2013 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block 8

Proprietors Bill Wathen and Dick Doré are at the top of their game. This superb set of wines from Foxen also provides fascinating insights into the 2013 vintage, as the Chardonnays and Syrahs are more consistent and brilliant than their Pinot Noir counterparts, which is an accurate depiction of the strengths and weaknesses of the year more broadly. The Pinot Noirs are made with fully destemmed fruit and spend around 17 months in French oak barrels, usually less than 50% new, with the exception of the appellation wines, which are bottled after about nine months in neutral oak. The Rhône blends see a similar amount of time in barrel as the vineyard-designate Pinots, but in larger puncheons. All of the wines see minimal handling and are bottled with no fining or filtration. I also tasted the 2013 Toasted Rope from barrel, but it was too reduced to assess with any accuracy. These are some of the most expressive, singular wines being made in Santa Barbara County today.