The 2011 Pinot Noir Sea Smoke Vineyard is a beauty. Deeply colored, with a meaty, earthy undercurrent of decaying leaves and forest floor, it shows the dark side to Pinot fruit as well as a salty, sea breeze-like quality that comes through with air. Lively and pure on the palate, with bright acidity and firm structure, it is a serious effort that should be given 2-3 years of bottle age and consumed over the following 7-8 years. Drink 2016-2023+.
This was a classy, character filled lineup of wines by the folks at Foxen.
Tel. (805) 937-4251; www.foxenvineyard.com