2017 Foxen Winery Pinot Noir Block 43 Bien Nacido Santa Maria Valley 750 ml

California and Burgundy might be very different, but there are some striking similarities: First, world-class Pinot Noir is made in both places. Second, they’re both subject to the basics of supply and demand. We first learned that steadfast law in the Côte de Nuits, where we used to get bottles of Roumier Bonnes-Mares for $50. Now, the new release will fetch $1,500!

In California, the story is much the same: Like the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanée, California’s top single-vineyard Pinot Noirs are crafted in tiny quantities. Demand always outpaces supply. Predictably, that sends prices into the stratosphere. 

But today, we’re happy to flip the script with the 2017 Foxen Block 43 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir. Not only does it come from one of America’s undisputed “Grand Cru” sites and one of Santa Barbara’s most revered producers, but it earned the highest rating that Jeb Dunnuck has EVER given a Foxen wine—and he’s been tasting the legendary winery’s Fe Ciega, Bien Nacido, and Sea Smoke Vineyard Pinots for a decade. 

Dunnuck called it “a beautiful, layered effort that's up with the crème de la crème in the vintage,”  in the 96-point review that put Foxen alongside $200 Pinots from cult favorite Kosta Browne. 

A study in marvelous structure, the 2017 shows forward aromas of black cherry, wild raspberries, toast, clove, and violets, opening to a slight undercurrent of licorice and forest floor. The medium-full palate is wrapped in silken and suave tannins, which carry pleasingly fruity flavors of cherry and loganberry complemented by well-integrated oak spice and hints of earth. It’s an excellent Pinot for fans of fuller-bodied wines. 

Achieving this kind of inimitable California Pinot Noir is a combination of the skill of homegrown winemaker David Whitehair, who took the reins from Bill Wathen in 2016, and the iconic Bien Nacido Vineyard. Vinous calls the site the “most famous of all” within the Santa Maria Valley AVA, and Wine Enthusiast named it one of the “Top Grand Cru Vineyards in California.” It’s produced high-scoring and treasured Pinot Noirs from Ojai, Au Bon Climat, Presqu'ile, Twomey, Qupé, Bedrock, Tyler, Paul Lato… and of course Foxen. 

The site, which traces its history back to 1837, is set in chilly Santa Maria Valley—one of the coldest microclimates in California. It sits at the western edge of the Santa Maria Bench on alluvial terraces and hills above the Sisquoc River, where summer temperatures are moderated first by morning fog, then by stiff breezes off the Pacific. The soils are deep, comprised of silty clay loam and shale. 

The 2.5-acre Block 43 faces south-southwest at just over 700 feet of elevation. It’s planted to Dijon clones, which under Whitehair, achieve ripeness and concentration reminiscent of young Premier Cru Burgundy Pinot Noir, but imbued with California richness. In 2017, the fruit was hand-harvested at the beginning of August, then destemmed and open-top fermented. After spending 16 months in 43% new barriques, the wine is shining with that gorgeous fruit, and accented with the perfect wood and spice notes.