A wine utilizing grapes sourced from vineyards adjacent to the acclaimed Sea Smoke property has been re-released by the namesake winery nearly 12 years after its last vintage.
On June 30, I met Don Schroeder, director of winemaking for Sea Smoke, for a tour of the property that includes the acreage devoted to the label.
Sea Smoke’s 2024 Botella chardonnay and pinot noir wines utilize grapes primarily from vineyards that neighbor the former on Santa Rosa Road, among them Sanford & Benedict, Fiddlestix, El Jabali, Bentrock and Radian.
“Our future focus is Santa Rosa Road fruit,” Schroeder said.
I tasted the 2024 Botella Chardonnay (a 50-50 split between John Sebastiano and Rio Vista vineyards) and the same vintage of pinot noir, which is 85% of Sanford & Benedict, Fiddlestix and La Rinconada, with the remainder from Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bentrock, Radian and El Jabali.
Looking at total production, Botella is about one-third of Sea Smoke’s total, he noted, with just 12% of Botella devoted to chardonnay and the remainder to pinot noir.
Schroeder drove us from the main gate of the property — historically a nearly 900-acre ranch devoted to horses — to the various vineyard blocks, most of them planted to various clones of pinot noir and many of them as steep as slopes one might ski.
As we wound our way west, following the road around hairpin turns, past wind-blown hillsides and down and back up steep canyons, Schroeder pointed out sections farmed by other wineries. Among them are “Winzleau, which is farmed by Racines Wines, between Sea Smoke and the 200-acre Rita’s Crown” — with the latter, leased to Piazza Wines but included in Sea Smoke’s total acreage, he said.
The total acreage planted for Sea Smoke is currently about 170, which includes 70 newly planted vines on the eastern edge of the property. Just west of this newest acreage is a hillside block planted in 2022, Schroeder told me.
“Constellation (owners of Sea Smoke since May 2024) wants to expand,” he said.
That expansion includes the new acreage and some replanting of older vines. “About 10% of the main ranch is under redevelopment.”
Elevation on the property ranges from 218 feet to 720 feet above sea level, and a majority of the acreage faces south to ensure nearly limitless sunshine.
Sea Smoke was founded in 1999 when Bob Davids, an aficionado of Burgandian wines and the CEO of a computer game company, bought 350 acres of the original 900-acre horse ranch.
His crew began planting vines on 105 acres that same year; they targeted the south-facing slopes above Fiddlestix Vineyard.
The winery’s “Ten” pinot noir utilizes 10 different pinot noir clones, and “Southing” is named for the prevalence of those south-facing slopes, Schroeder said. The clones for “Ten” are 777, 667, 2a, 115, 113, 828, 05, 459, 09 and 16.
The Botella wines see fewer months in barrel, and a lower percentage of new French oak: The chardonnay is aged for 10 months in 15% new oak, and the pinot noir for 12 months in 30% new, according to the website.
For comparison, Sea Smoke’s estate “Ten” pinot noir sees 16 months in 56% new oak; the Southing, 16 months in 42% new, and the chardonnay, 10 months in 24% new.
Every vintage of the “Ten” and “Southing” hails from the same vineyard blocks, Schroeder told me.
Starting every December, the winemaking employees start “team tasting” all the barrels. “At the rate of three tastings per week, and an average of 20 to 25 barrels per day, it takes us almost two months to taste through all the wines in barrel, assigning each one a grade.”
The finished products: “Southing is leaner, with a backbone, while Ten is bigger, with more density on the palate,” Schroeder explained.
Sea Smoke also produces a sparkling wine in house via the traditional “tirage” process that requires three years. Unfortunately, at just 5% of total production, the sparklers go straight to club members when they are released every October, and typically sell out within five to seven days, he said.
The chardonnay is priced at $45 a bottle, while the pinot noir goes for $65.