quite good. Once the wine decanted for a while, there was a nose of flint, sea, cranberries, black tea, raspberries. The mouth was nice and silky without being too heavy. There was a nice balance and a nice femininity throughout. The color was dark ruby, and the finish was long with flint, and tea along with cherry.
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1/17/2007 - MWes wrote: 92 Points
On the nose, I get candied cherries and earth. On the palate, I get raspberries and blueberries. A very well made wine for $30 that will improve in the next few years. Outstanding.
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1/14/2007 - men wrote: 88 Points
Extremely fruit forward. After sitting in glass for 20 or 30 minutes it improved quite a bit with nice cherry, raisins and a fairly light finish. Very approachable and very pinot noir
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1/2/2007 - lskim wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well right now. More approachable than Southing IMO with forward ripe cherry and currant fruit, softer tannins, and medium finish. Decanted 1hr.
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11/27/2006 - JonnyB wrote: 91 Points
medium dark in color, rich dark cherry component on the nose and palate with a bit of spice. Satisfying finish. Needs some air first. Will try the other half this evening and see how it develops.
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11/23/2006 - vintage72 wrote: 88 Points
drank at office "potluck". Didnt show well out of bad wine glasses and after co-workers homemade cab. Wrong venue. THe southing is light years ahead of botella.
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11/11/2006 - futronic wrote: 93 Points
Dinner w/ The Highdesertwines, Pinot/Pinto Envy et al (Chateau Chang, Victorville, CA): Medium ruby colour. Aromas of beetroot, currant, and wild strawberry. Medium-bodied, with beautiful fruit and texture. Currant, strawberry, rhubarb, and spice on the palate. Moderate-long finish, 40s, with spice and more pretty red fruit.
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11/3/2006 - huevosconvino wrote: 93 Points
Aroma: Rich cherry, red currant, and a slightly dusty smokiness.
Flavor: Terrific balance of cherry and wild strawberry with an acidic bite that was refreshing. Also took on a sweeter, more robust mouthfeel as we ate, particularly with the ginger and other slightly spicy foods.
General impression: A wonderful Pinot Noir value at $28/bottle direct from the winery. Clearly going to cost more next year. A wildly successful accompaniment to the matsutake soup, which brought out the earthiness of this wine more than any other dish.
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11/1/2006 - matthen wrote: 93 Points
Poured directly into the glass. Aromas of earth, mineral, floral, berries and sage. The flavors are well integrated and concentrated with cherry, cola and blueberry. The wine finishes very nicely and makes you desire another sip. The botella is a fruit bomb, forward Pinot Noir-if you like this style
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10/18/2006 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
Closed at first, but with time and air, it started to sing. Dark fruits, mocha, mineral, and earth.
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10/18/2006 - winesteward wrote: 91 Points
Strong strawberry aroma. Quite sweet, juicy, ripe, very forward flavors. Dense for Pinot Noir. 14.7% alcohol but all in balance. Probably not a style that will appeal to all but I enjoyed it. Good for drinking now.
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9/18/2006 - cellarbrator wrote: 92 Points
Had at Catalan in Houston. At $41, I asked to buy the rest they had - but it was their last bottle. Not overly complex, but very true Pinot. Cherry, cola and spice. Hints of forest floor on the nose.
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9/9/2006 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour, then served in Riedel Vinum Burgundy stems. Wonderful floral and dark cherry aromas, with hints of caramel and smoke. On the palate, thise wine exhibits rich flavors of mixed berries and dark cherry. Medium body. Medium-low acidity. Drinking quite well now, but the depth of flavors and the continued presence of earthy tannins (after 2 hours) tell me that this wine has some aging potential. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up giving this wine a 93 or 94 next year.
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8/2/2006 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Drank with Vees familiy in CO. Fruity wine with lots of flavor. Quickly consumed.
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7/30/2006 - hiltondg wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Chris Matheny of M2 winery. Good stuff as usual. Very soft Pinot, great summer drinker.
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7/28/2006 - boldredmonster wrote: 90 Points
Mmmm. Glad I have another bottle. Would have been better, but we drank in 95+ degree weather. Califonia heat wave!!! Can't wait to try it again when it cools down a bit.
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7/25/2006 - Cosmo wrote:
Well, after great anticipation my first Sea Smoke did not disappoint. After 2 hours of decanting in the sweltering heat in Santa Ynez (just miles from this vineyard) this pinot showed a voluptuous nose of dark cherries and dense spice (but not acidic really) Medium bodied with clean, elegant fruit and a superb long finsh.
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7/25/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
RD opened this at his home last Friday when Chris and I came over. We ended up drinking 3 Pinots and all were outstanding in my opinion. This wine was probably the most concentrated and new world of the 3 wines. Notes of berry and ripe dark red fruit. Only a splash decanting which probably would have opened this wine up even more. 90-91 points.
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7/24/2006 - Squirreljam wrote:
Agreed with others that the nose isn't as sexy as the palate. However, the palate does rock, thought it's pretty new world. Vibrant berries, low tannins. A little too low-acid for my food tastes, though it does have a slightly tart finish.
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7/21/2006 - liberati wrote:
Saw this on the menu at A.O.C. for $61, and the waiter recommended it highly. We converted a non-pinot fan with the bottle... good to the last drop.
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7/20/2006 - ScottG wrote: 92 Points
Restaurant purchase at Clio in Boston for $70.
Saw this on the menu for what seemed a reasonable cost... decided to slake my curiousity and my thirst at the same time. Tasted with delicious softshell crab tempura with bacon emulsion, and one of the best duck breast/confit combos I have had. Clio gets a 96.
This is a big rich pinot. Really sexy right out of the bottle. Loads of sweet pinot fruit on the palate: cherry, and dark berry fruit. Touch of cola-ish notes. The nose is a bit tougher with a tiny hint of VA and definitely a touch spirity- but some nice floral notes also poke through. In all this was a delicious wine that paired well with the food, but as it sat in the bottle it developed a bit of hotness on the finish- I think this needs to be drank within a couple of years before the fruit fades and lets the alcohol dominate.
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7/16/2006 - hudamang wrote: 94 Points
Took this to the Walker's residence. Very open with pinot fruit + cremy finish. Drank this one next to the Kosta Browne 2004 RRV and it was very similar. In the beginning, I probably preferred this wine since it's flavor developed more in the glass but after an hour, the warmer temperature made this wine slightly more harsh on the palate.
Damn, I wish I coulda got some more...
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7/7/2006 - huevosconvino wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely terrific wine; needed about 30-45 minutes of decanting; pencil lead and rich floral/cherry aromas; lots of mouthfilling cherry flavor, along with some other nice red fruit and smooth tannic activity. Amazingly good for the price!
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6/24/2006 - vintage72 wrote: 91 Points
Needs decanting. WOuld be a good $25 pinot.
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6/11/2006 - jrglm wrote: 89 Points
This was on the verge of "Outstanding", but we didn't decant it long enough. Maybe with a bit more time it would have gone from excellent to outstanding. Pretty remarkable bottle of juice nonetheless. The nose is a little deceptive, making me think it wouldn't be as special as it was.
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5/30/2006 - atearl wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic value (If you can find it) My female friends loved it, and thought it was easy to drink. Not as complex as the Southing.
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5/27/2006 - hiltondg wrote: 93 Points
I'm not a huge Pinot drinker, but if this is the cheap stuff from this winery, I can't wait to try the other 2. Very nice ruby color to the edge. What a great pinot after about 2 hours in the decanter.
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