This wine is still tasting extremely good right now !! At Peak !! The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle. This is a balanced Pinot Noir that I consumed over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Aromas of pomegranate and rose hips, flavors of red fruit compote, rhubarb, and marine soil with a pleasant medium to long finish. Popped and poured, this wine really benefited from gentle oxygen since it was much more soft and integrated on day two. Great fruit with firm acidity made into a very balanced Pinot Noir from the Seasmoke Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County by the cool Pacific Ocean along the San Ynez River canyon. Great winemaking making this Pinot Noir is an age worthy wine and has many more years of life left. I have no more bottles of this vintage remaining in my cellar.
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Light color, translucent. Light, pleasant aroma but without distinguishing characteristic of pinot...thought it might be grenache. Medium fruit but not very concentrated. Medium aftertaste. Very nice, but I think it is beyond its plateau. Ric
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Powerful and flavorful on the nose and palate. Tastes amazing after 13 years! Mature fruits, earthy notes, hint of vanilla, smooth tanins. Beautiful pinot.
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(Magnum). No specific notes as this was at dinner. Took around 30 mins to open up and the dried fruit and funk blew off giving way to dark blueberry, cedar and smoke. Delicious. At peak drink ASAP
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Bottle took a few hours of breathing to open up once it did was beautifully smooth and soft with plenty of depth and fruit left. Really and nice and mouthwatering pinot from a great winery.
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Was worried, as we’ve pushed this past the recommended drinking window. Shouldn’t have been concerned. Drinking well. Much more nuanced than the first bottle we had back around 2011. Nice earthiness. Some initial white pepper that dissipates quickly. Notes of currant & cranberry. As others have noted, drink up. Not likely to get better.
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We opened this magnum last night to share with several close friends at our home. It was drinking quite well with plenty of earth and a autumn, rustic, cranberry. Still seems like it could go longer in the cellar but probably not going to improve so enjoy now!
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A Few Wines with BBQ (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Small glass, brief note. This exceeded my expectations, both in terms of its remaining freshness and good overall balance. Mostly black fruit maturing gracefully, with sweet spice and good length.
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Dallas CTers visit NYC offline: From magnum. Fully mature and ready to drink. I enjoyed trying this with a bit of age on it, as I think the years have tamed what in its youth can be a bit exuberant and fruit forward. Pretty nose of cherries. On the palate soft red fruit, a touch of sweetness or vanilla bean, and then spice.
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Just opened my last bottle and found it very alive with deep berry notes and still a cleansing finish. The wine is very smooth and probably at its peak right now. 2008 was a troubling vintage in CA and this wine is an excellent effort and long-lived example of Seasmoke's talent.
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple days --
This is in a nice place right now. Was way more focused on the company I was keeping than I was the wine, so I have little meaningful to say; that said, this was red-fruited with good acidity, and not too oaky. Just as good, if not better, on Day 2 than on Day 1. Drink now and over the next 5 (to 10?) years. More to my tastes than I was expecting.
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Last bottle, absolutely singing. Somewhat surprised as to how this evolved into blockbuster burgundian pinot. Suspect the 2008 vintage has a lot to do with it. We'll see as we now turn to more recent vintages.
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Classic Sea Smoke! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on a long tasty finish. Continues to drink beautifully!
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From magnum, decanted for two hours prior to pairing with seared, oven-finished Atlantic salmon with spicy cherry tomato vinaigrette in honor of my father's 76th birthday. A medium ruby in the glass extending out to thinning edges (no bricking), the nose beckons with a mix of bing and dark cherries, touches of raspberry and anise, and distinctly Asian spices (as opposed to typical baking spices; think Chinese 5-spice powder). Excellent intensity and concentration for a Santa Barbara pinot noir, with very good acidity to match and propel through a long, slightly sour-tinged finish. This was the best CA pinot noir we may have ever had, challenged perhaps only by the 2005 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir Highland Estates Seco Highlands or 2010 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel bottles. Drinking perfectly now and superb!
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Benefitted from a short decant. A very smooth, medium weight presentation of Sta. Rita Hills pinot. Presented red fruits and a touch of spice on the nose. These followed on the palate, with a faint presence of cola, and with sufficient acidity to balance. Consider drinking up as the fruit may be starting to fade.
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Much better than the last bottle. Nice nose of cola, brown sugar, spice, sour cherry, and clove. On the palate, lush but not heavy with sour cherry, spice, and cola. Nice balanced finish with a bit of grip. Drink or hold.
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Big pinot that has nice depth on the palate with spiciness and verve. Some cola-like notes in a wine that exhibits both red and blue fruits. A little soft on the finish and would have scored higher with more acidity and backbone.
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Very good bottle. Good raspberry cherry fruit. Clean. Still tasting young. Tasted with two other excellent pinots that were a tad better...but this wine was still very good.
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The 2008 is in a nice place right now. Slightly muted fruit that took the better part of a day to emerge. Except for my last 2007 which I had this year, a better vintage.
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25 June 2016 Tasting at Phredd's: Final Pinot entry before we moved on to the "big reds", courtesy of WaitinginManassas. Jammy red fruit with some synthetic rubber hints which combined with the abv (14.5%) was harsh on my nasal passages. Cherry and raspberry pie filling with detectable glycerol giving sweetness and body but overall was sour and astringent on the finish. Its about as "Burgundian" as I am. Overall evaluation: B-.
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Drinking very nicely now. Reminds me of the pie my mother used to make with a combination of sweet and sour cherries. Beautiful complex fruit here with a hint of earth that reminds more of burgundy than most other cal pinots. Really enjoyed this.
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I did not decant it, which was a minor mistake as the last glass ended up as sludge, but the wine was otherwise quite enjoyable. Deep ruby color. Big bouquet of rose petals, blackberry, raspberry, and red cherries. Ditto the palate, with a dash of oriental spice and cola. Very drinkable now but will hold.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, berries, cherries and a dash of white pepper. Rich flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air or hold another year. Pretty close to peak. I'd lean toward drink with a little air.
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A very good bottle of pinot but not up there with the last time I had this. Cherry with some spice and cinnamon on the nose. Bit more acidity and less fruit this time around though so from maybe these are starting to fade a bit.
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FINALLY! After years of under-performance, a Southing that comes through! Not sure if this had anything to do with it but, prior to uncorking tonight, I pulled two glasses from the bottle over the past four weeks with the Coravin.
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This wine seemed to be rounding out perfectly. Heavy red berry reduction with nice baking spices. I think this wine has some time left and i would recommend waiting maybe 1 or 2 years more and then consume, or decant for an hour
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Very nice. Seems like sweet spot for my Pinot consumptionis 7 years from vintage. This has very nice red ccherry flavors. Well balanced with great mouth feel.
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clear, dark bright, color break to rim at meniscus. no stain of tears. ripe fruit; tart. crisp cherries, some dark, cranberries, baked, black/green tea, cardamom, allspice, baking spices, forest floor, limestone.excellent quality, moderate plus complexity and length. new world, moderate climate. drinking well now
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This wine has transformed from to a very elegant wine. Not as fruity but more subtle and very enjoyable over the course of the evening. I wouldn't really let it go much longer.
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What a stunning vintage for Sea Smoke Southing! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on an ethereal finish.
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My last bottle. Drank this with my cousin at his 60th birthday party. Slo-ox'd for 40 minutes. Clear-ish color. Cherries. Smooth. Elegant. Really enjoyable. The wine was opening up after 75 minutes. 92 pushing 93 points. It took longer to finish this bottle than the meaty '06 Tensley Colson Canyon syrah (see CT note). Enjoyed the wine with rack of lamb.
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Best bottle of this to date. Big, rich, full, unctuous, voluptuous and delicious wine. A big boy that is maturing and coming into its own. Very impressive juice.
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Light subtle cherry nose. Very heavy cherry cola. Very much a modern Cali Pinot. Not a slouch. Very light green pepper behind the scenes. Cocktail wine...food not required. Little harsh on the after taste
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Deep ruby color with slight bricking edges. Some cellar time has really helped y his along. Earth and spice on the nose, with bold dark cherry, vanilla and pepper on the palate. Big wine with great balance.
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Bright purple color. Strawberry and sour cherry on the palate with just a touch of smokiness. Drinking very well now. Purchased for an engagement celebration in South Carolina.
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Another great bottle. Fresh scents -- pine, asphalt after rain, bright cherry and raspberry, hint of cola. Freshness carries through to the palate, with raspberry, juicy black cherry, and hard candy, with a nice cut and a mineral spine. Long finish.
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Earthy tones, mineral, and cherry flavors nicely blend to make a full-bodied pinot that is not overpowering. Great with food, but also beautiful to drink by itself.
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Clear ruby - almost brilliant. Complex briary, brambly nose. Stems, red fruit on the nose - with a hint of heat. Big burst of red berry flavor on the palate. Great acidity. Long, complex finish. Very, very pretty wine.
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A "wow" wine. Nose offers a complex melange of black cherry, rhubarb, baking spice, clove, and pie crust. All the action is on the palate -- voluptuous and vivacious black cherry and wild berry, with rich notes of baking spice and some mineral cut across the mid-palate. Long finish -- stil tasting the wine a good 90 seconds after a sip. Perfectly balanced -- loads of fruit, but with a nice spine of acidity and some soft tannin to round things out. A splendid effort. Makes me regret that I stopped buying after the '08 vintage.
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Bright black cherry color. Aromatic, floral nose reminiscent of rose petals. Lots of sour cherry on the palate with a hint of toast. A bit acidic but still my style of pinot noir.
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Drinking very well. Hard to beat for California Pinot. Balance, plush with a solid structure and good acidity. Great fruit. Enjoyable with and without food.
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Very faint bricking around the edges but I had to look for it. Fascinating aromas, mouth watering mild cherry and faint toast. Cherry flavor and tree bark. Medium plus finish. Drinking great right now and will go for the long haul. Only one bottle left, wish I had purchased more but it climbed out of my price comfort zone.
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Same as our notes from 10/31/2013. This Pinot Noir is the definition of elegance and finesse. One of the best PN we have had all year. Drank now if you like your Pinots a bit more youthful or over the next few years to bring out more earthy components.
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A spectacular bottle! Classic Sea Smoke! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on a tasty finish.
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After sitting in the cellar finally got to drinking this. Wow! Wine has fully developed in the bottle, dark in color for a Pinot. Wonderful nose of complexity and the mouth is full of layers- blue fruit, balanced acidity and a medium finish make this a top pinot
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This wine was about average and consistent with my last note about a month ago, but after being in the bottle for 4 days, is one of the best Sea Smoke's I've ever had. Head and shoulders above the disappointing 2007, which i am still hoping will come around. The fruit and acidity are right on, and the pinot fruit which to my taste is on the bitter side, has emerged with force. that is what was missing in my earlier taste and it took several days for it to show. I am impressed with this wine, and didn't realize I had opened two so close together. Intense flavors on back and sides of tongue.Deep burgundy and lighter at the edges. Hope to try again in 5 years. I am in the CT drinking window and note other bottles users consumed recently indicate close to peak.
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It has arrived and is drinking very well. No need to wait any longer. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Headline: decant, decant, decant. Candor requires that I present two notes here, the PnP from last night, which I had originally posted, and the last-glass-sitting-for-12-hours-in-open-bottle note from this morning ...
Popped and poured: 86 points. Our last bottle of sea smoke from our six years on that list. Tagged along until I could no longer afford it. And now: good riddance.
A sci-fi caricature of wine. noisy, manipulated, and out of whack. The flavor profile of the early Prisoners but mangled with sharp edges. Almost abrasive. The botella was always better than the southing anyway. Decant.
~~~~ 12 hours later, thought I'd try that last glass out of the bottle that was open all night and ...
92 points! Incredible mouth-watering bouquet leads to layered complexity with tangy fruit, hard candy, herbs, carpaccio and gasoline. A little sick and gushing but in other ways a daring and exciting wine.
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This has transformed to be a wine of exceptional balance and harmony. The aromas and flavors are the same as when last tasted on 4/5/2013: red and black cherry, strawberry, basil and cinnamon. Initially, there were hints of mint but this seemed to blow off after a while. Also, as the wine warmed there was a component of earthiness on the nose. A rich and velvety feeling in the mouth. A very nice finish. No heat on the back palate this time. It has time left, I do not believe it can get much better than it is now.
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Good solid pull on the cork, satined magenta, no infiltration. Very little bouquet. Very bright and somewhat light on taste on opening...but did it get me tipsy1 First time this occurred for a Sea smoke to this level. Shared with my wife. Next day, improved, more flavor, bright cherry. Needs a good several hours for the full appreciation or a decent decant. Recommended. should continue to age 5 years tops.
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Might be the best Southing I have ever had. Still tannic, but the fruit and acid came together to be much more elegant than I normally get from this bottling.
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Great red fruit profile. Not overly complex but very well balanced. Did not have the heat I would have guessed in the mid palate or finish. Excellent effort.
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One of two Turkey Day wines. The last of 5 bottles, it made a nice pairing with the turkey. Bright cherry fruit, balanced acidity, and softened tannins indicating its maturity. Certainly not past its prime, but this was a reasonable time to finish it up if you favor your California Pinot more on the youthful side of the aging curve.
