Alcohol: 13.5 %
Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Location: Santa Maria Valley AVA, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
Tasting Notes: Bright garnet. Aromas of ripe red cherry and raspberry lift from the glass, deepening into earthy notes of leather, forest floor and crushed herbs. On the palate it is cool-climate Pinot of the first order: juicy red fruit with a savory mineral spine, fine-grained tannins and a long, spice-tinged finish that carries the vintage’s natural acidity. Enjoy over the next 4-6 years, through the late 2020s.
Notes: 100% Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, one of California’s coolest and longest-growing-season AVAs, where maritime fog and transverse valley geography let Pinot hang for weeks. Hand-harvested, cold-soaked, fermented in small lots and aged in French oak with restrained new wood. The 2024 vintage gave elegant, fresh, cool-climate wines on the Central Coast.
Food Pairing: Excellent with roast duck, grilled salmon, mushroom dishes, pork chops, and Comté or cow’s milk washed-rind cheeses.
Winery Story: FOXEN is one of Santa Barbara’s true pioneer estates, founded in 1985 by Dick Doré and Bill Wathen and named for Doré’s great-great grandfather, sea captain William Benjamin Foxen. From their rustic tasting room on Foxen Canyon Road, the winery helped write the book on Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir; this bottling channels that heritage in a fresh, contemporary style.
