Foxen Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir 2015
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Wine Enthusiast
This block-designate wine shows flamboyant aromas of red cherry, cola, purple flowers and light caramel. The palate offers an amazingly cohesive and zesty experience, combining piquant cranberry and tart raspberry with slate-driven minerality and a persistent woody spice. The texture is soft, but lifted by strong acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block 8 is quite Burgundian in profile, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, grilled game bird, spice and rich soil. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, sappy and savory, with fine tannins and a penetrating, sapid finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A big step up over the Santa Maria Valley release, the 2015 Pinot Noir Block 8 Bien Nacido offers a terrific bouquet of black cherries, saddle leather, spice-box and dried herbs. It's fresh, nicely concentrated and textured, with good acidity, and will benefit from short term cellaring.
Other Vintages
2019- Vinous
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Guide
Connoisseurs'
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Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.