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Very good wine; among the best Sea Smoke's I've had (which have ranged from outstanding to disappointing). Drinking very well right now, with everything working together harmoniously.
Color: Light lavender-pink-tinted red. Clear throughout. Medium (and slow) legs. Nose: Really nice. Sandalwood, crushed granite, bright cherries. Dusty. Can almost smell hints of a beach bonfire here. Small bit of candied ginger. Taste: Mmmm. Pretty acidic on the attack, with tart cherries. Rounds out into more cherries (less tart), pitted fruits (somewhere between plums and apricots), and cola; nice and dry throughout with very well integrated tannins. A little bit of almost salty dust, which goes quite well. Pretty refined for a California pinot - this is halfway to being Burgundian. Lots of cola on the finish, which lasts a decently long time (15+ seconds).
One of the better Sea Smoke's I've had, really. Everything is working well together, and this is really, really nice. No need to hold these any longer, they're drinking very, very well right now. 92-94 points.
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One of the nicest Southing's I have enjoyed in recent memory. Beautiful aromas of dark fruit, ripe plum and sandalwood. Excellent mouth feel and seamless entry with great length. Not overly complex but certainly well integrated at this point and drinking very nicely.
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Took to Craft LA. Stunning bottle of wine which ranks as my favorite pinot to date. Nose was huge with cherry, spice, and floral notes. Palate showed huge fruit with cherry and pomegranite but was nicely balanced with many things going on. Thought it even showed some chocolate notes which is a bit odd for a pinot but everything worked so well here.
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Opened two bottles this afternoon at 3:00 pm ahead of a dinner party for seven--five wine drinkers. Serving grilled flank and tri-tip steak--take your pick. Opened a 2010 Beringer private reserve chard and a 2008 Solomon Hills Ojai Chard for the white wine guzzlers. One of the guests put ice cubes in the Beringer to dilute the alcohol. Poured the first bottle of the Southing for five drinkers at the dinner table. With the change in winemaker, I have had some questions about this wine, which formerly had cult status. I must say, however, that the first two bottles were excellent--comparable to Burgundies at twice or more the price. Plenty of sweet blueberry fruit with a marvelous balance of mellow tannin and acidity. Medium long, pleasurable finish. Opened my third and final bottle and poured each glass through an aerator. Even with aeration, the wine needed time to open. This seemed to matter less to my well lubricated guests than to me. With time, this bottle equaled the first two, though if you really want this at its best, I think that it benefits from a three hour decant. With the Southing gone and nobody showing a desire to depart, I opened a 2008 Ten and poured it through the aerator. I explained the difference and watched the bottle disappear in twenty minutes. The Ten was like a Southing on steroids. No meaningful notes taken, but what can you expect after two bourbons and five glasses of wine. Glad I didn't have to drive home. All in all, a very enjoyable evening enhanced by a wine that all appreciated and drank without reservation.
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Very nice pinot that opened up considerably after about ninety minutes. Solid fruit with nice balance. Alcohol and slightly harsh finish mellowed considerably with some air. Not tremendously complex, but interesting.
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Tasted this side by side with 08 DuMol Pinot. While I enjoy the Sea Smoke, the DuMol had more flavor on the nose and on the palette, and finished with more finesse.
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Popped and poured. Great nose, but a little shy on the finish. Good red fruit on the mid-palate. Had some more after an hour or so and thought it tasted about the same.
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Sea Smoke has always been hit or miss to me. Sometimes I have had it and really liked it. Other times not so much. Luckily tonight was one of the nights it was on. This was much lighter than the other Pinot's we had tonight, containing more elegant fruit flavors. Lot of red fruits and drinking very well right now, especially considering it was basically a pop and pour.
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Color is translucent and garnet with violet hues and nice clarity. Nose has floral notes with raspberries red licorice cherries and sweet spices. Tastes are sweet raspberry, sour cherry, but ripe fruit with soft black pepper notes, cherry licorice, raspberry tea, and black olive. The tannins are integrated and soft and the finish is lengthy with soft acidity as well. This is a delicious and elegant Pinot Noir.
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I am on the other side of the fence on this one. Decanted for an hour. This was just a complete hot mess. Not even rating it. I am hoping for a miraculous turnaround on my last bottle. This didn't even taste like pinot. It was just overripe candied juice. I hope this is just in a dumb phase right now. I will wait a few years and watch others tasting notes to see how this develops.
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- Garnet color - This has a lot of Syrah or some other varietal in it. I think Sea Smoke is extremely overrated and thus the reason I stopped buying this wine with this vintage.
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Drank this delicious wine at Cedar in Washington DC. It's a nice dark purple color. You wouldn't say this is a clear Oregon pinot. Some fruit that didn't hit you over the head. An elegant wine that's drinking well now. The wine went well with my salmon. I'll save my other bottle for 2014/15.
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A medium ruby color. Aromas and flavors of red and black cherry, strawberry, earthiness, basil, and cinnamon. I did not get the mint, as I did when last tasting this wine a little over a year ago. The nose and flavors seem to be in harmony this time. Fairly intense fruit concentration. Good balance and structure. A nice finish, except for a very slight touch of heat on the back palate.
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Made in the booming fruit forward California style to be sure, but full of delicious ripe fruit that has plenty of acidity to balance it. Aside from a touch of heat, it has great flavor, balance, and structure. Unless you are approaching this wine from the perspective of a different preferred style and set of expecations, it is kind of impossible not to like. Also a crowd pleaser.
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Popped and poured. Nose of black cherry, plum, baking spice, vaninlla, cranberry. On the palate, black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla, black raspberry. Finishes very tart with a little bit of tannic grip. Very restrained compared to previous Southings.
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Very smooth drinking PN. Light to medium body with subdued cherry and strawberry flavor. Drinking well right now but should last a Federico years. Although not sure it will result in significant improvement
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Ton of acidity and a lot of fruit. Nice nose with more fruit than typical Pinot. Long finish. The acidity dominates the wine, so will cause some to love and others to hate. Raspberries. Touch bigger than most quality Cali Pinot Noir, though still smooth.
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It's the texture, balance, and depth of flavors that recommend this bottle. The fruits and oak could be found in any one of a number of top California bottlings. It is silk on the palate, with just perfect acid. Wow.
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Soft inviting youthful nose with fragrance of nutmeg and strawberries; while this wine is moving towards a more balanced state, palate is still fruit forward with nice cinnamon spice; lovely lingering finish of berries and baking spice. Pleasant now but would do well with two or three years.
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Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of blueberries, black berries, raspberries and a bit of dust. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
- Garnet color. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry, black currant and smokey with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - This is one of my favorite bottles of Pinot. Sea Smoke is a very appropriate name. Wonderful nose, well balanced and enjoyable right now. Tough wine to find to say the least. Loaded with berries.
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My first bottle of this, and was very pleasantly surprised. Lovely, perfumed nose of cherry and wild berry counterbalanced by notes of wet rock, lavender, and flowers. On the palate, juicy wild berries intermixed with a hint of baking spices. Vibrant with good cut, and a long finish. Well made -- big but not overwhelming. (I have to say, I am surprised by the notes of others claiming this wine "lacks fruit" or is "fading". To me, it's got loads of fruit, and is right on the edge of too much. Others must really like their pinots to be enormous! Vive la difference.)
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This was my first Sea Smoke and I was not disappointed. Red cherry on the nose with hints earthy spice. On the palate the tannin's were well integrated and soft.
The taste was consistent with the nose containing those fresh red cherries, earth and light strawberries. Decent finish but a tad sour at the end.
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This was our first Sea Smoke pinot...we have enjoyed lots of pinots over the years. This was splendid! Great on the first day and just as good on day 2. Lots of spice, berries and some cedar. Enjoy!!
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Developing nicely, balanced and great acidity to accompany a veal dinner...guess I was expecting a bit more fruit...but not bad but not in the top catagory of pinots.....seems like "Jayartee's" notes are same as mine.
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Cherry, roses and earth on the nose. Cherries on the palette, seemed one dimensional and a bit flabby to me. Long finish. Consistent with my previous bottles of the 08. Good but not as good as I wanted it to be.
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Last tasted about 2 years ago. It's really come around nicely in that time and seems to be ready to enjoy with about an hour of decanting. Wonderful deep red berry flavors and a softening texture with a very nice finish.
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Mmurry has put it very well,so I'll borrow his words "Cherry and forest floor on the nose, with cranberry and spice. Cherry and cranberry on the palate, with earth and spice at the end" I'll add that it has plenty of life ahead of it and it got better over the three days it was consumed. I was expecting a fruit bomb, bomb I found it was very much in balance albeit a larger styled pinot. Very good!
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A little bitter, maybe draining fruit? The bones are there, whispers of glorious Cali grapes, but less satisfying on the finish. Lacking the "wow" I normally get from SS.
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Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of white pepper, lacquer, black berries and potpourri. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries. Light to medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold.
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Opened not decanted. Earthy nose with cherry notes; dry spice attack on the entry; dark cherry notes in the middle with some viscosity and fattiness; showing some heat on the finish. Good +
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- Ruby color. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry, strawberry jam and prune with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Ruby red in color. Drinking beautifully right now. Now a huge Pinot lover, but this is very good juice. Berries galore, predominately strawberries.
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A damned tasty drink. Thought it's sweet and wholly accessible, it's hard to find fault here. Some tartness, beautiful cherry and strawberry, a touch of creaminess. Beautiful, really.
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Cherries, raspberries, and a hint of strawberries, with a full body, and a medium + herbal finish. Paired with salmon, halibut, and mushroom risotto. Seems to be right in its peak drinking window right now.
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A lovely pinot, consumed over the course of 3 hours (in decanter) and paired well with coq au vin. Raspberry/pomegranate color. Slight oak, berry fruit, herbs on the nose. On the palate, red and black berries with herbs, turned soil, a hint of anise, spice box and vanilla. A real pleasure to drink but with the fair amount of acid and the concentration this exhibits I'm going to bet this will really sing in another 3 years. Balanced - Jessica even liked it (but not as much as the '07 Kosta Brown RRV - the KB was more overtly fruit driven)! After 3.5 hours this is certainly more silky than earlier. 14.5% abv; natural cork.
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This wine was fantastic. Don't know why you would want to wait on this, its drinking so well. Elegant fruit envelopes the palate. Just a touch of Cinnamon in the background. Smooth long finish.
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We drank this with turkey stew on 3/26/12. It had a strong, ripe and elegant bouquet of, sassafras, raspberry, boysenberry, cherry and baking spice aromas. The palate was smooth balanced and tasty with flavors of raspberry, cranberry, cherry, baking spice.
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A very dark ruby color; almost opaque. Initial aromas of earthiness and forest floor. But, this blows off, leaving delightful aromas of black cherry, strawberry, a touch of blackberry, basil, cinnamon and mint. Nice fruit concentration, but not fully in sync with what you would expect from the nose. Still, the wine is both delicate and elegant in the mouth. A nice velvety finish; no heat. Quite enjoyable. Score 92-93. Later: while eating I noticed a touch of heat on the back palate.
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Friday at Home 08 California Pinot Noir: Considerably more heft than the Botella bottling. Mostly dark fruit framed in subtle oak with some spice notes. Med bodied. Nice, but I think I'm on the verge of foregoing future Sea Smoke purchases. There seems to be alot of other wines out there with a much better qpr.
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Consistent with prior notes. Southing is controversial - you like it or you don't. We do. Great fruit (cherry, blueberry), vanilla and old world style funk. Crisp and well integrated. If scoring 92-93.
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Full bodied with spiced cherry flavors. There is a subtle bit of funk underlying this which gives it some Pinot varietal street cred. Well balanced with a nice level of tense acidity and fine tannins to counter the rich fruit. Nice stuff, drinking well tonight.
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Still young but has a great balance and a lovely fruit component with red berries, a whiff of blueberry(!) and soft rainy forest floor. Tannins are present but sandy and rather well-integrated as is the oak which was a bit more loud speaking when I tasted this effort last time in 2010. Overall impression is very positive with integration as the keyword.
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Initial aroma of cranberries then fresh baked blueberry pie. Much the same on the palate with an additional hint of minerality running through it. Rather full bodied for a pinot but delicious! 92 pts.
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Decanted for two hours before serving with pistachio crusted rack of lamb. Very elegant...the decanting helped a lot as young Sea Smokes can be a bit harsh right out of the bottle. Silky tannins...full mouthfeel, Worked very well with the lamb.
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Opened not decanted. Consumed over an 2 hours at a friends house. For some reason, I thought I've had this vintage before and can't find any notes. Weird. Seems to be entering it's drinking window for me. Still tastes a tad young but smooths out with air. Very dark and inky, with dark tastes of black cherry and black fruit notes with a hint of syrup. Medium plus body weight and ends with a semi-dry finish with a bit of heat. Good+
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Dark cherry and black fruit on nose, light and silky, standard Sea Smoke texture on the midpalate with dark cherry, subtle pepper and spice, blackberry and slight oak on the finish
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Big Central-Coast Pinot with dark cherries. Subtle pepper blended with cedar. Delicious with spinach salad and duck confit. Hard to find but often reasonably priced.
