Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2021

SEA SMOKE

Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills
2021

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
Product code
760779
Format
6 x 750ml
Listing type
Open
Status
Unavailable
Type of product
Still wine
Country
United States
Regulated designation
American Viticultural Areas (AVA)
Region
California
Subregion
Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills
Varietal(s)
Chardonnay 100 %
Colour
White
Closure type
Cork
Producer's website

About this winery

All of Sea Smoke’s grapes come from a rugged, foggy (or “sea smoky”) vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills region of Santa Barbara County. From these grapes, the Sea Smoke team creates two beautiful Pinot Noirs: Southing and Ten as well as Chardonnay and a 100% Pinot Noir méthode champenoise sparkling wine called Sea Spray. The Sea Smoke vineyard is planted with 10 different clones of Pinot Noir as well as Chardonnay spread across 39 hectares, creating many combinations of soil, clone and...

See the SEA SMOKE detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

The grapes for this wine come from loamy, well-drained soils on our estate vineyard. Dijon and Wente clones are fermented in stainless steel as well as in French oak foudres and demi-muids. This is an elegant chardonnay with a focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity characteristic of Sea Smoke Vineyard.

Production notes

Our estate-grown Chardonnay fruit was picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard before spending the night in our cold room. Chilled grapes were softly pressed and the juice was gently pumped into a stainless steel tank and cold settled. Once the heavy solids were removed, the juice was racked to a stainless steel fermentor, then inoculated for primary fermentation. Following primary fermentation, the wine was racked to barrels, inoculated for malolactic fermentation, then periodically stirred to enhance depth and mouthfeel. The 2019 Sea Smoke Chardonnay was aged for a total of 10 months prior to bottling with no fining and no filtration.

Tasting notes

An elegant Chardonnay with aromas of mango, honeysuckle, fresh cut pear and honeydew. These are complemented by nectarine and a slight nuttiness in the focused mid-palate and the refreshing cool climate acidity of our estate vineyard

Press reviews

Decanter

- 95 points -

December 2023 (Vintage 2021)

hile sun drenched and unabashedly Californian in style, this richly extracted Chardonnay boasts a steeliness and finesse that's riveting. Low crop yields lend power and concentration to this voluminous, full-bodied wine vinified in stainless steel and matured 10 months in French oak barrels (24% new). Polished and satiny wine yet impeccably balanced by cutting streaks of lemon and lime, subtly herbal shades of oak and a murmur of tannins that lend an upright feel to the finish. Invigorating in youth but should meld and ease well into the next decade.

See detailed press review