Winemaker Notes
Sea Spray opens with a lifted and nuanced bouquet of fresh blueberries, rising dough, and delicate rose petal with layers of grapefruit, lemon peel, marzipan, orange blossom, classic brioche, and white nectarine. The palate offers an energetic freshness and creamy mousse, revealing nutty, caramelized pear, and ripe fig flavors. A persistent minerality drives the long, fresh finish. Bright and expressive, this wine balances tension and finesse with remarkable clarity.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Well, it looks like I need to put Sea Smoke Cellars on my radar screen. The 2020 Sea Smoke Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine is one of the finest wines in this genre of finely made bubblies. Its fine beads lead into subtle aromas of apple core and classic hints of yeast. On the palate, it drinks with refreshing crispness, making it an outstanding match for a fresh Dungeness crab salad. (Tasted: November 28, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.