2012 Foxen Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard

Cough medicine and chew. A little bit brutal. (JR)

(one-third new oak): Bright ruby. Aromas of dark berries and plum show a distinctly ripe character and pick up a sexy floral nuance with air.  Round and fleshy, showing very good depth and breadth to its dark fruit and floral pastille flavors.  Closes smooth, seamless and appealingly sweet, leaving smoke and Indian spice notes behind.

The 2012 Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills is a beautiful effort that spent 16 months in 33% new French oak prior to being bottled un-fined and unfiltered. Showing notions of cherry pits, framboise, mint and spring flowers, it flows onto the palate with a rich, seamless texture, outstanding purity of fruit and a nicely focused, layered finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Completely destemmed, it shows the prettier side the variety, and will shine for 5-7 years. I was blown away by these new Pinot Noir releases from Foxen, and they’re up near the top of the vintage. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same with regards to the Rhone blends, and these had superficial, mid-weight profiles geared for near-term drinking. As to the Bordeaux blends, these come from the eastern most AVA in Santa Barbara County and are labeled under the Foxen 7200 label. Tel. (805) 937-4251; www.foxenvineyard.com