Foxen Vineyard & Winery - Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2023

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.

Foxen’s Chenin Blanc — crafted from old-vine fruit from the Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard which was planted in 1966 — presents a lovely light gold color, offering a delightful combination of orchard and tropical fruits underlain with white flowers. Flavors of green apple, Asian pear and papaya dominate the medium-bodied palate. Those mouthwatering fruits are complemented by a vivacious acidity and subtle mineral core that ferry this Chenin Blanc to a long, textured finish. Enjoy with foie gras, pan-seared scallops or chicken pho.