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Red in color. Scents of plum, black cherry and a little oak. Tastes of plum, black cherry and a little bit of spice, with structure and grip on the palate.
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This drew raves from the crowd. Pop and pour. Dark in color. Big nose. Rich on the palate, nicely balanced. Finishes moderately long. Sea Smoke always delivers.
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Popped and poured. Nose of black cherry, plum, baking spice, vaninlla, cranberry. On the palate, black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla, black raspberry. Finishes very tart with a little bit of tannic grip.
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Tasted of oaky, spiced plum. Nice tannin structure and grip on the palate, but coming one night after a Clos Pepe Estate, I couldn't help the feeling that this Sea Smoke just feels out of balance. The fruit feels a bit masked, here. Probably needs a couple years to unwind, and guests drank this up so quickly I couldn't get a full sense of its development.
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I'll defer to next time assuming this just needed more air/time or given it followed a big Alsatian wine it didn't show well, but very little fruit and a lot of tar and rubber. B+?
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Dark and red candied fruit with a pronounced floral(violets perhaps) element in the aroma. Fairly masculine and full bodied in style with brambly undertones. Quite nice.
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Dark garnet. Smoky, spicy nose. Full bodied Pinot Noir. Fleshy, juicy mid palate with black and red fruit. This transitions to the back of the palate with a competing series of flavors from smoky fig/date to tart bing cherry. Hard to describe, but very nice. Good tannic grip with a long brooding finish.
Bottle variation anyone? This was delicious, but I've had other bottles this year which are close to undrinkable. Hope my future ones are like this.
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Color- Bright ruby N- Cherry, musk, forest floor T- Medium bodied, moderate tannins, good acidity, cherry, cola and earthiness. Good finish. Not sure this will be long lasting but very good.
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Unable to take detailed notes but obvious characteristics are dark cherry fruit and spice. Still young and broading. I prefer more age, hold until 2013
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Dried Cranberries and cherries. I LOVE the way this wine builds and builds. Not very impressive when popped and poured but after half hour, layered ripe fruit exposed itself. Yumbo---
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Decanted for about an hour. Consumed over another hour. During the decant very strong flavors of candied cherry. On the nose, cherries and spice box. Rich tart black cherries on the palate with spice and a bit of cola. Showing well now, but has additional potential.
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nose: tight but very good nose of dark red cherries, spice tones, strawberries, and tones of dark red fruits. Good depth with tart fruit on the nose, but not too rich
taste: medium/full bodied with balanced and dark tones of raspberries, dark red cherries, dark spices, dark red fruits and some bits of cola tones as well
overall: This was decanted for about 2 1/2 hrs and it took another hour to open up. Young, but extremely good right now. This could still use a few years to fully round into form
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Decanted an hour, drank over 90 minutes. Still very young but already showing well. Very dark in the glass for a Pinot. Considerably darker than the Burgundy we drank with it. Bid and bold nose of red stone fruit. More of the same in the mouth with a nice depth of flavors and a touch of heat. Smooth finish. Will hold other bottles for a couple more years before trying again.
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Dark garnet. The nose shows red fruit and baking spices. Full bodied Pinot Noir. Good intensity. As with many young Sea Smoke wines, the fruit masks the structure. This is a blast of cherry cola. Very monolithic. It has some yum factor, but also shows plenty of heat on the finish. Good length.
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Big, dark, black cherries nose with a bit of baking spice. Dark and brooding on the palate without feeling overdone. Very nice feel in the mouth. Long, smooth finish. Liked it a lot.
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No time to decant. Classic Pinot nose with forest floor. Delicate and light on the palette with a little blackberry on the aftertaste. No perceptible acidity. I would agree that more time in the cellar would benefit this wine.
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Not terribly impressed with the Sea Smoke wines I've tasted. There was a high production quality which you could easily see, but it had very light body and very delicate flavors. Seems hard to compare to other Cali Pinots of equal quality though. The power is simply not there, but that could really be a personal taste thing...
Opened and decanted for an hour and a half, still very closed. Next day was a different wine and very promising. Nice fruits and integrated tannins. A more restrained style than I was expecting, however. My advice is to be patient - this needs much more time in cellar.
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Opened and decanted 90 minutes. Dense ruby to the edge; nose showing a lot of black cherry, lighter blueberry & strawberry notes woven in, a nice spicy note and hints of flowers. The nose followed through on the palate - lots of black cherry & dark berry with the flowery notes really showing and a wonderful lingering spice - cloves & w a little vanilla mixed in. A lot of structure, big but well integrated tannins - a young wine that i will decant even longer next time - there is a lot of complexity here that needs time & air to really show. I notices some alcohol showing when i was decanting but it was not evident at all after 90 minutes in the decanter.
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This was stunning tonight. Intriguing nose of butterscotch, grapefruit and sour cherries. Remarkable freshness on the palate, with strawberry, cola and more citrus notes. We found this to be totally approachable and balanced, with a silky-smooth-yet-full mouth feel. Not a rough edge anywhere. Must have opened one of those special bottles where everything is firing on all cylinders. :)
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Overall feel was "pretty" yet weighty with a fruit-forward initial attack that mellowed in the mid-palate.
On the palate, plums, strawberry, and black fruit. The mid-palate was dominated by floral characteristics (rose water?), extremely balanced with no bitterness present to speak of, and a finish that lasted 15 to 30 seconds. Some fruit acid was noticeable yet pleasantly integrated unlike some colder climate Pinots.
I consider this wine a bargain in the CA Pinot marketplace.
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Popped and poured at The Palm. Deep ruby, more opaque than most Pinots, fragrant dark fruit nose. Smooth, complex, but fades on the back end. Very nice.
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This wine shows a lot of promise and is well put together. At this stage of its development it felt a bit simple and almost in a dumb phase. Dark ruby in colour and after slow-ox'ing for about 2 hours was showing a slightly tight nose of dark fruit, some floral tones with a touch of cherry and cola. The palate showed some young black cherry (not too sweet), blueberry and a little clove. The mouthfeel is what made this wine interesting, with a nice weight to it. This weight didn't seem "typical" of pinot but I enjoyed it anyways. The smooth tannins and vibrant acidity were easy to drink now but show it has the stuffing to lay down for quite awhile. The finish was decent and showed a touch of baking spice.
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Popped and decanted tonight off of a restaurant wine list with friends at Zinc. Ruby color in the decanter, and not looking as dark as Southings of the past, but it might have been the lighting in the restaurant.
Youthful nose with some alcohol definitely prevelant. Lots of dark berries, raspberry, black cherry, a ton of strawberry, and some anise, clove, cranberry. Over the course of 2 hours, the alcohol started to blow off.
On the palate, this seems to be the lightest, Sea Smoke I have seen in many vintages. This could however also be attributed to the fact that I haven't drank one of these this young in many of vintages.
More strawberry on the palate, but I also picked up some tight, sour cranberry as well. The wine was definitely tight, but also seemed a bit thin compared to others. Nice acidity, and definitely some alcohol on the palate to show it's youth, but again, less than in years past. What was shocking to me was how the oak in this wine really seemed to be dialed back. I don't know if this is a stylistic quality of Don's, I don't think it is a bad thing for those who consume this in it's youth.
The heat again on this wine wasn't as strong as I considered it to be on the finish, and that was shocking. I also didn't get that "Santa Rita soil" on the nose or the palate that I am very fond of, so who knows. Typically, I open this and decant them at cellar temp, and this seemed a bit warm to me.
All in all, I was shocked at how approachable this wine was from the get go. Not sure if that is Don's intention or not, but in the past I have really liked these wines with age. Overall, too early to give this wine a score, but I am happy to have an even 10 of these in the cellar as well as a mag. Cheers!
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Not a great showing for Sea Smoke. Tasted when open, all the way to 1 hour after. Think it may need a lot more decanting or this is just not their best effort. I plan to let it sit for a while.
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Excellent pinot! Dark ruby color with a nose of dark berries and earth opens up to a palate of well balanced fruit (black cherries and blueberries), a bit of clove, a slight tartness/acidity, and a really smooth medium finish with very fine tannins. Tasted next to a Willamette '06 Pinot, and the complexity of the Sea Smoke really shined. Consistent notes the second night, but with a little softer fruit on the palate...
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Outstanding bottle of Pinot. Decanted for 1 hour. Had alongside the 2007. A very feminine and pretty wine compared to the 2007. Excellent fruit on the palate: cherry, raspberry and cranberry / craisin with notes of flowers, pie crust and earth. Great acidity (citrusy?), excellent balance, silky tannins. I really enjoyed this.
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Opened and poured, this showed in an accessible, rich style that displays aromatics of black cherry, oak, vanilla, floral and spice notes. The color is a youthful dark ruby. The medium to slightly full bodied palate shows good and balance and length. The wine displays its richness on the palate and tannins make an appearance on the finish where the acidity remains in the background. This provided enjoyment now and could benefit from an additional year or two of bottle age.
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Impression only, not great for me, too heavy and for lack of a better word, "overdone". Drank alongside an 08 Botella, the Botella was clearly my preferrable bottle, cleaner fruit, less wood, etc. The Southing however is a big wine and may improve with more time. YMMV but for me, not worth drinking now.
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Trying one out to see what the vintage looks like. Decanted for about 2hrs. Wow, great out of the gates and while big and modern in style, undeniably pure fruit and beautiful structure. Certainly open for business right now and it will be hard to keep myself from opening the others right now. Structure shows sign that it might last for quite awhile though.
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Decanted about 2 1/2 hours. Dark and bright on the nose, the cranberry aromas really pop out. With underlying hints of mushroom and spice, there's a certain coyness to everything, and that's what really gives a lift to the fruit. The palate is all about the acid and tannins. The acid is really heavy, almost to the point of overpowering. The tannins are sweet and firm. Here the fruit, earth, and spice are pretty evenly integrated, and dance back and forth all the way through the long finish.
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Fresh raspberry nose. The pallet is very smooth with pleasant fruit flavors, but a slight bite. I Decanted for over an hour but it didn't open up as I hoped. It is a super wine, but I liked the 2007 better.
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Typical Cali Pinot nose - clean, dark fruit with some cherry notes. Delicious, sweet fruit with nice acidity. Perhaps lacking in complexity, but nevertheless, a very good, clean drink. Will probably benefit from some age?
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NYE night.... 2 hour decant. We were drinking some Bordeaux wines before we got to this Pinot, so the flavors were very sweet. Maybe a little too sweet at the time, but this will be fantastic in 5 yrs. I will put the remaining bottles to sleep.
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One More Time: This was the second time that I got to taste this wine in the last 2 weeks. This is really excellent Pinot. These sure are approachable right now! Haven't tasted any of the other bottlings from 08 yet, but others said that they were even better than this.
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Dark ruby red. Raspberry, smokey spices and cedar aroma. Bright raspberry & strawberry w/a touch of crisp acidity well balanced w/silky smooth tannins. Long, slightly mouth drying finish indicative of a wine that has many more years to evolve.
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Beautiful cranberry hue in color. Nose of lilac, clove and unmistakable blood orange. Texture is gorgeous and silky smooth Palate is covered in the blood orange and a few more baking spices. Finish has a little heat at the moment, but I expected that. I wanted a starting point with this wine and it didn’t disappoint in any aspect so far. Other bottles will lay down for a few more years.
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Very dark. Medium bodied. Outstanding tannis. Rich with subtle fruit and spice flavors, with a sophisticated earthy backdrop. Sharpens significantly at the mid-palate, followed with an excellent, robust finish. Two years will mature this outstanding wine into something really special.
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To think, this will only get better with some age. Our Christmas pick of the litter. Loved by all. Beautiful underripe cherry. Great balance and acidity.
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Had an awkward phase when popped, but that disappeared after about 2 hours of decanting. The nose reveals notes of cinnamon and other baking spices, cranberry, blackberry and vanilla.
Neither the nose nor palate shows any trace of heat, which was a really nice surprise. On the palate, this is light- to medium-bodied with a decent finish, showing just-ripened red fruits.
A really nice wine, but didn't blow my mind.
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Baby killing yadda yadda. Nose is very bright with raspberries and strawberries. Some oak. The palate also shows some oak and some ripe red berries. The salient thing in this wine is the acid. I felt like the fruit was more restrained than in years past and the acid level turned up a notch. While I tend to prefer riper styles, this was done in a way that I found pleasing. Needs time obviously but a good combination of flavors, happy to have more.
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Friends brought this to our 12/12/10 duck dinner. It had a terrific, ripe bouquet of cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, baking spice, barnyard, sassafras and vanilla aromas. The palate was smooth and balanced with great acidity and flavors that followed the nose. It will develop beautifully with some cellar time.
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PnP'd @ room temp 2 days post-arrival. I know: "INFANTICIDE"...Still, no regrets here. Extremely dark, but not opaque, with a clear ruby hue. Medium bodied. Pretty cranberry funk & a bit of oak show through on the nose...both of which blow off with air. Bursts upon entry with ripe, sweet red-raspberry & strawberry, then shows more than enough acidity & fine-grained tannins to sharpen things up through the midpalate & finish. Remains quite sweet throughout, but not unpleasantly so. Does the New World "Fruit Bombish" thing very well. [14.5% abv.; $63.00]. Postscipt: became unrecognizably flat w/i 24 hours at room temp, i.e., from "acid" to "flacid" in a day. So, either drink the entire bottle in one evening, or vacuum & refridgerate.
