TN: Sea Smoke Southing Vertical

Supporting California’s only Grand Cru.

SEA SMOKE SOUTHING VERTICAL - Traci’s House (5/10/2015)

Between Traci and me, we’ve been saving our Sea Smoke to make sure we could do a vertical at some point and now was the time since it was Mother’s Day and Traci and Kim’s birthday. Traci did a great job organizing this one, as usual. The fact that the botella served with the entrée showed the best of the lineup just goes to show that wine has a mind of its own.

Cheese and Ladd Chardonnay

• 2013 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Light yellow color, like a Sauvignon blanc actually. Citrus aromas and a Viognier like perfume note. Interestingly the wine has a medium plus weight but great acid balancing it out. While there’s a touch of yellow Apple the lemon note drives the palate with a mint and concentrated lime. The finish is very long. For me, this wine screams for oysters, mussels, or some seafood dripping in butter where the acid can do its magic. (93 pts.)

The Southing Vertical with Arugula and Mint Salad

• 2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  For me, this is the best southing vintage and it showed again very well against the others. The lightest in color among the southings, light garnet. Nose push the old world envelop with mushroom, moss, and an old sneaker scent. As with most SS the oak is showing but with a lacquer remnant. Fruit is cherry and ripe red berries with a herbal and sage wrapper. Tannins are rounded and supple. Sophisticated wine.

#1 2008 Botella #2 2005 Southing #3 2006 Southing #4 2007 Southing (92 pts.)

• 2006 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  Medium dark garnet with purple around the rim. Nose is very light toast, leather, dark cherry, and must. The core of the palate is a ripe sweet cherry but mid palate fades immediately, hollow through the finish. Light tannins and a little thin but more feminine of the line up.

#1 2008 Botella #2 2005 Southing #3 2006 Southing #4 2007 Southing (89 pts.)

• 2007 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  Extremely dark looking like a SRH Syrah. This is a very ripe and concentrated wine, too ripe for me, as the aromas and flavors are dominated by dark plum pushing towards prune. A little cherry lingers around but it’s surrounded by a heavy handed oak treatment. Medium firm tannins.

#1 2008 Botella #2 2005 Southing #3 2006 Southing #4 2007 Southing (87 pts.)

The Botella with Polenta with Diver Scallops

• 2008 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Botella - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  Botella has always been my favorite sea smoke and I’m not apologizing for it. It’s just a better wine in my opinion.

The balance for fruit, acid, herbs, and tannins is excellent. Medium plus finish and enjoyable with food or by itself.

#1 2008 Botella #2 2005 Southing #3 2006 Southing #4 2007 Southing (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

an hour in the decanter really helps soften the '07’s heavy oak.

Thanks for posting, Brig.

When do we do a TEN, think I have 04-09?

Scott,

The '05 and '06 were open for business with a short decant. As Brian mentioned more air would blow off some of the oak in the 2007, and it did. Although riper, the 2007 tannins were a little firmer but it’s two years younger than the 2005 which might explain it.

As for improvement with more age I guess it depends on your preference, I could see the 05 adding more old world burg type secondary layers.

I recall being rather pleasantly surprised at an '05 Southing I had a few years ago, once it had some age on its belt. I recall being into Sea Smoke back when it was becoming popular, and meeting with Kris Curran, joining her in barrel tasting, when I was first starting to get really into wine. My preferences changed, and the style of the wine changed as well, so I stopped buying after the 2006 vintage. My buddy still had some and we cracked a bottle at an event, and at this time it was probably 7 years past vintage date, and it was really enjoyable - perhaps the most enjoyable SS I ever had. I would never have guessed the wines would age as they did.

They really improve with age. I’ve had some bottles of the 01, 03 and 04 Southing in the last few years that were really in a great place, and not appearing to be near any sort of decline.

A few years back, Poppy brought a 2001 Botella to a CTPoker4Wine event. It was awesome.

Just tasted the 12’s a few weeks ago. The southing is going to be lovely in 5 years. Already has great balance.

Do you think I should continue to hold my '08 and '09? I drank an '07 in February and thought it was unremarkable.
My last experience with an '08 was 2 years ago, and I loved it. The '09 on the other hand, I rated 85 (2 years ago).

Let’s do this. I have a vertical of the southing 08-10.