The SOMM Journal

February / March 2017

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38 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 { cellar view } SEA SMOKE 2006 SOUTHING PINOT NOIR Don Schroeder: Dry bramble and red fruit, slight fig and a touch of currant. Solid tannin attack, firm acid and slightly airy, short finish (but in line with 2006). Anthony Dias Blue: Elegant vintage with a ripe berry nose. Juicy, fresh and seamless, with blueberry and cherry on the nose. Long and balanced with earthy notes. Paul Coker: Soft, supple and creamy on the palate. Savory and herbal on the nose with sage, rosehip and potpourri. Finish is prickly, like picking raspberries. Karen Moneymaker: Candied rhubarb, clove, tealeaf with sweet tannins and pronounced structure. Enduring acidity with the oak profile hanging tight. Drink: Now Group rating: 93 THESE DAYS, "CULT" CALIFORNIA CABERNETS are plentiful; not true of Golden State Pinot Noirs. One of the most sought after of these rare birds is Sea Smoke, a name derived from the damp marine layer of fog that seeps into the Santa Barbara County vineyard from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Made from a rolling, south-facing, 100-acre vineyard in the western part of the Santa Rita Hills, this luscious wine comes in three elegant iterations: Botella, the simpler, basic Pinot; Southing, the most typical Sea Smoke; and Ten, named after the ten different clones planted in the vineyard. On January 16, Somm Journal Senior Editor Karen Moneymaker and I sat down with winemaker Don Schroeder and noted Sommelier Paul Coker of Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point, CA, to taste eight vintages of Southing and two of Ten. Starting with 2006 Southing and finishing with the 2013, the wines were stunningly consistent and of extraordinary quality. Smoke from Santa Barbara OUR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PANEL INHALES A VERTICAL OF SEA SMOKE'S SOUTHING AND TEN PINOT NOIRS by Anthony Dias Blue Karen Moneymaker, Senior Editor of The Somm Journal; Don Schroeder, wine- maker at Sea Smoke; Anthony Dias Blue, Editor in Chief of The Somm Journal; Paul Coker, Lead Sommelier at Stonehill Tavern, Dana Point, CA.

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