2003 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten
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Tasting notes
Good saturated deep red. Dark raspberry and musky espresso on the oaky nose. Juicy, firm and structured but also satisfyingly fat and sweet, with a finer grain and a higher pitch than the Southing. Still, the mocha and chocolate flavors show an almost Rhone-like ripeness. Finishes with substantial but soft tannins and a positive dryness. This should benefit from a year or two of cellaring.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The deep ruby/purple-tinged 2003 Pinot Noir Ten offers up stunning aromas of violets, creme de cassis, cherries, and flowers. It is an extraordinary wine that coats the palate with great viscosity, richness, and layers of flavor. There is a seamless integration of wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol. A tour de force, this exquisite example of Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills should drink well for a decade. This wine was bottled about six weeks before I tasted it, which is usually a difficult period for many wines, even those bottled naturally. In any event, this up-and-coming Santa Barbara County producer demonstrates considerable potential. Tel. (805) 737-1600
(tasted from barrel shortly before bottling) Dark ruby-red.Deep aromas of plum and brown spices. Very ripe, roasted flavors of dark fruits, meat and minerals; wilder than the Botella and Southing. Offers good volume but the strong oak component currently dries the wine's finish. Winemaker Kris Curran isolates the Ten juice first: this wine contains all ten of the winery's pinot clones and is aged in all new barrels. I could not help but wonder if these wines would be even better for an earlier bottling.