2021 Foxen Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard
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Tasting notes
While less intense and complex than the Fe Ciega bottling, the 2021 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is lovely, opening with aromas of dark fruit, black tea, bergamot and dried sage. It is pure and spry on the palate before finishing on a darker note that retains a vibrant, crunchy energy. This is primed for early consumption and offers a beautiful take on the Foxen style as applied to the Sta. Rita Hills.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is powerful and dense, but also a bit compact. It will be interesting to see if this opens with time. Today, all of its energy is directed inwards. Potent and quite deep, the 2021 captures all of the intensity that is typical of the eastern side of the appellation. In other words, it's a wine that offers more in the way of forward fruit but less savoriness. Ripe dark blue/purplish fruit, sweet spice, lavender and menthol linger.
Darker red plums, sassafras, Christmas spice, and some charcuterie notes all emerge from the 2021 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard, a medium to full-bodied, wild, nicely textured Pinot Noir that lacks a touch of precision and focus but brings lots of complexity as well as fruit. I still find the 2020s to be slightly hit-or-miss from this reference point producer in the Central Coast, but the good news is that the 2021s appear to be a step up as well as more consistent.