Foxen Chenin Blanc, Santa Barbara Co., California 2025
Bill Wathen and Dick Doré — the "Foxen Boys" — founded Foxen in 1985 on the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County, a 2,000-acre property that has been in Dick's family since his great-great-grandfather, English sea captain William Benjamin Foxen, purchased it as a Mexican land grant in 1837. Their approach has remained consistent since the first vintage: small-production, sustainably farmed, vineyard-focused wines made with minimal intervention. Foxen is one of Santa Barbara County's longest-standing champions of Chenin Blanc, drawing on the Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard — home to some of the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in California — as its anchor source for the variety.
- WINEMAKER: Bill Wathen
- FARMING: Sustainable.
- VARIETY: 100% Chenin Blanc
- TERROIR: Santa Barbara County, California. Sourced from two estate and contracted vineyards: Ernesto Wickenden (42%) and Mesa Verde (58%). Clone 01. Yield approximately 3.5 tons per acre.
- VINIFICATION: Hand-harvested — Ernesto Wickenden on October 1, Mesa Verde on October 8. Fermented over 4 weeks in a combination of stainless steel tank and neutral 500L French oak puncheons using inoculated yeast (Allegro & ES181). 12.8% ABV; total acidity 6.5 g/L; pH 3.18. 787 cases produced.
- AGING: 5 months in neutral 500L French oak puncheons. Single racking in February 2026 to blend lots prior to bottling. Bottled March 23, 2026.
- TASTING NOTES: Ripe d'Anjou pear, Golden Delicious apple, lychee, lemon blossom, and oyster shell on the nose. Medium-bodied with bright acidity.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Oysters, steamed clams, grilled sole, roast chicken, fresh chèvre, light vegetable dishes.
Foxen Chenin Blanc, Santa Barbara Co., California 2025
Bill Wathen and Dick Doré — the "Foxen Boys" — founded Foxen in 1985 on the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County, a 2,000-acre property that has been in Dick's family since his great-great-grandfather, English sea captain William Benjamin Foxen, purchased it as a Mexican land grant in 1837. Their approach has remained consistent since the first vintage: small-production, sustainably farmed, vineyard-focused wines made with minimal intervention. Foxen is one of Santa Barbara County's longest-standing champions of Chenin Blanc, drawing on the Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard — home to some of the oldest Chenin Blanc vines in California — as its anchor source for the variety.
- WINEMAKER: Bill Wathen
- FARMING: Sustainable.
- VARIETY: 100% Chenin Blanc
- TERROIR: Santa Barbara County, California. Sourced from two estate and contracted vineyards: Ernesto Wickenden (42%) and Mesa Verde (58%). Clone 01. Yield approximately 3.5 tons per acre.
- VINIFICATION: Hand-harvested — Ernesto Wickenden on October 1, Mesa Verde on October 8. Fermented over 4 weeks in a combination of stainless steel tank and neutral 500L French oak puncheons using inoculated yeast (Allegro & ES181). 12.8% ABV; total acidity 6.5 g/L; pH 3.18. 787 cases produced.
- AGING: 5 months in neutral 500L French oak puncheons. Single racking in February 2026 to blend lots prior to bottling. Bottled March 23, 2026.
- TASTING NOTES: Ripe d'Anjou pear, Golden Delicious apple, lychee, lemon blossom, and oyster shell on the nose. Medium-bodied with bright acidity.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Oysters, steamed clams, grilled sole, roast chicken, fresh chèvre, light vegetable dishes.