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A massive but pleasant effort, the 2008 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir reminds me a bit about a Bourgogne Grand Cru revealing a formidable attack of blueberries, violets - and oak. The latter is not fully integrated today, but my guess is cellaring will help this "problem". Very nice acidity. Score is 92-93. Highly recommended.
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Let air for 6 hours. Way too young at this point. Needs at least 2-3 years. Big bold fruit but oak and tannins were not well integrated at this point. Nose was still closed down as well. Did not compare favorably in a vertical with the '05, '06, and '07.
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Closed aromatically at his point even after epic decanting. But on the palate this wine really delivers. Primary fruit at this point but mushroomy earth is lurking in the background. Fabulous wine.
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Beautiful nose of black cherry and spices. Powerfully bodied. Deeply layered black and blueberries, with hint of anise. Finish that stays with you. Always a lovely wine.
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Glad I have 5 left. Decanted for 2 hours very fruity, in your face California Pinot. Great berries and jams. Needs some lay down time but should be good for years to come.
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Decanted for a couple hours. Obviously young but in comparison to recent vintages, this reminds me of the 04. Seems to be just a touch lighter but still shows a nice combination of tart black cherry, some spice and just a touch of oak towards the long finish. Airtime softens everything out a bit. I found that the 07 showed a bit of heat on the back end but that wasn't apparent with this 08. Nicely balanced and overall, probably one of the better vintages I've had. Now, the rest can hopefully sleep for a couple years.
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8/18/2023 - Rebel_wines wrote: 92 Points
A little past it’s prime, but still delicious. Aromas of leather and smoked meats. Not very fruity anymore, but retains floral notes. ++finish.
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5/7/2022 - bdhanna Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is still tasting extremely good right now !! At Peak !!
The cork was nearly perfect after over a decade in the bottle. This is a balanced Pinot Noir that I consumed over two days. Deep ruby color with no oxidation, clarity medium. Aromas of pomegranate and rose hips, flavors of red fruit compote, rhubarb, and marine soil with a pleasant medium to long finish. Popped and poured, this wine really benefited from gentle oxygen since it was much more soft and integrated on day two. Great fruit with firm acidity made into a very balanced Pinot Noir from the Seasmoke Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County by the cool Pacific Ocean along the San Ynez River canyon. Great winemaking making this Pinot Noir is an age worthy wine and has many more years of life left. I have no more bottles of this vintage remaining in my cellar.
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3/11/2022 - davudvl wrote: 89 Points
Hmm. I liked this one less than the previous 2 bottles. Probably over the hill?
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11/13/2021 - Ex-Ray wrote: 88 Points
Light color, translucent. Light, pleasant aroma but without distinguishing characteristic of pinot...thought it might be grenache. Medium fruit but not very concentrated. Medium aftertaste. Very nice, but I think it is beyond its plateau.
Ric
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10/1/2021 - Olivia_ct Likes this wine: 94 Points
Powerful and flavorful on the nose and palate. Tastes amazing after 13 years! Mature fruits, earthy notes, hint of vanilla, smooth tanins. Beautiful pinot.
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5/8/2021 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
(Magnum). No specific notes as this was at dinner. Took around 30 mins to open up and the dried fruit and funk blew off giving way to dark blueberry, cedar and smoke. Delicious. At peak drink ASAP
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1/17/2021 - davudvl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine. Smooth and delicate.
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10/22/2020 - nymetz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle took a few hours of breathing to open up once it did was beautifully smooth and soft with plenty of depth and fruit left. Really and nice and mouthwatering pinot from a great winery.
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10/17/2020 - yjall wrote:
drank with Heejung.
Very well balanced, mature, with soft tanin and earth.
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6/20/2020 - davudvl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well after 12 years.
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6/17/2020 - SWatson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking pretty well.
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2/22/2020 - wadcorp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was worried, as we’ve pushed this past the recommended drinking window. Shouldn’t have been concerned. Drinking well. Much more nuanced than the first bottle we had back around 2011. Nice earthiness. Some initial white pepper that dissipates quickly. Notes of currant & cranberry. As others have noted, drink up. Not likely to get better.
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9/27/2019 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 92 Points
We opened this magnum last night to share with several close friends at our home. It was drinking quite well with plenty of earth and a autumn, rustic, cranberry. Still seems like it could go longer in the cellar but probably not going to improve so enjoy now!
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5/26/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
A Few Wines with BBQ (Chez Whitehead - Northbrook IL): Small glass, brief note. This exceeded my expectations, both in terms of its remaining freshness and good overall balance. Mostly black fruit maturing gracefully, with sweet spice and good length.
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5/4/2019 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Dallas CTers visit NYC offline: From magnum. Fully mature and ready to drink. I enjoyed trying this with a bit of age on it, as I think the years have tamed what in its youth can be a bit exuberant and fruit forward. Pretty nose of cherries. On the palate soft red fruit, a touch of sweetness or vanilla bean, and then spice.
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1/10/2019 - 2015 Likes this wine:
With grilled tuna
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12/6/2018 - gprocter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just opened my last bottle and found it very alive with deep berry notes and still a cleansing finish. The wine is very smooth and probably at its peak right now. 2008 was a troubling vintage in CA and this wine is an excellent effort and long-lived example of Seasmoke's talent.
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11/22/2018 - 2015 Likes this wine:
TG dinner
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8/12/2018 - spineguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink up. Window closing.
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6/30/2018 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple days --
This is in a nice place right now. Was way more focused on the company I was keeping than I was the wine, so I have little meaningful to say; that said, this was red-fruited with good acidity, and not too oaky. Just as good, if not better, on Day 2 than on Day 1. Drink now and over the next 5 (to 10?) years. More to my tastes than I was expecting.
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5/26/2018 - brigcampbell wrote:
Yikes, this did not impress tonight. 6 people and didn't finish the bottle. It wasn't flawed, just other more intriguing wines around the table.
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2/20/2018 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 94 Points
Last bottle, absolutely singing. Somewhat surprised as to how this evolved into blockbuster burgundian pinot.
Suspect the 2008 vintage has a lot to do with it. We'll see as we now turn to more recent vintages.
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11/10/2017 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 92 Points
Lively and integrated. Drink up.
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11/4/2017 - 2015 Likes this wine:
With pork loin
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9/17/2017 - dontime Likes this wine:
In a really nice place, but I would't wait much longer.
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9/10/2017 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Lovely as ever... so sad this was our last bottle.
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8/17/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to drink well, but not quite up to the previous bottles.
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5/30/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic Sea Smoke! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on a long tasty finish. Continues to drink beautifully!
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4/28/2017 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Tasty!
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2/27/2017 - jon_goodman1 wrote: 92 Points
well balanced with dark fruits. Drinking very well right now
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2/26/2017 - wicozani Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum, decanted for two hours prior to pairing with seared, oven-finished Atlantic salmon with spicy cherry tomato vinaigrette in honor of my father's 76th birthday. A medium ruby in the glass extending out to thinning edges (no bricking), the nose beckons with a mix of bing and dark cherries, touches of raspberry and anise, and distinctly Asian spices (as opposed to typical baking spices; think Chinese 5-spice powder). Excellent intensity and concentration for a Santa Barbara pinot noir, with very good acidity to match and propel through a long, slightly sour-tinged finish. This was the best CA pinot noir we may have ever had, challenged perhaps only by the 2005 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir Highland Estates Seco Highlands or 2010 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel bottles. Drinking perfectly now and superb!
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2/25/2017 - Vinyljunkee Likes this wine: 92 Points
No time like the present. I do not think this will get any better but it is elegant and refined.
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2/4/2017 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Delicious!
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12/22/2016 - Vitispulmonus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice wine with depth and complexity. Probably will drink well another couple of years.
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12/18/2016 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
No notes. Quite popular with our guests.
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12/12/2016 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Benefitted from a short decant. A very smooth, medium weight presentation of Sta. Rita Hills pinot. Presented red fruits and a touch of spice on the nose. These followed on the palate, with a faint presence of cola, and with sufficient acidity to balance. Consider drinking up as the fruit may be starting to fade.
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12/7/2016 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than the last bottle. Nice nose of cola, brown sugar, spice, sour cherry, and clove. On the palate, lush but not heavy with sour cherry, spice, and cola. Nice balanced finish with a bit of grip. Drink or hold.
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11/26/2016 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Similar notes as last bottle. Enjoyed on Thanksgiving day.
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11/7/2016 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Medium weight. Red and blue fruits. Good acidity.
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9/25/2016 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Nice spicy perfumed nose. Lavender, berries and clove. Weighty pinot in the midpalate with a medium finish.
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9/6/2016 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big pinot that has nice depth on the palate with spiciness and verve. Some cola-like notes in a wine that exhibits both red and blue fruits. A little soft on the finish and would have scored higher with more acidity and backbone.
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9/4/2016 - MLipton wrote:
Not nearly as bad as I'd feared. Recognizable Oinot Noir fruit and a sappy overtone in a larger-framed package. Low in acud but far from goopy.
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8/19/2016 - noofie2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good bottle. Good raspberry cherry fruit. Clean. Still tasting young. Tasted with two other excellent pinots that were a tad better...but this wine was still very good.
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8/6/2016 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
The 2008 is in a nice place right now. Slightly muted fruit that took the better part of a day to emerge. Except for my last 2007 which I had this year, a better vintage.
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6/25/2016 - WineKnurd Does not like this wine: 80 Points
25 June 2016 Tasting at Phredd's: Final Pinot entry before we moved on to the "big reds", courtesy of WaitinginManassas. Jammy red fruit with some synthetic rubber hints which combined with the abv (14.5%) was harsh on my nasal passages. Cherry and raspberry pie filling with detectable glycerol giving sweetness and body but overall was sour and astringent on the finish. Its about as "Burgundian" as I am. Overall evaluation: B-.
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6/22/2016 - JoeDwine wrote: 93 Points
Great bottle best so far.
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6/15/2016 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very nicely now. Reminds me of the pie my mother used to make with a combination of sweet and sour cherries. Beautiful complex fruit here with a hint of earth that reminds more of burgundy than most other cal pinots. Really enjoyed this.
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6/11/2016 - MLwine wrote: 90 Points
Still a bit astringent and alcoholic. Not sure it will improve with age.
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5/28/2016 - CRUSHER Likes this wine: 94 Points
drinking well
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5/14/2016 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
Cherries and raspberries with an earthy core.
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5/12/2016 - ProfBainbridge wrote: 93 Points
I did not decant it, which was a minor mistake as the last glass ended up as sludge, but the wine was otherwise quite enjoyable. Deep ruby color. Big bouquet of rose petals, blackberry, raspberry, and red cherries. Ditto the palate, with a dash of oriental spice and cola. Very drinkable now but will hold.
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5/8/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of flowers, berries, cherries and a dash of white pepper. Rich flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now with a little air or hold another year. Pretty close to peak. I'd lean toward drink with a little air.
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4/24/2016 - yeti575rider wrote: 92 Points
A very good bottle of pinot but not up there with the last time I had this. Cherry with some spice and cinnamon on the nose. Bit more acidity and less fruit this time around though so from maybe these are starting to fade a bit.
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4/23/2016 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
Subtle fruit bursts out of the glass with strawberries and blueberries.
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4/13/2016 - Cellar Baron wrote: 93 Points
FINALLY! After years of under-performance, a Southing that comes through! Not sure if this had anything to do with it but, prior to uncorking tonight, I pulled two glasses from the bottle over the past four weeks with the Coravin.
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3/12/2016 - ScottPreston wrote: 91 Points
This wine seemed to be rounding out perfectly. Heavy red berry reduction with nice baking spices. I think this wine has some time left and i would recommend waiting maybe 1 or 2 years more and then consume, or decant for an hour
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2/20/2016 - adipovino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with prior notes. At peak. Sorry to see this last bottle go. Great Cali pinot.
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1/16/2016 - Tarpon222 wrote: 92 Points
Echo recent comments from others. Lacking fruit but elegant
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1/8/2016 - Don and Pam Likes this wine: 92 Points
a true pleasure to enjoy
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12/19/2015 - joet626 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Seems like sweet spot for my Pinot consumptionis 7 years from vintage. This has very nice red ccherry flavors. Well balanced with great mouth feel.
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12/13/2015 - adipovino wrote: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Fully mature. Red fruits, spice. Great depth and everything in balance.
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12/5/2015 - WineDoctors wrote: 92 Points
clear, dark bright, color break to rim at meniscus. no stain of tears. ripe fruit; tart. crisp cherries, some dark, cranberries, baked, black/green tea, cardamom, allspice, baking spices, forest floor, limestone.excellent quality, moderate plus complexity and length. new world, moderate climate. drinking well now
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11/27/2015 - BSZach1 wrote: 92 Points
This wine has transformed from to a very elegant wine. Not as fruity but more subtle and very enjoyable over the course of the evening. I wouldn't really let it go much longer.
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11/25/2015 - davidsm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice.
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11/14/2015 - Reblin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Continues to drink very well. Smooth, layered red fruit. Subtle spice. Medium finish.
