Expect lemon curd, white peach, green apple, baking spice, and refined oak with medium-to-full body, creamy texture, and bright acidity. Sta. Rita Hills' cool maritime fog gives the wine notable freshness despite full malolactic and oak treatment. The 2021 California vintage was excellent.
- Varietal
- Chardonnay
- Region
- USA / California / Santa Barbara County / Sta. Rita Hills
- Body
- Medium to Full
- Style
- dry white, oak-aged, cool-climate, structured
The producer
Sea Smoke is a single-estate Pinot and Chardonnay specialist in Sta. Rita Hills, founded in 1999 by Bob Davids. The estate's Chardonnay program emerged later than its Pinot Noir but has built strong critical recognition. Sourced exclusively from estate fruit on a south-facing hillside in the cooler western end of the AVA.
What critics say
Sea Smoke Chardonnay consistently receives scores in the mid- to high-90s and is regarded as one of California's most acclaimed cool-climate Chardonnays.
Pairing
Grilled lobster with butter, butter-poached halibut, creamy mushroom risotto