The 2008 Pinot Noir Vineyard Block 8 has a dark ruby/purple-tinged color and more black cherry, smoke, and earth in the aromatics. It is slightly broader and more savory, in a fuller-bodied, richer style than the Block N, but only marginally so. This is another big, deep wine, and in the portfolio of Foxen Pinots, the second biggest and richest wine of the 2008s. Impressively endowed, it should age nicely for 5-7 years. Bravo! This is one of my favorite wineries in Santa Maria. Proprietors Bill Wathen and Dick Dore have been making wines at Foxen since 1985. There is some serious history as well, as one of Dick Dore’s ancestors was a retired English sea captain who settled in Santa Barbara in the early 1800s, hence the nautical symbols embedded in the labels. Foxen is one of the few wineries in California that has not abandoned one of the best grapes in the world, Chenin Blanc. This grape can produce wonderful wines from this region when handled properly. Four brilliant Pinot Noirs have emerged from Foxen in what could have been a very challenging vintage. These are some of the best examples of Pinot Noir I tasted from this vintage. P.S. All of these wines from Bill Wathen and Dick Dore are bottled “delicately,” without fining or filtration. Tel. (805) 937-4251

This tiny production (655 cases) Pinot from one of the most famous vineyards in Santa Barbara County is enormously rich in raspberries, cherries and sandalwood. It’s not very subtle now but delicious, like a dessert pasty, although it’s totally dry. Easy to like, although at this price, you might want a little more complexity. Try stashing it in the cellar for 2–3 years.——S.H.(11/1/2010)—— 91