Foxen Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir 2017

Professional Ratings

• 94 Tasting Panel

  Pale ruby color, silky texture and bursting with cherry and raspberry fruit; juicy, rich and charming with a fresh, bracing acid structure; lively and long with fine balance and good length.

• 94 Jeb Dunnuck

  The 2017 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block 8 saw the same upbringing but comes from a larger block. Its slightly lighter ruby/plum color gives way to a more savory, medium to full-bodied effort that offers classic notes of dried cherries, forest floor, and earthy, loamy soil notes. It too is beautifully balanced and layered, and it a terrific wine. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.

• 92 Wine Enthusiast

  Cherry sauce, clove, star anise and hickory-roasted game aromas show on the nose of this block-designated bottling from a historic vineyard. The palate is smooth and intriguing, with flavors of red plum, red currant, thyme and spicy cardamom touches.

• 92 Wine & Spirits

  Like the bottling from adjacent block 43, this wine carries the imprint of sea breezes and strawberry. It'??s earthy and more grounded than its counterpart, with a scent of strawberry fruit leather and tar, a fine wisp of smoke and fruit that'??s supported by vanilla oak flavors.