Medium Red

Foxen is a legend in Santa Barbara wine country. Founded by Dick Doré and Bill Wathen in the late 70s it wasn’t until the late 80’s that they got their license (the 13th in the region which now is home to over 200). They work with some of the best fruit in the region where winemaker David Whitehair seeks to express the fruit cleanly. This fruit comes from the cooler pinot plots of Santa Maria which is closer to the coast than Foxen Canyon. The wine is a delightful pinot with all the hallmarks of fruit that benefits from a big shift between the night and day temperatures, and like all great Santa Barbara wines there’s a distinct tell of salinity. 

Pinot Noir loves a cool climate, so the strong influence of the cold Pacific air is the perfect place to grow this grape. The vintage was difficult for growers, meaning that the fruit that did make it to the winemakers was concentrated and expressive—perfect for Pinot lovers. Blending fruit from four sites around the county allowed Lioco to produce a gorgeously balanced wine that takes the best characteristics from each of their sites to produce a wine that tastes like Northern California: brambly coastal berries (cherry, black raspberry), pine resin, dried tobacco, iron, salinity, and blue florals.