Community Tasting Note

• Arinbraghe Likes this wine: 93 points

  January 18, 2014 - Sea Smoke's Pinot Noirs are of course polarizing, with people who like the style finding it the kind of thing they like, and the opposing camp taking righteous pride in dismissing the wines as overwrought, overpriced wines for trophy whores. I've belonged firmly in the latter camp on the still Pinot Noirs, but even at the knee-buckling price I don't know how to gainsay this particular wine, which is the best American sparkler I've ever drunk. If you blinded me, I'd be completely stumped if you told me it wasn't Montagne de Reims Blanc de Noirs from a top-notch Grand Marque or grower-producer. Right out of the gates this is mineral-dominant and vinous, with absolutely nothing tooty-fruity about it. The minerality and the effervescence work in tandem to make this hugely zesty, and there's a sternness about the wine that is just so Champenois, such that I've seldom experienced with other American sparklers. With some air you do begin to get this billowing Pinot fruit that seems to well up like a hot spring from below the chalky minerality and gives a deeper bassnote of succulent fruit to the sizzling minerality. Really delicious stuff, and I hate to say it, but damn near worth the price tag.

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