Sea Smoke Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills 2020

Perhaps no brand is more shrouded in misty mystery quite like Sea Smoke. The business model was unique. First every single bottle is made from the estate’s holdings – no purchased fruit ever – even if demand far outstrips supply. No required allocations. They have a list – it’s free to join. First come, first served. If you don’t want the wines, no worries, the person right behind you will.

The secret to Sea Smoke is the East/West running of the Santa Ynez river – an extremely rare phenomenon in the U.S. Instead of the maritime influence being caught by a mountain range, its influence rushes through the valley and into the vineyards.

For the first time ever, we got our hands on Sea Smoke’s elusive, exclusive and exquisite Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, the famous cool climate Chard that helped propel this tiny winery into the elite stratosphere and cult status. Made with Dijon and Wente clones, they use stainless steel as well as French oak foudres and demi-muids to ferment their Chardonnay which brings out elegance and a laser-focused Chardonnay.