Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir 2023

Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir 2023 is an estate-grown Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir bottled at 14.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Sourced from ten distinct Pinot Noir clones planted on Sea Smoke's own vineyard, the 2023 vintage carries a 93-point aggregate score on Wine-Searcher — continuing the label's track record of critical recognition across vintages.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Santa Rita Hills AVA, Santa Barbara County, California  |  100% Pinot Noir (Ten Clones)  |  Producer: Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard

Production & Heritage

Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard occupies a prized stretch of the Santa Rita Hills AVA, where Pacific fog and transverse mountain ranges create one of California's coolest Pinot Noir microclimates. The "Ten" designation refers to the ten separate Pinot Noir clones planted across the estate, each contributing a different aromatic or structural element to the final blend. Fruit is hand-harvested, cold-soaked for five days to extract color and primary aromatics, then fermented in open-top vessels over a 16- to 28-day maceration period. The wine is bottled with no fining and no filtration, preserving the raw textural complexity that defines this cuvée.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with deep, concentrated dark cherry and black plum before giving way to violets, lavender, and cocoa. Beneath the fruit, subtle forest-floor earthiness mingles with hazelnut shell and dried thyme.

Taste: The entry is rich and full, with blueberry and dark plum coating the palate immediately. At mid-palate, layers of dark chocolate, espresso, and clove emerge alongside an exotic Five Spice quality that gives the wine uncommon depth. Ripe dark berry fruit is supported by firm, structured tannins that frame the wine without overwhelming it.

Finish: The finish is long and resonant, trailing off with anise, rose petal, and lingering black cherry. A pennyroyal minerality persists beneath sweet basil and licorice, lending a savory edge that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Sea Smoke Ten

This is a wine built for serious attention — pour it into a large-bowled Burgundy glass at cellar temperature (around 60°F) and let it open for 30 to 45 minutes before drinking. Its concentration and tannic structure also make it a compelling cocktail-adjacent ingredient: use it in a classic Pinot Noir Sangria with dark stone fruits and star anise for a spiced party pour; try a Red Wine Spritz with sparkling water and an orange twist to showcase its floral top notes in warm weather; or build a Burgundian Kir with a small measure of crème de cassis to amplify the wine's native blackberry intensity.

Best For

• Gifting a Pinot Noir collector who values estate-grown, single-AVA bottlings
• Anchoring a comparative tasting of Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir clones
• Pairing with a special-occasion dinner featuring braised or grilled red meat
• Cellaring for mid-term aging to track how ten-clone complexity evolves over time

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sea Smoke Ten taste like? Sea Smoke Ten 2023 is a medium-full-bodied Pinot Noir dominated by dark berry fruit — blueberry, black plum, and cherry — layered with exotic spice, dark chocolate, espresso, and a distinct minerality. The tannins are firm and the finish carries savory anise and rose petal notes.

How does Sea Smoke Ten compare to Sea Smoke Southing? Both wines come from the same estate vineyard in Santa Rita Hills, but Southing is crafted as a softer, silkier expression of Pinot Noir, while Ten is deliberately richer and more robust, built around all ten clones for maximum complexity and tannic structure.

Is Sea Smoke Ten good for sipping neat? Absolutely — its layered aromatics, firm tannins, and long finish reward careful, unhurried drinking on its own, especially with 30 to 45 minutes of air in the glass.

Where is Sea Smoke Ten made? Sea Smoke Ten is produced entirely at Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, a cool-climate appellation in Santa Barbara County, California known for world-class Pinot Noir.

What foods pair well with Sea Smoke Ten? Braised short ribs complement the wine's dark fruit concentration and firm tannins. Duck breast with a cherry reduction echoes its core berry notes. Grilled lamb chops with rosemary mirror its herbal and earthy undertones. Aged Gruyère or Comté cheeses match the wine's savory, nutty finish. Mushroom risotto amplifies the forest-floor character on the nose.

What sizes does Sea Smoke Ten come in? Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Sea Smoke Ten worth the price? Sea Smoke Ten positions firmly in the premium tier of California Pinot Noir, competing with top estate bottlings from the Santa Rita Hills and broader Santa Barbara County. Its estate-grown fruit, ten-clone blending, and unfiltered/unfined production place it among the more serious expressions in the region, and consistent critical scores in the low-to-mid 90s support its standing at its price point.

Why Sea Smoke Ten?

The defining feature of this wine is its ten-clone architecture — rather than relying on one or two popular Pinot Noir selections, Sea Smoke cultivates a full palette of genetic material on a single estate, then blends them into a wine of unusual aromatic and structural range. Cold soaking, extended maceration, and a strict no-fining, no-filtration bottling regimen ensure that complexity survives intact from vineyard to glass. The 2023 vintage continues to demonstrate why the Santa Rita Hills AVA is among the most respected Pinot Noir appellations in California, and Sea Smoke Ten remains one of its most concentrated, distinctive ambassadors.