2021 Foxen Winery Pinot Noir Rose Santa Maria Valley 750 ml

Foxen’s Pinot Noirs are the stuff of legend—Wine Advocate has called them “loaded with class and personality across the board”—and whenever the Santa Barbara icon releases a new bottling, fans of the winery snap to attention. However, Foxen has more up their sleeve than their bar-setting reds, and one we anticipate the most is their mouthwatering rosé of Pinot Noir. 

This is one of Santa Barbara’s best-kept secrets, and we’re not surprised it escapes the notice of so many wine lovers: Foxen made only a smidge over 500 cases, and most bottles go to visitors to their tasting room.

For their 2021 Santa Maria Valley Rosé, Foxen sourced grapes from one of the AVA’s best: Riverbench Vineyard, a picturesque, rolling estate renowned for crafting world-class Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. First planted in 1973 along the Sisquoc River—an area known as the Santa Maria Bench, hence the winery’s name—Riverbench produces impeccable, sustainably farmed fruit that’s gone into bottles from some of Santa Barbara County’s biggest names.

Every step in the life of this rosé has been marked by meticulous care: hand-harvesting, gentle pressing, fermentation in neutral puncheons, and a five-day rest on the lees to add body and a rounded mouthfeel. 

The result is a gorgeous spring-and-summer sipper bursting with fruit, from the bright nose of wild strawberries and watermelon rind to the fresh berries, pink grapefruit, and candied lemon rind on the palate. Roast up a chicken, sear some scallops, or get a crusty baguette and some fresh, tangy chevre—with a wine this food-friendly and delicious you can’t go wrong.