Foxen Vineyard & Winery - "Block UU" Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay 2021

Foxen Vineyard & Winery was founded in 1985 by partners Dick Doré and Bill Wathen. The estate is named in honor of Dick’s great-great-grandfather, English sea Captain William Benjamin Foxen. A pioneer of Santa Barbara County, Captain Foxen purchased Rancho Tianquaic, a Mexican land grant that originally totaled nearly 9,000 acres and comprised most of what is now known as Foxen Canyon. Today, the Foxed estate resides on 2000 of those acres, consistently remaining in family hands. Foxen crafts an extensive lineup of wines from their five estate vineyards (Ernesto Wickenden, Tinaquaic Alta, Tinaquaic Bajita, MaMère and Williamson-Doré), as well as sourcing from the finest vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County (Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Happy Canyon), all sustainably farmed. Foxen adopted the anchor as its trademark brand, just as Captain Foxen did as his ranch cattle brand.

This Chardonnay from Foxen is sourced from Block UU of Bien Nacido Vineyard. Pale yellow in the glass, this Chardonnay presents gorgeous aromas of citrus-laced stone fruits accented with hints of toasted almonds and crushed oyster shells. The medium-bodied palate is rich and textured with a cascade of white peach and apricot flavors mixed with notes of lemon zest and stony minerality. This wine is uplifted by a refreshing acidity that help guide it to a crisp, clean and seemingly endless finish. The perfect foil for seafood… anything from the raw bar, shrimp scampi or cedar plank salmon.