2012 Foxen Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard

Vivid ruby. Spicy dark berries, cherry-cola and incense on the deeply perfumed nose, with vibrant mineral and floral notes adding energy. At once densely packed and vibrant in the mouth, offering intense blackberry and boysenberry flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes brisk and spicy, with the dark berry note repeating. In an extroverted, fruit-driven style, with the concentration and balance to reward patience.

Lacking the integration and class of the other Pinot Noirs, the 2012 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills has a ripe, lifted bouquet of plum, violets and green herbs to go with a medium-bodied, bright and focused style. There’s solid ripeness here, and it’s certainly a very good wine, yet it never really comes together, so I’d lean toward drinking over the coming 3-4 years. I was blown away by these new Pinot Noir releases from Foxen, and they’re up near the top of the vintage. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same with regards to the Rhone blends, and these had superficial, mid-weight profiles geared for near-term drinking. As to the Bordeaux blends, these come from the eastern most AVA in Santa Barbara County and are labeled under the Foxen 7200 label. Tel. (805) 937-4251; www.foxenvineyard.com

The 2012 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is one of the more intense, explosive wines in the Foxen range. Dark red and black stone fruits, cloves, menthol, tar and licorice blossom as this large-scaled, voluptuous Pinot shows off its personality. The finish is rich, broad and creamy.