2005 FOXEN SEA SMOKE VINEYARD STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR- this was heavily extracted, powerful juice with young and vibrant super ripe dark fruit dominating; it had lively tannins and some heat which eased up after some time in the glass; in fact, after a few minutes, it got much less intense and moved into a more palatable state.
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Prime drinking window. the wine is superbly put together with lovely fruit and structure. No point in aging this anymore so enjoy with salmon or pork with a fruity sauce.
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lovely SB pinot. With vineyard is of course amazing. The wine has a flavor profile typical of the Santa Rita Hills. Bright and crisp. The wine is in the perfect drinking window.... enjoy.
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Enjoyed this one at Cadiz in Santa Barbara. Very nice bottle of local Pinot. More on the elegant side and showed good balance. The delicate dark fruit character reminded more of cool climate Pinot rather than what is typical in Santa Rita Hills. Quite nice.
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I am a dedicated fan of California Pinot Noir, but even I know when a wine has been pushed farther than it should. This wine has all the right variables -- great vintage, great vineyard, great winemakers -- the perfect storm for a great wine. But it is not great. It is OK, but not great. Overripe (bordering on stewed) notes of black cherry, cinnamon, candy bar, sun-dried tomatoes, red clay and vanilla. Tasty and rich on the palate with a dense creamy texture, but also a little monolithic, and I feel somehow that the fruit has taken a backseat to the craft. A Pinot on steroids, to be sure, and really yummy with some some charcuterie and goat cheese, but not a wine that I would buy again, especially at this $70++ price point.
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COLOR: Deep garnet-purple to a light garnet rim NOTE: A thoroughly ripe pinot at 15%+ abv., it of necessity throws a bit of heat in the nose, but the nose is still such a glorious mixture of concentrated pink roses, pomagranate liqueur, cola and faint cracked pepper. Mouth is rich and delicious with velvety, ripe tannins, pomagranate juice, raspberry liqueur, dried strawberries, cinnamon. Finish is 45+ seconds and really takes on a load of baking spices, followed by concentrated black and red fruits. This is just as good as it was over 2 years ago. Not a QPR, but I rate this much higher than WS and WA.
DECANT: 2 hr GLASS USED: Pinot TASTE: 9.2+ COST: 75 VALUE: 6.9 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 02/08 TRY AGAIN: n/a PAIRING: Bratwurst and mac & cheese with Cholula hot sauce and finely ground black pepper! Slap yo mammy! ---
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Tasted side by side with Sea Smoke Southing same vintage. Virtually indistinguishable. Sea Smoke at $25 less is a far better value. Both are darker, more lush Pinots with substantial alcohol levels though not obviously detectable. Very good effort though not quite up to the 2004 standard.
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Disappointing. Loved the 2004 (one of my all time favorites) and in general love Foxen wines. To me this tasted as a heavy wine; very dark, tannic, minerals, not much fruit taste or brightness - disappointing. Did not improve over a couple of hours. Did drink from lovely burgandy glass; oh well certainly not a QPR. Sadly I wasn't even motivated to finish the bottle and my guest agreed! A first with a Foxen!
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oh well - looked forward to this unique bottling but it came out flat displaying soft notes of raspberries and cherries, some spice, white pepper, moist wood - corked? hard to say but not detectable by me on the nose...nowhere near the Sea Smoke Southing 2005 which is just fantastic
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Gave this over an hour to open up. Nose: nice fruit fragrance. Taste: Very light and almost no fruit to speak of. Lots of alcohol and heat. I kept tasting and waiting for something to appear but nothing showed up. Finish: Lots earth and minerals, long finish with more heat from the alcohol.
I have to say that I was disappointed by this bottle. I was expecting more. I'll wait 6 more months before I drink the other bottle I have.
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From magnum - classic sea smoke - not quite up to the classic 2004 but with a very lush mouthfeel and classic pinot flavors - glad I gave this an extra year in the cellar.
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what a huge pinot. Loads of cola, pepper, ripe berries on the nose. A huge tannic backbone that almost reminds me of syrah. The pepper and licorice just assaults you with a hint of green and medicinal cherry. There's some toasted oak and cola on the finish. Very big and structured wine. It was faring far better than the 06 pisoni and 06 KB RR this night.
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Thick and sweet, a bit hot on the finish, lacked the finesse I expected but full of fruit with a lingering finish. Perhaps too young, and needed more decant time than I provided, struck me more like a syrah than a pinot. Too pricey, would not buy again
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Good bottle, big, well balanced with cherry and some subtle strawberry fruits along with the cola and spice found in other central coast pinots. There is nothing wrong with this wine but there are quite comparable central coast pinots (and other Foxen pinots) at half the price.
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Continues to be the darkest pinot I have ever consumed. Extraordinarily rich and lush. I don't find this much different than the 04. surprised to see RMP went from 96 pts for the 04 to 89 pts for the 05. This is drinking better than all of Sea Smoke's own 05s.
