The non-oaked 2008 Chardonnay Steel Cut has beautiful notes of mango, lime, and lemon zest. A naked wine with full body and loads of tropical fruit and character, this is a brilliant idea. I don’t know why more California wineries don’t pursue this style of Chardonnay. I suppose this is Foxen’s answer to Greg Brewer’s Diatom Chardonnay project, which is also a stainless steel fermented and aged, naked Chardonnay. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. 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

You want soft, gooey Chardonnay? Go someplace else. This is a steely, minerally, bracing wine whose high acidity makes your mouth water. It has a little oak, but is mainly noted for the intensity of pineapple, peach and vanilla flavors. Very nice with shellfish and pasta in a cream sauce.——S.H.(12/31/2009)—— 91