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11/14/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a stunning vintage for Sea Smoke Southing! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on an ethereal finish.
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10/11/2015 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle. Drank this with my cousin at his 60th birthday party. Slo-ox'd for 40 minutes. Clear-ish color. Cherries. Smooth. Elegant. Really enjoyable. The wine was opening up after 75 minutes. 92 pushing 93 points. It took longer to finish this bottle than the meaty '06 Tensley Colson Canyon syrah (see CT note). Enjoyed the wine with rack of lamb.
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8/26/2015 - kgh wrote: 93 Points
Rich texture, with mushroom, earth, red cherry, and mineral notes. Long finish and bright acidic tones make it pair very well with food.
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8/9/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another stunning Sea Smoke!
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7/6/2015 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Best bottle of this to date. Big, rich, full, unctuous, voluptuous and delicious wine. A big boy that is maturing and coming into its own. Very impressive juice.
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6/22/2015 - MystMrQ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich with lovely depth of spice and cherry. Still drinking beautifully now. Best by 2017.
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6/6/2015 - NTR wrote: 92 Points
Light subtle cherry nose. Very heavy cherry cola. Very much a modern Cali Pinot. Not a slouch. Very light green pepper behind the scenes. Cocktail wine...food not required. Little harsh on the after taste
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4/5/2015 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum and in a really good place tonight.
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4/4/2015 - KeithSurg wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby color with slight bricking edges. Some cellar time has really helped y his along. Earth and spice on the nose, with bold dark cherry, vanilla and pepper on the palate. Big wine with great balance.
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4/3/2015 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright purple color. Strawberry and sour cherry on the palate with just a touch of smokiness. Drinking very well now. Purchased for an engagement celebration in South Carolina.
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3/22/2015 - JOJ wrote: 95 Points
Another great bottle. Fresh scents -- pine, asphalt after rain, bright cherry and raspberry, hint of cola. Freshness carries through to the palate, with raspberry, juicy black cherry, and hard candy, with a nice cut and a mineral spine. Long finish.
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3/19/2015 - kgh wrote: 93 Points
Earthy tones, mineral, and cherry flavors nicely blend to make a full-bodied pinot that is not overpowering. Great with food, but also beautiful to drink by itself.
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3/6/2015 - matthewmallon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dusty cherry flavors. Nice Earth tones and a well balanced acidity to pull the wine through to a solid finish. Maybe a hint of baking spice.
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3/2/2015 - WestJohnson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear ruby - almost brilliant. Complex briary, brambly nose. Stems, red fruit on the nose - with a hint of heat. Big burst of red berry flavor on the palate. Great acidity. Long, complex finish. Very, very pretty wine.
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2/21/2015 - WineDoctors wrote: 91 Points
opulent. ruby fades to garnet. medium acid, silky tannins. long finish. medium to full body. pleasant cellar funk and tertiary bottle notes.
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1/9/2015 - JOJ wrote: 95 Points
A "wow" wine. Nose offers a complex melange of black cherry, rhubarb, baking spice, clove, and pie crust. All the action is on the palate -- voluptuous and vivacious black cherry and wild berry, with rich notes of baking spice and some mineral cut across the mid-palate. Long finish -- stil tasting the wine a good 90 seconds after a sip. Perfectly balanced -- loads of fruit, but with a nice spine of acidity and some soft tannin to round things out. A splendid effort. Makes me regret that I stopped buying after the '08 vintage.
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12/27/2014 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright black cherry color. Aromatic, floral nose reminiscent of rose petals. Lots of sour cherry on the palate with a hint of toast. A bit acidic but still my style of pinot noir.
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11/28/2014 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Hard to beat for California Pinot. Balance, plush with a solid structure and good acidity. Great fruit. Enjoyable with and without food.
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11/27/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Very faint bricking around the edges but I had to look for it. Fascinating aromas, mouth watering mild cherry and faint toast. Cherry flavor and tree bark. Medium plus finish. Drinking great right now and will go for the long haul. Only one bottle left, wish I had purchased more but it climbed out of my price comfort zone.
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11/24/2014 - WineDoctors wrote: 92 Points
Ruby to rim dark cherry italian plum med minus acid satin tannins long finish
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11/11/2014 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 95 Points
Same as our notes from 10/31/2013. This Pinot Noir is the definition of elegance and finesse. One of the best PN we have had all year. Drank now if you like your Pinots a bit more youthful or over the next few years to bring out more earthy components.
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10/25/2014 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color - Very approachable. Good wine. Typical sea smoke. Nothing to write home about. Simple. Good fruit and well structured.
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10/24/2014 - markrucks Likes this wine: 90 Points
as expected! Great bottle of wine
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10/12/2014 - Don and Pam Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent pared with Turkey
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9/16/2014 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
A spectacular bottle! Classic Sea Smoke! Lovely complexity with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with delicious tannins and acidity on a tasty finish.
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8/17/2014 - viking92067 wrote: 93 Points
This wine was singing. Acquired new from winery and stored in cellar at 56 degrees since.
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8/10/2014 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another delicious Sea Smoke! Aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry, indian spice, and cedar with soft tannins and acidity on a tasty finish.
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7/27/2014 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous depth. Finish is 45-60 seconds. An awesome wine!!!
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7/19/2014 - dransford wrote:
meh. Good but not great
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6/23/2014 - Pthein wrote: 93 Points
After sitting in the cellar finally got to drinking this. Wow! Wine has fully developed in the bottle, dark in color for a Pinot. Wonderful nose of complexity and the mouth is full of layers- blue fruit, balanced acidity and a medium finish make this a top pinot
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5/4/2014 - jfont123 wrote: 88 Points
Disappointed in this bottle. Tart taste and did not come together... Maybe we should have aerated first instead of PnP
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5/3/2014 - jbouchy wrote: 89 Points
Good balance and acidity, red fruits with an earthy back palate. Medium to short finish was disappointing. Drinking nicely but not fabulous.
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4/30/2014 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was about average and consistent with my last note about a month ago, but after being in the bottle for 4 days, is one of the best Sea Smoke's I've ever had. Head and shoulders above the disappointing 2007, which i am still hoping will come around. The fruit and acidity are right on, and the pinot fruit which to my taste is on the bitter side, has emerged with force. that is what was missing in my earlier taste and it took several days for it to show. I am impressed with this wine, and didn't realize I had opened two so close together. Intense flavors on back and sides of tongue.Deep burgundy and lighter at the edges. Hope to try again in 5 years. I am in the CT drinking window and note other bottles users consumed recently indicate close to peak.
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4/27/2014 - Vinyljunkee Likes this wine: 92 Points
It has arrived and is drinking very well. No need to wait any longer.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry. It tastes like blueberry, blackberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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4/18/2014 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Headline: decant, decant, decant.
Candor requires that I present two notes here, the PnP from last night, which I had originally posted, and the last-glass-sitting-for-12-hours-in-open-bottle note from this morning ...
Popped and poured: 86 points.
Our last bottle of sea smoke from our six years on that list. Tagged along until I could no longer afford it. And now: good riddance.
A sci-fi caricature of wine. noisy, manipulated, and out of whack. The flavor profile of the early Prisoners but mangled with sharp edges. Almost abrasive. The botella was always better than the southing anyway. Decant.
~~~~
12 hours later, thought I'd try that last glass out of the bottle that was open all night and ...
92 points!
Incredible mouth-watering bouquet leads to layered complexity with tangy fruit, hard candy, herbs, carpaccio and gasoline. A little sick and gushing but in other ways a daring and exciting wine.
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4/2/2014 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
This has transformed to be a wine of exceptional balance and harmony. The aromas and flavors are the same as when last tasted on 4/5/2013: red and black cherry, strawberry, basil and cinnamon. Initially, there were hints of mint but this seemed to blow off after a while. Also, as the wine warmed there was a component of earthiness on the nose. A rich and velvety feeling in the mouth. A very nice finish. No heat on the back palate this time. It has time left, I do not believe it can get much better than it is now.
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3/9/2014 - pmarlo wrote: 91 Points
Good solid pull on the cork, satined magenta, no infiltration. Very little bouquet. Very bright and somewhat light on taste on opening...but did it get me tipsy1 First time this occurred for a Sea smoke to this level. Shared with my wife. Next day, improved, more flavor, bright cherry. Needs a good several hours for the full appreciation or a decent decant. Recommended. should continue to age 5 years tops.
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3/9/2014 - Topper wrote: 88 Points
Decent wine with big fruit, lots of extract, toast and jam and some big tannins. Designed more to impress than to really complement food.
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3/8/2014 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color.
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2/25/2014 - JoeDwine wrote: 92 Points
Very good not Great
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2/22/2014 - JuliannaD wrote: 85 Points
An ok wine, but disappointing Pinot. This smelled like a Jammy Zin and tasted like a Syrah. Bold dark fruits with noticeable sweetness. Not a do-over.
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1/17/2014 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank from Mag. Better than the 750 I had recently. More flavor, better nose, bigger. No decant. Drank beautifully. 92+
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1/17/2014 - Surfdoc wrote: 89 Points
Black cherry, pomegranate and cedar with light-medium body. Has better balance and not so thick and fruity as many other wines from Sta. Rita Hills.
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12/14/2013 - mraabpfg wrote:
super buttery and light
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12/3/2013 - ruddy wrote: 92 Points
Might be the best Southing I have ever had. Still tannic, but the fruit and acid came together to be much more elegant than I normally get from this bottling.
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11/30/2013 - rdsboca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great red fruit profile. Not overly complex but very well balanced. Did not have the heat I would have guessed in the mid palate or finish. Excellent effort.
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11/28/2013 - brianngibson wrote:
One of two Turkey Day wines. The last of 5 bottles, it made a nice pairing with the turkey. Bright cherry fruit, balanced acidity, and softened tannins indicating its maturity. Certainly not past its prime, but this was a reasonable time to finish it up if you favor your California Pinot more on the youthful side of the aging curve.
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11/28/2013 - jawlz wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine; among the best Sea Smoke's I've had (which have ranged from outstanding to disappointing). Drinking very well right now, with everything working together harmoniously.
Color: Light lavender-pink-tinted red. Clear throughout. Medium (and slow) legs.
Nose: Really nice. Sandalwood, crushed granite, bright cherries. Dusty. Can almost smell hints of a beach bonfire here. Small bit of candied ginger.
Taste: Mmmm. Pretty acidic on the attack, with tart cherries. Rounds out into more cherries (less tart), pitted fruits (somewhere between plums and apricots), and cola; nice and dry throughout with very well integrated tannins. A little bit of almost salty dust, which goes quite well. Pretty refined for a California pinot - this is halfway to being Burgundian. Lots of cola on the finish, which lasts a decently long time (15+ seconds).
One of the better Sea Smoke's I've had, really. Everything is working well together, and this is really, really nice. No need to hold these any longer, they're drinking very, very well right now. 92-94 points.
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11/20/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a magnum. Cherry, smoke, some mocha -- very nice, with layers and texture to spare.
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11/11/2013 - air guitar & pinot noir Likes this wine: 91 Points
One of the nicest Southing's I have enjoyed in recent memory. Beautiful aromas of dark fruit, ripe plum and sandalwood. Excellent mouth feel and seamless entry with great length. Not overly complex but certainly well integrated at this point and drinking very nicely.
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10/31/2013 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is all about elegance and finesse with great balance, depth and a lengthy silky finish.
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10/19/2013 - yeti575rider wrote: 95 Points
Took to Craft LA. Stunning bottle of wine which ranks as my favorite pinot to date. Nose was huge with cherry, spice, and floral notes. Palate showed huge fruit with cherry and pomegranite but was nicely balanced with many things going on. Thought it even showed some chocolate notes which is a bit odd for a pinot but everything worked so well here.
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10/19/2013 - jbro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened two bottles this afternoon at 3:00 pm ahead of a dinner party for seven--five wine drinkers. Serving grilled flank and tri-tip steak--take your pick. Opened a 2010 Beringer private reserve chard and a 2008 Solomon Hills Ojai Chard for the white wine guzzlers. One of the guests put ice cubes in the Beringer to dilute the alcohol. Poured the first bottle of the Southing for five drinkers at the dinner table. With the change in winemaker, I have had some questions about this wine, which formerly had cult status. I must say, however, that the first two bottles were excellent--comparable to Burgundies at twice or more the price. Plenty of sweet blueberry fruit with a marvelous balance of mellow tannin and acidity. Medium long, pleasurable finish. Opened my third and final bottle and poured each glass through an aerator. Even with aeration, the wine needed time to open. This seemed to matter less to my well lubricated guests than to me. With time, this bottle equaled the first two, though if you really want this at its best, I think that it benefits from a three hour decant. With the Southing gone and nobody showing a desire to depart, I opened a 2008 Ten and poured it through the aerator. I explained the difference and watched the bottle disappear in twenty minutes. The Ten was like a Southing on steroids. No meaningful notes taken, but what can you expect after two bourbons and five glasses of wine. Glad I didn't have to drive home. All in all, a very enjoyable evening enhanced by a wine that all appreciated and drank without reservation.
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10/16/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Nose of black cherry, cola, brown sugar, cloves. On the palate rich and candied with black cherry, spice, brown sugar. Soft finish.