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Blind California Pinot Noir Tasting (Gary's House in Lisle, IL): Sight: Deep Purple color Smell: The nose was creosote, alcohol and fruit. Taste: The wine tasted more like a syrah than a pinot. Hot, dark, cherry flavors. Notes: Number three of the night.
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Tasted as part of a group Pinot tasting - tasting we performed blind with capsules removed and the bags taped around the neck. Wines were not revealed until after ALL of the wines set for the evening were tasted. During the Pinot tasting, I used Waterford "Connoisseur Gold" Pinot Noir glasses. Color: Medium red color - not especially clear so it may not have been filtered. Smell: Creosote, woody, cherry syrup Taste: Heat hits you hard. Nice cherry flavor, I pegged this to be a central coaster because of the vicious heat. Woodsy notes accompanied the over-the-top alcohol. Overall disappointing and glad as heck I did not spend any money on this wine!
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3/4/2018 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
2005 FOXEN SEA SMOKE VINEYARD STA. RITA HILLS PINOT NOIR- this was heavily extracted, powerful juice with young and vibrant super ripe dark fruit dominating; it had lively tannins and some heat which eased up after some time in the glass; in fact, after a few minutes, it got much less intense and moved into a more palatable state.
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7/1/2014 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Prime drinking window. the wine is superbly put together with lovely fruit and structure. No point in aging this anymore so enjoy with salmon or pork with a fruity sauce.
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11/10/2013 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 92 Points
lovely SB pinot. With vineyard is of course amazing. The wine has a flavor profile typical of the Santa Rita Hills. Bright and crisp. The wine is in the perfect drinking window.... enjoy.
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5/23/2013 - jenericwine wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Everything a Pinot should be. Earth, fruit, balance. If you have one of these in your cellar, we are green with envy. Enjoy!
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5/12/2012 - chiddles wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful. Not for those looking for a Burgundian Pinot,
but a fantastic Central Coast Pinot.
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12/8/2011 - johnson5953 wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced; dark fruit; needed 30 min to open up.
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7/29/2011 - CADomer wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed this one at Cadiz in Santa Barbara. Very nice bottle of local Pinot. More on the elegant side and showed good balance. The delicate dark fruit character reminded more of cool climate Pinot rather than what is typical in Santa Rita Hills. Quite nice.
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5/28/2011 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
From magnum; Nicely balanced - beautiful example of cali PN - especially SS vineyard. Delish.
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4/17/2011 - Baggio wrote: 92 Points
Excellent pinot. Less extracted than the high scoring '04, which seemed like a good thing. Beautiful balance of fruit, acidity and tannins.
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4/8/2011 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 91 Points
Luscious. Lighter than past vintages, but plush, full, and fun.
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4/3/2011 - ahaggerty Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hard wine to find, but so worth it. Better than Seasmoke Southing
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4/3/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: 86 Points
I am a dedicated fan of California Pinot Noir, but even I know when a wine has been pushed farther than it should. This wine has all the right variables -- great vintage, great vineyard, great winemakers -- the perfect storm for a great wine. But it is not great. It is OK, but not great. Overripe (bordering on stewed) notes of black cherry, cinnamon, candy bar, sun-dried tomatoes, red clay and vanilla. Tasty and rich on the palate with a dense creamy texture, but also a little monolithic, and I feel somehow that the fruit has taken a backseat to the craft. A Pinot on steroids, to be sure, and really yummy with some some charcuterie and goat cheese, but not a wine that I would buy again, especially at this $70++ price point.
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3/15/2011 - indy73lwk wrote: 91 Points
Nice, wonderful compliment to a great Steak Dinner - opend for about 30 minutes, Consistent and enjoyable. Glad I have 2 more!
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11/15/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
COLOR: Deep garnet-purple to a light garnet rim
NOTE: A thoroughly ripe pinot at 15%+ abv., it of necessity throws a bit of heat in the nose, but the nose is still such a glorious mixture of concentrated pink roses, pomagranate liqueur, cola and faint cracked pepper. Mouth is rich and delicious with velvety, ripe tannins, pomagranate juice, raspberry liqueur, dried strawberries, cinnamon. Finish is 45+ seconds and really takes on a load of baking spices, followed by concentrated black and red fruits. This is just as good as it was over 2 years ago. Not a QPR, but I rate this much higher than WS and WA.
DECANT: 2 hr
GLASS USED: Pinot
TASTE: 9.2+
COST: 75
VALUE: 6.9
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 02/08
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING: Bratwurst and mac & cheese with Cholula hot sauce and finely ground black pepper! Slap yo mammy!
