Sea Smoke Santa Rita Hills Blanc de Noirs Sparkling 2020

Sea Spray opens with a lifted and nuanced bouquet of fresh blueberries, rising dough, and delicate rose petal with layers of grapefruit, lemon peel, marzipan, orange blossom, classic brioche, and white nectarine. The palate offers an energetic freshness and creamy mousse, revealing nutty, caramelized pear, and ripe fig flavours—all driving to a long, fresh finish. Bright and expressive, this wine balances tension and finesse with remarkable clarity.

Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard occupies a singular position within one of the rare east-west coastal mountain ranges in North America. Unlike the typical north-south orientation of western mountain systems, the transverse range of California creates a unique geographic corridor. Through it, the Santa Ynez River canyon channels cool Pacific air inland each afternoon, delivering a daily wave of marine fog that rolls over the Sta. Rita Hills—an essential ingredient in the character of our wines.

Our estate vineyard is perched on south-facing hillside bluffs, ranging from 350 to 750 feet in elevation. These blocks receive generous sunlight, crucial for flavor and tannins development, yet the afternoon fog provides critical balance—slowing ripening, enhancing phenolic complexity, and preserving the vibrant acidity that defines Sea Smoke’s style.

"This is a focused blanc de noirs that’s generous, even this early in its evolution. Pear, apple and lemon flesh and pith notes are dusted with fine salinity. With aeration, it shows incisive wild berry and warm shortbread aromas and flavors. Drink or hold."

94pts James Suckling