Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir 2023 Sta. Rita Hills

Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir 2023 is a single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, one of California’s most respected cool-climate appellations for the variety. Crafted entirely from estate-grown fruit and overseen by winemaker Don Schroeder, this wine is designed to express the balance of elegance, structure, and site-driven character that defines the Southing bottling each vintage.

The name “Southing” refers to the south-facing hillside bluffs within the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard, where exposure and coastal influence combine to shape Pinot Noir with natural intensity and freshness. The 2023 vintage was harvested by hand, with clusters sorted in the vineyard and gently destemmed after an overnight cold soak in the winery’s cold room. All jack stems were removed to ensure purity of fruit and texture. The musts underwent a five-day cold soak in open-top fermenters before inoculation with cultured yeasts to begin a slow, controlled fermentation. Throughout fermentation, the wine was manually punched down twice daily, with total maceration lasting between fourteen and eighteen days.

Following primary fermentation, the free-run wine was settled and the remaining wine pressed at extremely low pressure to avoid extracting bitterness or harsh phenolics. Both free-run and press fractions were then racked to barrel for aging. Southing Pinot Noir 2023 matured for sixteen months in French oak, with forty-two percent new barrels, allowing the wine to gain complexity and integration without overshadowing its vineyard expression. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, preserving texture, aromatic detail, and structural integrity.

In the glass, the wine reflects the cool climate of Sta. Rita Hills through its natural acidity and fine tannin profile. Aromas open with fresh currant and subtle strawberry, followed by rose, dried fruit, and nuanced spice notes that recall fennel, clove, and nutmeg. On the palate, the wine shows measured concentration, with minerality and acidity providing lift and balance. Tannins are refined and supportive, framing the fruit rather than dominating it, and carrying the wine through a composed, lingering finish.

Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir 2023 is a precise expression of estate Pinot Noir from a south-facing coastal site, built for immediate appreciation yet structured to evolve gracefully with time.