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9/14/2013 - UofM wrote: 89 Points
Slightly unimpressed. This wine has not improved over time. Still a very good Pinot but at this price point it doesn't quite live.
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8/29/2013 - MLwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice pinot that opened up considerably after about ninety minutes. Solid fruit with nice balance. Alcohol and slightly harsh finish mellowed considerably with some air. Not tremendously complex, but interesting.
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8/23/2013 - Corrie Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasted this side by side with 08 DuMol Pinot. While I enjoy the Sea Smoke, the DuMol had more flavor on the nose and on the palette, and finished with more finesse.
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8/22/2013 - JDRFoster wrote: 91 Points
Rich and ripe, red more than black, very much a New World Pinot. Enjoyed out of magnum. Medium to dark ruby color. Medium long finish. Very good.
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8/6/2013 - MusignyBlanc wrote:
Nicely balanced new world Pinot, with good acid and sappy fruit on finish. This is finally showing well, but could use some additional time.
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7/23/2013 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Great nose, but a little shy on the finish. Good red fruit on the mid-palate. Had some more after an hour or so and thought it tasted about the same.
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6/29/2013 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sea Smoke has always been hit or miss to me. Sometimes I have had it and really liked it. Other times not so much. Luckily tonight was one of the nights it was on. This was much lighter than the other Pinot's we had tonight, containing more elegant fruit flavors. Lot of red fruits and drinking very well right now, especially considering it was basically a pop and pour.
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6/23/2013 - hackey37 wrote: 92 Points
Color is translucent and garnet with violet hues and nice clarity. Nose has floral notes with raspberries red licorice cherries and sweet spices. Tastes are sweet raspberry, sour cherry, but ripe fruit with soft black pepper notes, cherry licorice, raspberry tea, and black olive. The tannins are integrated and soft and the finish is lengthy with soft acidity as well. This is a delicious and elegant Pinot Noir.
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6/21/2013 - sbfireman wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly elegant and lithe. Pop and pour with nice red fruit. Very easy - moderate finish (somewhat subdued) A nice glass I'd drink again
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5/25/2013 - Reblin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth, plenty of red fruit - cherry and strawberry. Medium finish.
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5/15/2013 - gigmoney wrote:
I am on the other side of the fence on this one. Decanted for an hour. This was just a complete hot mess. Not even rating it. I am hoping for a miraculous turnaround on my last bottle. This didn't even taste like pinot. It was just overripe candied juice. I hope this is just in a dumb phase right now. I will wait a few years and watch others tasting notes to see how this develops.
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5/14/2013 - Just Grapes wrote: 87 Points
Overrated 75% Pinot Noir.
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5/14/2013 - Just Grapes wrote: 87 Points
- Garnet color - This has a lot of Syrah or some other varietal in it. I think Sea Smoke is extremely overrated and thus the reason I stopped buying this wine with this vintage.
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5/7/2013 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this delicious wine at Cedar in Washington DC. It's a nice dark purple color. You wouldn't say this is a clear Oregon pinot. Some fruit that didn't hit you over the head. An elegant wine that's drinking well now. The wine went well with my salmon. I'll save my other bottle for 2014/15.
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4/28/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: flawed
Bad closure, completely oxidezied
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4/23/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful, no specific notes, good dark fruit. loved it
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4/5/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
A medium ruby color. Aromas and flavors of red and black cherry, strawberry, earthiness, basil, and cinnamon. I did not get the mint, as I did when last tasting this wine a little over a year ago. The nose and flavors seem to be in harmony this time. Fairly intense fruit concentration. Good balance and structure. A nice finish, except for a very slight touch of heat on the back palate.
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3/22/2013 - joet626 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was very good. Hints of cherry and a bit of cola. Very smooth. Liked it a lot
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3/6/2013 - MB Ben Likes this wine: 92 Points
Made in the booming fruit forward California style to be sure, but full of delicious ripe fruit that has plenty of acidity to balance it. Aside from a touch of heat, it has great flavor, balance, and structure. Unless you are approaching this wine from the perspective of a different preferred style and set of expecations, it is kind of impossible not to like. Also a crowd pleaser.
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3/3/2013 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good bottle, no decant. Good flavors present but not overwhelming in any facet. Would say drink now.
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3/2/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Domaine Wine Storage Saturday BYOB (Domaine Wine Storage (Chicago)): Big and ripe. Woody nose. Stinky but showing nice restrained cool climate fruit. Not too flashy or ripe. Really high on the tasty factor.
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3/2/2013 - tooch wrote: 79 Points
Saturday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Tasted on day 2. Good deal of cherry and dark fruits throughout. Still had a bunch of weight and density to it that I just don't associate with pinot. Not really my thing.
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3/2/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 85 Points
Another Saturday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: This was showing chunky and with tones of oak, vanilla, red cherries, and blackberry pie. It was on the richer side and a bit too dense.
Taste: Medium/Full bodied with some chewy tannins. There was a chunkiness to the tones of oak, vanilla, red cherries, and spice tones.
Overall: This had been opened the previous night and drank the second day. It didn't round into form at all and was a bit awkward.
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1/30/2013 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of black cherry, plum, baking spice, vaninlla, cranberry. On the palate, black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla, black raspberry. Finishes very tart with a little bit of tannic grip. Very restrained compared to previous Southings.
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1/25/2013 - Naso wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth drinking PN. Light to medium body with subdued cherry and strawberry flavor. Drinking well right now but should last a Federico years. Although not sure it will result in significant improvement
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1/21/2013 - fournet wrote: 92 Points
Ton of acidity and a lot of fruit. Nice nose with more fruit than typical Pinot. Long finish. The acidity dominates the wine, so will cause some to love and others to hate. Raspberries. Touch bigger than most quality Cali Pinot Noir, though still smooth.
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1/19/2013 - expres1038 Likes this wine: 93 Points
We let it open for about 1 hour - and it kept getting better. Really enjoyed it.
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1/13/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright acidity from start to finish. Dark raspberry on the medium body. Smooth finish.
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1/10/2013 - Colia wrote: 93 Points
It's the texture, balance, and depth of flavors that recommend this bottle. The fruits and oak could be found in any one of a number of top California bottlings. It is silk on the palate, with just perfect acid. Wow.
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1/1/2013 - BSZach1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I loved this wine. It had lots of cheery and cream without being a fruit bomb. We ate it with steak and mushrooms and it help up really well.
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12/26/2012 - Blue Shorts wrote: 89 Points
Not to my liking. A bit too earthy. The fruit was muted. OVerall, a disappointment.
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12/20/2012 - Double D Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium bodied, light cherry color and cherry tones dominate.
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12/6/2012 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Soft inviting youthful nose with fragrance of nutmeg and strawberries; while this wine is moving towards a more balanced state, palate is still fruit forward with nice cinnamon spice; lovely lingering finish of berries and baking spice. Pleasant now but would do well with two or three years.
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12/4/2012 - JoeDwine wrote: 93 Points
Young needs time to integrate, but it has the stuffing.
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11/25/2012 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Saturdays at One - First Chinese BBQ Post Thanksgiving Gluttony Festival! (First Chinese BBQ Arlington, TX): WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immedaitely.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of blueberries, black berries, raspberries and a bit of dust. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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11/24/2012 - DSZ51 wrote: 92 Points
This is my first bottle of SS Southing, unbelievable, I am a big fan of SRH Pinot, but this is the smoothest Pinot I've ever tasted.
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11/23/2012 - Sizeola wrote: 93 Points
It was the highlight of Thanksgiving dinner. Strawberry,long finish really complimented the turkey.
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11/22/2012 - Cphofmann wrote: 91 Points
Nice, deep color. Big cherry nose some earthy notes. Medium body, juicy, nice fruit, some spice, balanced and delicious with life left. Drink or hold.
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11/22/2012 - Sir Lloyd wrote: 92 Points
Happy Thanksgiving
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11/22/2012 - Don and Pam wrote: 93 Points
outstanding compliment to the Turkey and fixings
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11/22/2012 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry, black currant and smokey with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - This is one of my favorite bottles of Pinot. Sea Smoke is a very appropriate name. Wonderful nose, well balanced and enjoyable right now. Tough wine to find to say the least. Loaded with berries.
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11/16/2012 - JOJ wrote: 93 Points
My first bottle of this, and was very pleasantly surprised. Lovely, perfumed nose of cherry and wild berry counterbalanced by notes of wet rock, lavender, and flowers. On the palate, juicy wild berries intermixed with a hint of baking spices. Vibrant with good cut, and a long finish. Well made -- big but not overwhelming. (I have to say, I am surprised by the notes of others claiming this wine "lacks fruit" or is "fading". To me, it's got loads of fruit, and is right on the edge of too much. Others must really like their pinots to be enormous! Vive la difference.)
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11/4/2012 - ListenToMeWine wrote: 91 Points
Dark cherry, a bit of earth and a touch of oak. A rich wine and better than previous Southings I have had.
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10/31/2012 - brouigu1 wrote: 91 Points
This was my first Sea Smoke and I was not disappointed. Red cherry on the nose with hints earthy spice. On the palate the tannin's were well integrated and soft.
The taste was consistent with the nose containing those fresh red cherries, earth and light strawberries. Decent finish but a tad sour at the end.
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10/30/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous note
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10/17/2012 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Really maturing well. Soft tannins and bright cherry fruit. A little sour on the finish.
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10/10/2012 - Tetherton wrote: 93 Points
This was our first Sea Smoke pinot...we have enjoyed lots of pinots over the years. This was splendid! Great on the first day and just as good on day 2. Lots of spice, berries and some cedar. Enjoy!!
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9/17/2012 - ebrumby wrote: 95 Points
Better than previous Southings. Now I'm sorry I dropped off the list.
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9/11/2012 - Double D wrote: 92 Points
Developing nicely, balanced and great acidity to accompany a veal dinner...guess I was expecting a bit more fruit...but not bad but not in the top catagory of pinots.....seems like "Jayartee's" notes are same as mine.
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9/8/2012 - jayartee wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, roses and earth on the nose. Cherries on the palette, seemed one dimensional and a bit flabby to me. Long finish. Consistent with my previous bottles of the 08. Good but not as good as I wanted it to be.
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8/26/2012 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
Last tasted about 2 years ago. It's really come around nicely in that time and seems to be ready to enjoy with about an hour of decanting. Wonderful deep red berry flavors and a softening texture with a very nice finish.
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8/11/2012 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Mmurry has put it very well,so I'll borrow his words "Cherry and forest floor on the nose, with cranberry and spice. Cherry and cranberry on the palate, with earth and spice at the end" I'll add that it has plenty of life ahead of it and it got better over the three days it was consumed. I was expecting a fruit bomb, bomb I found it was very much in balance albeit a larger styled pinot. Very good!
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8/8/2012 - jeffal66 wrote: 87 Points
A little bitter, maybe draining fruit? The bones are there, whispers of glorious Cali grapes, but less satisfying on the finish. Lacking the "wow" I normally get from SS.
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7/19/2012 - tanglenet wrote:
Similar note as before.
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7/16/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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7/4/2012 - spts1000 wrote: 92 Points
right out of the gate it was tart and acidic, but continued to open with time. wonderful wine. plenty of time left in this one
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6/16/2012 - crikel wrote: 90 Points
Really smooth, pleasant fruit, but no richness or depth consider the depth of color. A good Pinot.
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6/10/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
Saturdays at One - Farewell to mmurry!: WIML90
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of white pepper, lacquer, black berries and potpourri. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries. Light to medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold.
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6/10/2012 - mmurry Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry and forest floor on the nose, with cranberry and spice. Cherry and cranberry on the palate, with earth and spice at the end.
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6/7/2012 - Hannahgirl wrote: 71 Points
Bitter, never opened up, very disappointing!
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5/29/2012 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Earthy nose with cherry notes; dry spice attack on the entry; dark cherry notes in the middle with some viscosity and fattiness; showing some heat on the finish. Good +
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5/5/2012 - GZ3 wrote:
did not score. popped and poured which was a mistake. this wine needs some time to open up.
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5/4/2012 - unrelenting wrote: 89 Points
great nose, mouth feel and flavor...and no other redeming qualities. Great party wine
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4/29/2012 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
- Ruby color. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry, strawberry jam and prune with a medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish - Ruby red in color. Drinking beautifully right now. Now a huge Pinot lover, but this is very good juice. Berries galore, predominately strawberries.
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4/28/2012 - jeffal66 wrote: 93 Points
A damned tasty drink. Thought it's sweet and wholly accessible, it's hard to find fault here. Some tartness, beautiful cherry and strawberry, a touch of creaminess. Beautiful, really.
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4/19/2012 - WineGeneral wrote: 92 Points
Cherries, raspberries, and a hint of strawberries, with a full body, and a medium + herbal finish. Paired with salmon, halibut, and mushroom risotto. Seems to be right in its peak drinking window right now.
