Austin Baik

9.4

Really opens up — 10 months ago

with Stuart

Gary Nishimura

9.5

Smooth, worth the money. — 3 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 4 years ago

Robert McNally

9.1

Delicious after an hour decant — 5 years ago

Amy Yan

9.1

Hit the wine jackpot on a work trip! One of two leftovers from the table next to me! Excellent Pinot. Lots of fruit and doesn't taste like a classic Pinot. Smokey wine indeed! — 6 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.3

Creamy and vibrant with notes of caramel, saltwater taffy, apple and melon — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.2

13 July 2016. Eastside Cellars, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

LeLaine Clardy

9.1

1st anniversary dinner at Iris. — 9 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.1

Finishing off the night...cheesecake and bourbon. Ocean is definitely a wee bit briny but has all the savory caramel and vanilla notes of its Presidential brethren, smooth and rich comported. And not so loaded with the alky...so I may have another — 9 years ago

Randall Bowman

9.1

Nice mouth feel and balance — 11 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Decanted for 3 hours. Canary gold color. Bright and fresh. Fruit forward nose. Notes of lemon curd, white peach, sea shells, wet river stone and tan spice. Very luscious in the mouth. More fruit than acidity. This went quickly as the team tonight was thirsty. — 2 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Pale ruby color. Aromas of bing cherry, cranberry and ocean breeze. Good cherry flavors, not a bad Pinot for the price. — 4 years ago

AJ Gubser

9.5

Saltine cracker, smoke, sea shell, lemon peel. The saline/mineral notes are very intriguing.

Huge structure with green apples and searing citric acidity. Some undertones of biscuit along the way with a long, minerally finish.

Big champagne with a straight line of acidity all the way through, leaning to the austere side of things. Enjoyable now, but will bring more pleasure in the decades to come as it unwinds. — 4 years ago

with Brooks

Mike Saviage

9.4

Medium gold. Heavy in the glass. Opened decanted for an hour. Knockout nose. Notes of lemon, white stone with some oyster shell, and a bit of honey develops over time. Rich luscious fruit in the mouth. Acidity hides in the first few hours, then powers up. Great juice. — 5 years ago

Greg Wright

9.0

The Sea Ridge Chardonnay is rich and ample all in the Martinelli style but well balanced. Lemon pie, custard, ripe melons and French oak. Not the most subtle wine but very good in its own right. — 6 years ago

Kristie M. Connor

9.5

Crystalized pineapple. Savory honey, piquant finish. Lemon custard. Flint. Sandy crushed shell soil. Like oaked chard. — 7 years ago

Jen

9.3

At MK. Very nice Chardonnay! — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

From the Tour dArgent wine list. FnA. This is amazing Chablis. Light to med gold. Closed at first. Just wait... There it is. Kermidgean white soil and white rock stone. Shell bits. Over 3 hrs this built into that honeyed mineral stone pit fruit thing that is aged Raveneau. It's what got me interested in Chablis. It's why that disease continues. — 9 years ago

Nolen L

9.0

2013 vintage. Crushed sea shells, saline, and mineral. Good acidity. Mediterranean Chablis? Paired great with roasted chicken and smoked salmon. — 9 years ago

Jonathan Tyer

9.1

First time trying Sea Smoke chard. — 11 years ago

with Chloe

Matt

9.5

Awesome! Its shed some of the ripe and primary fruit, but still has a warm vintage generosity to it in the acidity. Captures Vaillons charming fruit and oyster shell core. Was expecting more honeyed richness but surprised by the nerve underneath the warmth of the year. Its fresh and gets going. Totally fucked with prosciutto wrapped asparagus, boiled taters and sauce Mornay, one of the top pairing of the year so far. — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Popped and poured, and brought out to compare to the 2008. Similar color and brightness as the 2008, which is a good sign. Deeper and slightly more complex nose. Notes of citrus, sea breeze, some hazelnuts, some wet stone. In the mouth it has a bit more weight, and kind of an oiliness to it. Taste lingers for a while. Very nice and sad to later discover this was the last of a 6 pack I had - all of which were in good shape. — 4 years ago

Yasuyuki Tauchi

9.4

Everyone could say it must be Burgundy! It’s a footprint of california-made wine that a faint oak vanillas. Cherry, cranberry, very elegant aromas and flavors. — 5 years ago

Justin Tomac

9.1

Really great wine smooth after, could not — 5 years ago

Patrick Hurley

9.5

Absolutely fantastic Pinot Noir. Its reputation is well deserved. — 5 years ago

Nicole Holden

10

Love this! — 7 years ago

Robert Smith

9.1

Smooth and spicy. Great with a steak and chimichurri Sauce. Affordable. Dark currant and tobacco. Let it breathe. — 8 years ago

Pablo Cetlinski

10

The best pinot noir ever. Shared with family tastes even better — 8 years ago

with Paul

Robert Love

9.5

Nose of honey, oyster shell, and citrus. At once both firm, with cutting minerality and acid in the mouth, and opulent, with a plush perfume from the small amount of new oak. Just lovely. — 9 years ago

Michael Mendes

9.3

Really pleasant. Dry. Beautiful nose. 11.9%. Lemon peel and pears. I'm impressed. — 11 years ago