---
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4/29/2010 - coreywb wrote: 90 Points
Tasted side by side with Sea Smoke Southing same vintage. Virtually indistinguishable. Sea Smoke at $25 less is a far better value. Both are darker, more lush Pinots with substantial alcohol levels though not obviously detectable. Very good effort though not quite up to the 2004 standard.
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11/28/2009 - alphabiotics wrote: 84 Points
Disappointing. Loved the 2004 (one of my all time favorites) and in general love Foxen wines. To me this tasted as a heavy wine; very dark, tannic, minerals, not much fruit taste or brightness - disappointing. Did not improve over a couple of hours. Did drink from lovely burgandy glass; oh well certainly not a QPR. Sadly I wasn't even motivated to finish the bottle and my guest agreed! A first with a Foxen!
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10/30/2009 - S. Lorin wrote: 84 Points
oh well - looked forward to this unique bottling but it came out flat displaying soft notes of raspberries and cherries, some spice, white pepper, moist wood - corked? hard to say but not detectable by me on the nose...nowhere near the Sea Smoke Southing 2005 which is just fantastic
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10/11/2009 - Saintaz wrote: 87 Points
Gave this over an hour to open up.
Nose: nice fruit fragrance.
Taste: Very light and almost no fruit to speak of. Lots of alcohol and heat. I kept tasting and waiting for something to appear but nothing showed up.
Finish: Lots earth and minerals, long finish with more heat from the alcohol.
I have to say that I was disappointed by this bottle. I was expecting more. I'll wait 6 more months before I drink the other bottle I have.
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10/9/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
From magnum - classic sea smoke - not quite up to the classic 2004 but with a very lush mouthfeel and classic pinot flavors - glad I gave this an extra year in the cellar.
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10/12/2008 - clayfu wrote: 91 Points
what a huge pinot. Loads of cola, pepper, ripe berries on the nose. A huge tannic backbone that almost reminds me of syrah. The pepper and licorice just assaults you with a hint of green and medicinal cherry. There's some toasted oak and cola on the finish. Very big and structured wine. It was faring far better than the 06 pisoni and 06 KB RR this night.
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9/15/2008 - jaylew1 wrote: 93 Points
Cherry, spicy, dark...all true...the comparison to syrah is interesting...not quite that jammy, but a very big pinot. We liked it a lot.
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9/4/2008 - ptheimer wrote: 91 Points
Thick and sweet, a bit hot on the finish, lacked the finesse I expected but full of fruit with a lingering finish. Perhaps too young, and needed more decant time than I provided, struck me more like a syrah than a pinot. Too pricey, would not buy again
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3/17/2008 - Zigman wrote: 92 Points
Good bottle, big, well balanced with cherry and some subtle strawberry fruits along with the cola and spice found in other central coast pinots. There is nothing wrong with this wine but there are quite comparable central coast pinots (and other Foxen pinots) at half the price.
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2/23/2008 - jesus juice wrote:
dark for a pinot. red licorice, flinty and floral. glorious silky mouth feel and big long finish. huge for a pinot. 15.2% abv. syrah, petite syrah?
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12/14/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 96 Points
Continues to be the darkest pinot I have ever consumed. Extraordinarily rich and lush. I don't find this much different than the 04. surprised to see RMP went from 96 pts for the 04 to 89 pts for the 05. This is drinking better than all of Sea Smoke's own 05s.
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11/30/2007 - Steve Jones wrote: 89 Points
Blind California Pinot Noir Tasting (Gary's House in Lisle, IL): Sight: Deep Purple color
Smell: The nose was creosote, alcohol and fruit.
Taste: The wine tasted more like a syrah than a pinot. Hot, dark, cherry flavors.
Notes: Number three of the night.
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11/30/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
Blind Cali Pinot night (Lisle(gary's house)): nose: real dark nose with cola, spices, and dark cherry. pretty big nose here
taste: decent mouth. mostly cherry and a slight bit of spice. Mouth isn't giving me nearly as much as teh nose did
overall: a good wine with a real nice mouthfeel. Provides a good finish, but this one needs some serious time to open up
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11/30/2007 - Claudio161 wrote: 87 Points
Tasted as part of a group Pinot tasting - tasting we performed blind with capsules removed and the bags taped around the neck. Wines were not revealed until after ALL of the wines set for the evening were tasted. During the Pinot tasting, I used Waterford "Connoisseur Gold" Pinot Noir glasses. Color: Medium red color - not especially clear so it may not have been filtered. Smell: Creosote, woody, cherry syrup Taste: Heat hits you hard. Nice cherry flavor, I pegged this to be a central coaster because of the vicious heat. Woodsy notes accompanied the over-the-top alcohol. Overall disappointing and glad as heck I did not spend any money on this wine!
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11/3/2007 - sammy wrote: 91 Points
Wine Bank Pino Noir tasting (Wine Bank, Menlo Park, CA): Slightly sweet with great oak and mild fruit flavors that have great balance.
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