From the south-facing slopes on the Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard, this expresses the site and the reliable, long growing season of the Sta Rita Hills. Ripe and audacious Pinot Noir showing smashed raspberries and red plums with warm baking spice aromatics and a hint of tobacco. The palate is generous, with sweet cherry flesh and dried lavender framed by an array of savoury wild herbs, and a tinge of smoky sea salt brightens the finish with a gleaming minerality. Aged for 16 months in French oak, 42% new, bottled with no fining or filtration. (CP)