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4/16/2012 - Sakas Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lovely pinot, consumed over the course of 3 hours (in decanter) and paired well with coq au vin. Raspberry/pomegranate color. Slight oak, berry fruit, herbs on the nose. On the palate, red and black berries with herbs, turned soil, a hint of anise, spice box and vanilla. A real pleasure to drink but with the fair amount of acid and the concentration this exhibits I'm going to bet this will really sing in another 3 years. Balanced - Jessica even liked it (but not as much as the '07 Kosta Brown RRV - the KB was more overtly fruit driven)! After 3.5 hours this is certainly more silky than earlier. 14.5% abv; natural cork.
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4/15/2012 - pkbackman wrote: 94 Points
This wine was fantastic. Don't know why you would want to wait on this, its drinking so well. Elegant fruit envelopes the palate. Just a touch of Cinnamon in the background. Smooth long finish.
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4/12/2012 - elamasters wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very nicely now. The fruit is nicely focused, and the wine shows great balance.
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4/4/2012 - Maizlish wrote:
Delicious
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3/31/2012 - sehill wrote: 88 Points
This bottle gave a similar showing to a previously tasted bottle; however, on this occasion the wine seems less compelling and not as complete.
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3/26/2012 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
We drank this with turkey stew on 3/26/12. It had a strong, ripe and elegant bouquet of, sassafras, raspberry, boysenberry, cherry and baking spice aromas. The palate was smooth balanced and tasty with flavors of raspberry, cranberry, cherry, baking spice.
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3/23/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
A very dark ruby color; almost opaque. Initial aromas of earthiness and forest floor. But, this blows off, leaving delightful aromas of black cherry, strawberry, a touch of blackberry, basil, cinnamon and mint. Nice fruit concentration, but not fully in sync with what you would expect from the nose. Still, the wine is both delicate and elegant in the mouth. A nice velvety finish; no heat. Quite enjoyable. Score 92-93. Later: while eating I noticed a touch of heat on the back palate.
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3/20/2012 - Dale B. wrote: 88 Points
Great nose but one dimesional on the palate. The alcohol seemd to show more with air. Not worth the tariff IMO.
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3/9/2012 - mmcdds wrote: 88 Points
Friday at Home 08 California Pinot Noir: Considerably more heft than the Botella bottling. Mostly dark fruit framed in subtle oak with some spice notes. Med bodied. Nice, but I think I'm on the verge of foregoing future Sea Smoke purchases. There seems to be alot of other wines out there with a much better qpr.
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2/27/2012 - dontime wrote:
Consistent with prior notes. Southing is controversial - you like it or you don't. We do. Great fruit (cherry, blueberry), vanilla and old world style funk. Crisp and well integrated. If scoring 92-93.
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2/18/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied with spiced cherry flavors. There is a subtle bit of funk underlying this which gives it some Pinot varietal street cred. Well balanced with a nice level of tense acidity and fine tannins to counter the rich fruit. Nice stuff, drinking well tonight.
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2/12/2012 - JoeDwine wrote: 92 Points
smooth oak still showing through.
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2/10/2012 - arniec wrote: 90 Points
Still a bit young. Drinking nicely with a bit of tannins on the finish. Nice fruit. Short finish.
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2/6/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 93 Points
Still young but has a great balance and a lovely fruit component with red berries, a whiff of blueberry(!) and soft rainy forest floor. Tannins are present but sandy and rather well-integrated as is the oak which was a bit more loud speaking when I tasted this effort last time in 2010. Overall impression is very positive with integration as the keyword.
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2/2/2012 - postiglioni wrote: 92 Points
Initial aroma of cranberries then fresh baked blueberry pie. Much the same on the palate with an additional hint of minerality running through it. Rather full bodied for a pinot but delicious! 92 pts.
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1/31/2012 - miller3324 wrote:
Drank well with a short decant. Well balanced and not as big of a wine as I expected. Very good
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1/29/2012 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Elegant and smooth -- much better after an hour.
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1/27/2012 - Tom Warden wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours before serving with pistachio crusted rack of lamb. Very elegant...the decanting helped a lot as young Sea Smokes can be a bit harsh right out of the bottle. Silky tannins...full mouthfeel, Worked very well with the lamb.
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1/23/2012 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Consumed over an 2 hours at a friends house. For some reason, I thought I've had this vintage before and can't find any notes. Weird. Seems to be entering it's drinking window for me. Still tastes a tad young but smooths out with air. Very dark and inky, with dark tastes of black cherry and black fruit notes with a hint of syrup. Medium plus body weight and ends with a semi-dry finish with a bit of heat. Good+
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1/16/2012 - rb415 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry and black fruit on nose, light and silky, standard Sea Smoke texture on the midpalate with dark cherry, subtle pepper and spice, blackberry and slight oak on the finish
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1/9/2012 - mmrmag wrote: 87 Points
Good, but I don't get the hype.
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1/7/2012 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Very rich and full, surprisingly so for a pinot, even a Sea Smoke. Long finish, lots of strawberry and raspberry.
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1/3/2012 - ChezAlice wrote: 92 Points
Big Central-Coast Pinot with dark cherries. Subtle pepper blended with cedar. Delicious with spinach salad and duck confit. Hard to find but often reasonably priced.
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12/21/2011 - markjahnke wrote:
Super closed down when compared to the last bottle, even after vacuum and overnight in the fridge.
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12/18/2011 - dase13 wrote: 92 Points
Red in color. Scents of plum, black cherry and a little oak. Tastes of plum, black cherry and a little bit of spice, with structure and grip on the palate.
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12/17/2011 - kwkurdziel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice, still young, Pinot. Every so slightly sweet, with cola overtones.
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12/8/2011 - JOsgood wrote:
This drew raves from the crowd. Pop and pour. Dark in color. Big nose. Rich on the palate, nicely balanced. Finishes moderately long. Sea Smoke always delivers.
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12/2/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of black cherry, plum, baking spice, vaninlla, cranberry. On the palate, black cherry, plum, spice, vanilla, black raspberry. Finishes very tart with a little bit of tannic grip.
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11/27/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 91 Points
Cherry, plum, and light hints of cedar. Restrained. Tannins becoming much softer.
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11/26/2011 - Liberty wrote: 92 Points
Opened up beautifully with time but ready to drink in 15 minutes.
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11/26/2011 - bellabo wrote: 93 Points
Still getting better. Very smooth with cherry, plum and excellent balance. Glad I have more should continue to develop.
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11/25/2011 - Acohen wrote: 91 Points
Nice lighter red fruit with cherry and almost a cranberry tinge to it (perhaps it was the thanksgiving theme).
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11/24/2011 - Meembo wrote: 87 Points
Tasted of oaky, spiced plum. Nice tannin structure and grip on the palate, but coming one night after a Clos Pepe Estate, I couldn't help the feeling that this Sea Smoke just feels out of balance. The fruit feels a bit masked, here. Probably needs a couple years to unwind, and guests drank this up so quickly I couldn't get a full sense of its development.
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11/18/2011 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful. Delicate but rich and complex, with lots of light fruit and a hint of spice.
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11/7/2011 - MC wrote:
I'll defer to next time assuming this just needed more air/time or given it followed a big Alsatian wine it didn't show well, but very little fruit and a lot of tar and rubber. B+?
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11/6/2011 - arniec wrote: 90 Points
Too young. Lots of spritz upon opening; blew off in about 30 minutes. Still tannic. Needs to sleep 1-2 more years.
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11/6/2011 - miller3324 wrote:
remarkably restrained compared to previous vintages. red fruits with some spice appearing after getting more air. very nice
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11/6/2011 - mmcdds wrote: 91 Points
Dark and red candied fruit with a pronounced floral(violets perhaps) element in the aroma. Fairly masculine and full bodied in style with brambly undertones. Quite nice.
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11/2/2011 - carlsport wrote: 91 Points
Had at Halloween party so don't really remember much other than that I really enjoyed it.
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10/27/2011 - dhammer53 wrote:
Tasted this at Napa Valley Wine and Cigar with my friend Mike. He splurged for the bottle! Dark color. Very good. No notes, as I was wined out.
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10/22/2011 - markjahnke wrote:
By far the best drinking, young Sea Smoke since we've been buying. Perfect tonight!
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10/15/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Dark garnet. Smoky, spicy nose. Full bodied Pinot Noir. Fleshy, juicy mid palate with black and red fruit. This transitions to the back of the palate with a competing series of flavors from smoky fig/date to tart bing cherry. Hard to describe, but very nice. Good tannic grip with a long brooding finish.
Bottle variation anyone? This was delicious, but I've had other bottles this year which are close to undrinkable. Hope my future ones are like this.
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10/1/2011 - VinoMax Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color- Bright ruby N- Cherry, musk, forest floor T- Medium bodied, moderate tannins, good acidity, cherry, cola and earthiness. Good finish. Not sure this will be long lasting but very good.
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10/1/2011 - vinami wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied for pinot, not too fruit forward, smooth. Quite a good classic pinot.
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9/25/2011 - brigcampbell wrote:
Unable to take detailed notes but obvious characteristics are dark cherry fruit and spice. Still young and broading. I prefer more age, hold until 2013
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9/24/2011 - RobertDwyer wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly well balanced. Generous and approachable yet refined and elegant.
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9/20/2011 - shapsplace wrote: 93 Points
Dried Cranberries and cherries. I LOVE the way this wine builds and builds. Not very impressive when popped and poured but after half hour, layered ripe fruit exposed itself. Yumbo---
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9/13/2011 - winelover206 wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic pinot all the way around!
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9/3/2011 - dontime wrote:
Decanted for about an hour. Consumed over another hour. During the decant very strong flavors of candied cherry. On the nose, cherries and spice box. Rich tart black cherries on the palate with spice and a bit of cola. Showing well now, but has additional potential.
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8/28/2011 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
nose: tight but very good nose of dark red cherries, spice tones, strawberries, and tones of dark red fruits. Good depth with tart fruit on the nose, but not too rich
taste: medium/full bodied with balanced and dark tones of raspberries, dark red cherries, dark spices, dark red fruits and some bits of cola tones as well
overall: This was decanted for about 2 1/2 hrs and it took another hour to open up. Young, but extremely good right now. This could still use a few years to fully round into form
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7/13/2011 - dontime wrote:
Decanted an hour, drank over 90 minutes. Still very young but already showing well. Very dark in the glass for a Pinot. Considerably darker than the Burgundy we drank with it. Bid and bold nose of red stone fruit. More of the same in the mouth with a nice depth of flavors and a touch of heat. Smooth finish. Will hold other bottles for a couple more years before trying again.
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7/7/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Dark garnet. The nose shows red fruit and baking spices. Full bodied Pinot Noir. Good intensity. As with many young Sea Smoke wines, the fruit masks the structure. This is a blast of cherry cola. Very monolithic. It has some yum factor, but also shows plenty of heat on the finish. Good length.
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6/26/2011 - brianofthevine wrote: 91 Points
Black cherry and blueberry with loamy earthy notes. Definitely more refined than the Botella. Good acidity and long finish.
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6/23/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Big, dark, black cherries nose with a bit of baking spice. Dark and brooding on the palate without feeling overdone. Very nice feel in the mouth. Long, smooth finish. Liked it a lot.
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6/12/2011 - jeff.beth.long wrote: 99 Points
Heavenly. Every sip was nirvana. Best we have had. Ordered a second bottle immediately.
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6/7/2011 - JustOneMore wrote: 89 Points
No time to decant. Classic Pinot nose with forest floor. Delicate and light on the palette with a little blackberry on the aftertaste. No perceptible acidity. I would agree that more time in the cellar would benefit this wine.
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6/2/2011 - hanratty21 wrote: 89 Points
Not terribly impressed with the Sea Smoke wines I've tasted. There was a high production quality which you could easily see, but it had very light body and very delicate flavors. Seems hard to compare to other Cali Pinots of equal quality though. The power is simply not there, but that could really be a personal taste thing...
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5/30/2011 - RussK wrote: 89 Points
RUSSK WW Priorat at CMax.
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5/29/2011 - MusignyBlanc wrote: 88 Points
Opened and decanted for an hour and a half, still very closed. Next day was a different wine and very promising. Nice fruits and integrated tannins. A more restrained style than I was expecting, however. My advice is to be patient - this needs much more time in cellar.
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5/16/2011 - ataraxy wrote: 93 Points
Favorite Pinot
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4/24/2011 - jtinto wrote: 91 Points
Nice balance. Distinctive citrus and clove notes on day 1. Day 2 everything was better integrated. This needs a few more years in bottle.
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4/24/2011 - juggernt wrote: 92 Points
Second botle tasted with consistent notes.
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4/10/2011 - jasonkle wrote: 93 Points
Good flavors. medium bodied.
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4/3/2011 - CMz wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted 90 minutes. Dense ruby to the edge; nose showing a lot of black cherry, lighter blueberry & strawberry notes woven in, a nice spicy note and hints of flowers. The nose followed through on the palate - lots of black cherry & dark berry with the flowery notes really showing and a wonderful lingering spice - cloves & w a little vanilla mixed in. A lot of structure, big but well integrated tannins - a young wine that i will decant even longer next time - there is a lot of complexity here that needs time & air to really show. I notices some alcohol showing when i was decanting but it was not evident at all after 90 minutes in the decanter.
