This wine will arrive mid-November 2026.
Sea Smoke 2019 Grand Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills California
The Pinnacle of the Sea Smoke Estate
Sea Smoke 2019 Grand Pinot Noir represents the ultimate expression of one of California's most celebrated Pinot Noir vineyards.
Produced exclusively from the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, Grand is not simply another Sea Smoke Pinot Noir. It is an artful selection of the estate's most distinguished Pinot Noir lots from the 2019 vintage, individually chosen for their complexity, depth, structure and ability to contribute to a wine of exceptional harmony.
After 16 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled and then patiently cellared for an extraordinary five additional years before release. The result is a Pinot Noir that arrives with the complexity and integration of extended bottle maturation while retaining the freshness, energy and structure for which the Sea Smoke Estate is known.
Sea Smoke considers Grand, together with its Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs, among the pinnacle wines of its collection, offered in extremely limited quantities through the winery's allocation program.
Tasting Notes
The 2019 Sea Smoke Grand Pinot Noir opens with an expressive and mature aromatic profile of poached cherry, dark cherry, toasted sugar and baking spices, followed by cedar and intriguing accents of dried mint, sage and flint.
On the palate, the wine is rich and layered without sacrificing refinement. Dark cherry and licorice mingle with savory spice, while supple tannins provide structure and vibrant Sta. Rita Hills acidity gives the wine freshness and lift.
The extended bottle maturation is evident in the wine's integration and complexity, yet Grand remains remarkably youthful. Power and restraint coexist beautifully, leading into a long, sophisticated finish marked by dark fruit, spice, earth and subtle mineral character.
The 2019 Vintage
The 2019 growing season in the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard was cool, with persistent fog influence and gradual ripening.
Those conditions allowed the Pinot Noir to develop slowly while maintaining natural acidity and balance. According to the estate, the resulting 2019 wines combine vibrant fruit, energetic acidity and layered complexity, giving them both immediate expressiveness and the structure for continued development in the cellar.
Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard
Sea Smoke's wines are built around its estate vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, one of California's most acclaimed cool-climate regions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The winery describes its objective as producing wines that express the distinctive character of this coastal vineyard.
Sea Smoke vinifies vineyard blocks and clone combinations as separate lots throughout fermentation and aging. This gives the winemaking team a broad palette from which to assemble its individual cuvées. For Grand, only the most compelling lots from the vintage were selected.
Winemaking & Aging
The Pinot Noir clusters were hand harvested, sorted at the winery, chilled and gently destemmed. Jack stems were removed after destemming to maximize purity.
Whole berries underwent an extended cold soak before a cool, slow fermentation. Regular hand punch-downs provided gentle extraction, and each fermenter was tasted daily to determine the point at which fruit, flavor and tannin had achieved the desired balance.
The free-run wine was then matured for 16 months in French oak, 46% new.
Grand was bottled without fining or filtration and, importantly, was not immediately released. Sea Smoke retained the wine in its cellar for another five years of bottle maturation, allowing the individual components to integrate before the wine reached the market.
That extended winery aging is one of the most compelling features of this release.
Wine Details
Producer: Sea Smoke
Wine: Grand Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2019
Country: United States
State: California
Appellation: Sta. Rita Hills
Vineyard: Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cooperage: French oak, 46% new
Barrel Aging: 16 months
Bottle Aging: Five additional years before release
