2018 Foxen Winery Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

“The 2018 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard is extraordinary,” begins the glowing review from Antonio Galloni of Vinous. He gave this stunning wine 96 points, calling it “lights out” and commanding readers: “Don’t miss it.” 

Foxen only made a little over ten barrels of this Pinot, which is a shame, because we wish every Pinot lover in the world could try it. Lush but bright, aromatically explosive, and complex as the day is long, it’s a gorgeous expression of one of the top sites in the Sta. Rita Hills.

Foxen has long been one of the most respected wineries in the region, and founder/director of winemaking Bill Wathen has honed his style over the decades to become a true master of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot. Crafted by Wathen and David Whitehair (who was promoted to winemaker in 2016), this bottle has a woodsy nose of bright red fruit, cardamom, and clove. The mouthfeel is smooth and silky, with a medium body and enough supple tannins to keep this elegant Pinot in balance.

Fe Ciega sits at the very western end of the Sta. Rita Hills, wedged between Sea Smoke and Domaine de la Côte, where the fog flows in from the ocean and keeps things chilly until mid-morning. 

The last time we visited Fe Ciega, we climbed up a small mesa that looms over the vineyards below, and when we reached the vines, the fog was still thick. We waited. Then, as if on cue, the “sea-smoke” began to lift—and 45 minutes later, the vineyard was aglow, putting the majesty of Fe Ciega into perfect focus.

With this 2018 Fe Ciega, Wathen and Whitehair have done the same thing.