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4/2/2011 - rockguit wrote: 95 Points
This was stunning tonight. Intriguing nose of butterscotch, grapefruit and sour cherries. Remarkable freshness on the palate, with strawberry, cola and more citrus notes. We found this to be totally approachable and balanced, with a silky-smooth-yet-full mouth feel. Not a rough edge anywhere. Must have opened one of those special bottles where everything is firing on all cylinders. :)
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4/2/2011 - tconrad wrote: 92 Points
Amazing
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3/25/2011 - elise wrote: 92 Points
Overall feel was "pretty" yet weighty with a fruit-forward initial attack that mellowed in the mid-palate.
On the palate, plums, strawberry, and black fruit. The mid-palate was dominated by floral characteristics (rose water?), extremely balanced with no bitterness present to speak of, and a finish that lasted 15 to 30 seconds. Some fruit acid was noticeable yet pleasantly integrated unlike some colder climate Pinots.
I consider this wine a bargain in the CA Pinot marketplace.
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3/20/2011 - RobMichaels wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured at The Palm. Deep ruby, more opaque than most Pinots, fragrant dark fruit nose. Smooth, complex, but fades on the back end. Very nice.
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3/20/2011 - keste13 wrote: 90 Points
wasn't as impressed as i expected to be....think i prefer similarly priced WS and chasseur bottlings
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3/20/2011 - kultcha wrote: 90 Points
This wine shows a lot of promise and is well put together. At this stage of its development it felt a bit simple and almost in a dumb phase. Dark ruby in colour and after slow-ox'ing for about 2 hours was showing a slightly tight nose of dark fruit, some floral tones with a touch of cherry and cola. The palate showed some young black cherry (not too sweet), blueberry and a little clove. The mouthfeel is what made this wine interesting, with a nice weight to it. This weight didn't seem "typical" of pinot but I enjoyed it anyways. The smooth tannins and vibrant acidity were easy to drink now but show it has the stuffing to lay down for quite awhile. The finish was decent and showed a touch of baking spice.
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3/19/2011 - markjahnke wrote:
Popped and decanted tonight off of a restaurant wine list with friends at Zinc. Ruby color in the decanter, and not looking as dark as Southings of the past, but it might have been the lighting in the restaurant.
Youthful nose with some alcohol definitely prevelant. Lots of dark berries, raspberry, black cherry, a ton of strawberry, and some anise, clove, cranberry. Over the course of 2 hours, the alcohol started to blow off.
On the palate, this seems to be the lightest, Sea Smoke I have seen in many vintages. This could however also be attributed to the fact that I haven't drank one of these this young in many of vintages.
More strawberry on the palate, but I also picked up some tight, sour cranberry as well. The wine was definitely tight, but also seemed a bit thin compared to others. Nice acidity, and definitely some alcohol on the palate to show it's youth, but again, less than in years past. What was shocking to me was how the oak in this wine really seemed to be dialed back. I don't know if this is a stylistic quality of Don's, I don't think it is a bad thing for those who consume this in it's youth.
The heat again on this wine wasn't as strong as I considered it to be on the finish, and that was shocking. I also didn't get that "Santa Rita soil" on the nose or the palate that I am very fond of, so who knows. Typically, I open this and decant them at cellar temp, and this seemed a bit warm to me.
All in all, I was shocked at how approachable this wine was from the get go. Not sure if that is Don's intention or not, but in the past I have really liked these wines with age. Overall, too early to give this wine a score, but I am happy to have an even 10 of these in the cellar as well as a mag. Cheers!
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3/4/2011 - blewis1041 wrote: 87 Points
Not a great showing for Sea Smoke. Tasted when open, all the way to 1 hour after. Think it may need a lot more decanting or this is just not their best effort. I plan to let it sit for a while.
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2/28/2011 - gtonn wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful. Dark fruit with a wonderful complexity. Well balanced.
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2/18/2011 - SEP Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent pinot! Dark ruby color with a nose of dark berries and earth opens up to a palate of well balanced fruit (black cherries and blueberries), a bit of clove, a slight tartness/acidity, and a really smooth medium finish with very fine tannins. Tasted next to a Willamette '06 Pinot, and the complexity of the Sea Smoke really shined. Consistent notes the second night, but with a little softer fruit on the palate...
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2/13/2011 - jnanz wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding bottle of Pinot. Decanted for 1 hour. Had alongside the 2007. A very feminine and pretty wine compared to the 2007. Excellent fruit on the palate: cherry, raspberry and cranberry / craisin with notes of flowers, pie crust and earth. Great acidity (citrusy?), excellent balance, silky tannins. I really enjoyed this.
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2/11/2011 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
Opened and poured, this showed in an accessible, rich style that displays aromatics of black cherry, oak, vanilla, floral and spice notes. The color is a youthful dark ruby. The medium to slightly full bodied palate shows good and balance and length. The wine displays its richness on the palate and tannins make an appearance on the finish where the acidity remains in the background. This provided enjoyment now and could benefit from an additional year or two of bottle age.
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2/9/2011 - norsktorsk wrote: 89 Points
This presentation was somewhat wan. I was surprised; Along side a Talley Rosemary did not compare.
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1/31/2011 - Squirreljam wrote:
Impression only, not great for me, too heavy and for lack of a better word, "overdone". Drank alongside an 08 Botella, the Botella was clearly my preferrable bottle, cleaner fruit, less wood, etc. The Southing however is a big wine and may improve with more time. YMMV but for me, not worth drinking now.
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1/30/2011 - jonwill wrote: 94 Points
Just beautiful...deep cherry pie with a bit of herbacious notes on the finish. Drinking well now.
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1/26/2011 - miller3324 wrote:
Trying one out to see what the vintage looks like. Decanted for about 2hrs. Wow, great out of the gates and while big and modern in style, undeniably pure fruit and beautiful structure. Certainly open for business right now and it will be hard to keep myself from opening the others right now. Structure shows sign that it might last for quite awhile though.
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1/18/2011 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 2 1/2 hours. Dark and bright on the nose, the cranberry aromas really pop out. With underlying hints of mushroom and spice, there's a certain coyness to everything, and that's what really gives a lift to the fruit. The palate is all about the acid and tannins. The acid is really heavy, almost to the point of overpowering. The tannins are sweet and firm. Here the fruit, earth, and spice are pretty evenly integrated, and dance back and forth all the way through the long finish.
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1/16/2011 - sammy wrote: 91 Points
Fresh raspberry nose. The pallet is very smooth with pleasant fruit flavors, but a slight bite. I Decanted for over an hour but it didn't open up as I hoped. It is a super wine, but I liked the 2007 better.
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1/4/2011 - tripkirby wrote: 93 Points
Typical Cali Pinot nose - clean, dark fruit with some cherry notes. Delicious, sweet fruit with nice acidity. Perhaps lacking in complexity, but nevertheless, a very good, clean drink. Will probably benefit from some age?
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1/1/2011 - METRIK wrote: 92 Points
NYE night.... 2 hour decant. We were drinking some Bordeaux wines before we got to this Pinot, so the flavors were very sweet. Maybe a little too sweet at the time, but this will be fantastic in 5 yrs. I will put the remaining bottles to sleep.
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12/31/2010 - svbmark wrote: 90 Points
Blind tasted against a Costco '07 Pinot. Didn't show great, but just seems to need a little more bottle time. Not sure is worth the price.
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12/30/2010 - last chance wrote: 93 Points
One More Time: This was the second time that I got to taste this wine in the last 2 weeks. This is really excellent Pinot. These sure are approachable right now! Haven't tasted any of the other bottlings from 08 yet, but others said that they were even better than this.
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12/30/2010 - tvmama wrote: 93 Points
christmas dinner 2010 @ bainbridge
funny wine
needs more time in cellar
amazing nose of tropical flower
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12/29/2010 - FPNova wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby red. Raspberry, smokey spices and cedar aroma. Bright raspberry & strawberry w/a touch of crisp acidity well balanced w/silky smooth tannins. Long, slightly mouth drying finish indicative of a wine that has many more years to evolve.
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12/27/2010 - cabdrinker wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful cranberry hue in color.
Nose of lilac, clove and unmistakable blood orange.
Texture is gorgeous and silky smooth
Palate is covered in the blood orange and a few more baking spices.
Finish has a little heat at the moment, but I expected that.
I wanted a starting point with this wine and it didn’t disappoint in any aspect so far. Other bottles will lay down for a few more years.
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12/27/2010 - RMundell Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really nice now, will be better in the next couple years.
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12/26/2010 - yokai wrote: 94 Points
Very dark. Medium bodied. Outstanding tannis. Rich with subtle fruit and spice flavors, with a sophisticated earthy backdrop. Sharpens significantly at the mid-palate, followed with an excellent, robust finish. Two years will mature this outstanding wine into something really special.
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12/26/2010 - jeffal66 wrote: 92 Points
To think, this will only get better with some age. Our Christmas pick of the litter. Loved by all. Beautiful underripe cherry. Great balance and acidity.
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12/22/2010 - rob3putt wrote: 96 Points
like drinking cherry pie, won a christmas tasting that includes most of the wine spectator top wine of the year since 2000
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12/18/2010 - Meembo wrote: 90 Points
Had an awkward phase when popped, but that disappeared after about 2 hours of decanting. The nose reveals notes of cinnamon and other baking spices, cranberry, blackberry and vanilla.
Neither the nose nor palate shows any trace of heat, which was a really nice surprise. On the palate, this is light- to medium-bodied with a decent finish, showing just-ripened red fruits.
A really nice wine, but didn't blow my mind.
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12/17/2010 - Red Mountain Man wrote: 93 Points
Wowsers - way better than I was expecting! Almost drank like a Ten! The 08' vintage did not just bless Oregon. I may need to source more.
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12/13/2010 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 91 Points
Very nice Pinot. Great structure, fantastic finish. Was it worth $55? Not sure.
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12/13/2010 - bigkhna wrote: 93 Points
An excellent example of Pinot Noir from the Central Coast. Very smooth and approachable with a fine finish. Highly delightful
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12/13/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Baby killing yadda yadda. Nose is very bright with raspberries and strawberries. Some oak. The palate also shows some oak and some ripe red berries. The salient thing in this wine is the acid. I felt like the fruit was more restrained than in years past and the acid level turned up a notch. While I tend to prefer riper styles, this was done in a way that I found pleasing. Needs time obviously but a good combination of flavors, happy to have more.
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12/12/2010 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
Friends brought this to our 12/12/10 duck dinner. It had a terrific, ripe bouquet of cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, baking spice, barnyard, sassafras and vanilla aromas. The palate was smooth and balanced with great acidity and flavors that followed the nose. It will develop beautifully with some cellar time.
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12/7/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 92 Points
Bowl of cherries and baking spices. Pine needles and a nice sweet oak. Smooth finish.
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12/4/2010 - Bacchant wrote: 93 Points
PnP'd @ room temp 2 days post-arrival. I know: "INFANTICIDE"...Still, no regrets here. Extremely dark, but not opaque, with a clear ruby hue. Medium bodied. Pretty cranberry funk & a bit of oak show through on the nose...both of which blow off with air. Bursts upon entry with ripe, sweet red-raspberry & strawberry, then shows more than enough acidity & fine-grained tannins to sharpen things up through the midpalate & finish. Remains quite sweet throughout, but not unpleasantly so. Does the New World "Fruit Bombish" thing very well. [14.5% abv.; $63.00]. Postscipt: became unrecognizably flat w/i 24 hours at room temp, i.e., from "acid" to "flacid" in a day. So, either drink the entire bottle in one evening, or vacuum & refridgerate.
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12/2/2010 - Christoffer78 wrote: 92 Points
A massive but pleasant effort, the 2008 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir reminds me a bit about a Bourgogne Grand Cru revealing a formidable attack of blueberries, violets - and oak. The latter is not fully integrated today, but my guess is cellaring will help this "problem". Very nice acidity. Score is 92-93. Highly recommended.
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11/26/2010 - jupiter33 wrote: 90 Points
Let air for 6 hours. Way too young at this point. Needs at least 2-3 years. Big bold fruit but oak and tannins were not well integrated at this point. Nose was still closed down as well. Did not compare favorably in a vertical with the '05, '06, and '07.
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11/25/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 93 Points
Closed aromatically at his point even after epic decanting. But on the palate this wine really delivers. Primary fruit at this point but mushroomy earth is lurking in the background. Fabulous wine.
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11/11/2010 - juggernt wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful nose of black cherry and spices. Powerfully bodied. Deeply layered black and blueberries, with hint of anise. Finish that stays with you. Always a lovely wine.
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11/1/2010 - rob3putt wrote: 94 Points
magnificent. like drinking cherry pie
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10/31/2010 - bellabo wrote: 93 Points
Glad I have 5 left. Decanted for 2 hours very fruity, in your face California Pinot. Great berries and jams. Needs some lay down time but should be good for years to come.
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6/14/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for a couple hours. Obviously young but in comparison to recent vintages, this reminds me of the 04. Seems to be just a touch lighter but still shows a nice combination of tart black cherry, some spice and just a touch of oak towards the long finish. Airtime softens everything out a bit. I found that the 07 showed a bit of heat on the back end but that wasn't apparent with this 08. Nicely balanced and overall, probably one of the better vintages I've had. Now, the rest can hopefully sleep for a couple years.
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