Vineyard: Rancho Santa Rosa

OwnerWilliam Foley II
AppellationSta. Rita Hills
VarietiesChardonnay, Pinot Noir

Reviewed wines produced from this vineyard

2015 Foley Rancho Santa Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., pH 3.52, TA 0.68, 2,326 cases, $40. Harvest Brix 24.5º-27.0º. 100% de-stemmed with no crushing. 4-day cold soak in open-top fermenters, inoculated yeast fermentation, manual punch downs, aged 18 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, 28% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Inviting aromas of strawberry, cherry and baking spices. Nicely composed, with bright flavors of spiced dark red fruits and a hint of cola and tobacco. Well-integrated tannins, with a cherry finish that really grabs hold. Score: 92. Reviewed October 8, 2017 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Foley Bar Lazy S Ranch Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.3% alc., pH 3.48, TA 0.67, 609 cases, $45. Brand Series. Rancho Santa Rosa East Vineyard. Harvest Brix 24.5º-27.0º. 100% gently de-stemmed, 4-day cold soak in open-top fermenters, manual punch downs, free-run wine aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, 50% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Lovely melange of cherry, strawberry, earth and sawdust aromas. A distinctive wine with mid weight flavors of cherry, raspberry and exotic spices shot through with a floral, tutti-frutti note. Barrel treatment is well coordinated, and the wine finishes long and generous. Score: 93. Reviewed October 8, 2017 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Foley JA Ranch Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., pH 3.35, TA 0.71, 685 cases, $55. Brand Series. Rancho Santa Rosa East Vineyard. Harvest Brix 24.5º-27.0º. 100% gently de-stemmed with no crushing, 4-day cold soak in open top fermenters, manual punch downs, free-run juice aged in French oak barrels, 30% new, for 18 months. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of raspberry, cherry and cola are echoed in the flavors in this mouth filling wine that soars with fruit goodness and vibrancy due to high natural acidity. The oak treatment is reigned in, the tannins are in step, and the fruity finish leaves special aromatic memories. Score: 93. Reviewed October 8, 2017 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Foley T Anchor Ranch Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.3% alc., pH 3.49, TA 0.68, 691 cases, $55. Brand Series. Rancho Santa Rosa East Vineyard. Harvest Brix 24.5º-27.0º. 100% gently de-stemmed, 4-day cold soak in open-top fermenters, manual punch downs, free-run transferred to French oak barrels for 18 months aging, 40% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Attractive aromas of dark red fruit compote, brioche and dusty oak. Sleek and polished in the mouth, with a middleweight core of blueberry and cherry fruits backed by noticeable oak input. The lightest sap in the 2015 Brand Series lineup, with a rather delicate character. My only nit would be that the wine falls short of impressive mid palate and finishing presence, but is otherwise delectable. Score: 90. Reviewed October 8, 2017 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Foley Barrel Select Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.3% alc., pH 3.54, TA 0.65, 521 cases, $60. Rancho Santa Rosa East Vineyard. 100% de-stemmed, 4-day cold soak in open-top fermenters, inoculated yeast fermentation, manual punch downs, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. The nose is quite reserved, offering only demure aromas of peppery spice, blackberry, underbrush and seasoned oak. Sleek and silky in the mouth with weighty flavors of purple and black berries accented with peppery, walnut oak. Ripe tannins ply the background, and the wine finishes with a quenching burst of fruit. The wine picks up interest and expression over time in the glass indicating it needs more time in the cellar for full enjoyment. Score: 93. Reviewed October 8, 2017 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2012 Flying Goat Cellars Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.6% alc., pH 3.42, TA 0.67, 151 cases, $48. Released April 4, 2015. Sourced from a vineyard owned by Foley Family Wines located on Highway 246 between Buellton and Lompoc. Flying Goat has sourced grapes from this vast 225-acre vineyard since 2002. Clone 667. Harvest Brix 24.0º. · Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Quite ripe and dark fruited, with aromas and flavors of blackberry jam and cassis. Full-bodied, with a luscious core of black fruits accented with exotic spices. Captivating fruit presented in a beautifully balanced wine with good verve and length. Score: 92. Reviewed October 2, 2016 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2010 Flying Goat Cellars Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.7% alc., pH 3.65, TA 0.67, 170 cases, $48. Released April 13, 2011. A 225-acre vineyard owned by Foley Family Wines and located on Highway 246 between Buellton and Lompoc. Clone 667. · Dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Highly nuanced nose with aromas of ripe Bing cherry, boysenberry jam, black grape, spice and toasty oak. Full-flavored, featuring dark stone and berry fruit, threatening, but never crossing the over ripe fence. Silky and agile, with balanced tannins and plenty of black cherry and blackberry singing on the finish. Score: 90. Reviewed September 5, 2013 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2009 Longoria Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Pinot Noir

13.4% alc., pH 3.55, TA 0.58, 110 cases, $45. Clone 667. 3-day cold soak, inoculated fermentation, 12% whole clusters in one bin, aged in 30% new French oak barrels. Fined and filtered. · Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Fruity nose featuring dark red berries and cherries and a hint of oak. Delicious core of discreetly rich strawberry, black raspberry and black cherry fruits with a subtle hint of citrus peel in the background. The most seamless, feminine and satiny wine of the 2009s tasted. Even better the next day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Ready for current drinking. Very good. Reviewed July 1, 2011 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2008 Flying Goat Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.8% alc., pH 3.69, TA 0.65, 103 cases, $46. This vineyard is owned by Bill Foley of Foley Family Wines and is actually more like a quilt of many small vineyards, as each block has been planted to match the right variety, rootstock and clone for each particular slope and soil type. This wine is from the heart of the vineyard and is Dijon clone 667. · Moderately deep color in the glass. Very aromatic with showy aromas of black cherries, black plums and a hint of spice and oak. The flavors echo the nose. Modestly endowed and smoothly textured with hints of cardamon spice, raisins and oak in the background on the long finish. Unchanged the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Good (+). Reviewed August 13, 2011 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2007 Brewer-Clifton Rancho Santa Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay

14.6% alc., 284 cases, $45, wax closure. Clones 4 and 76. · Straw color in the glass. The nose draws you in with aromas of apple pie, citrus fruits, buttered toast and caramel. The flavors echo the aromas. Luscious and well-endowed, possessing zippy acidity and a crisp finish. Very good. Reviewed August 24, 2010 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2006 Summerland Winery Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., 430 cases, $36. · A nice drink that begins with a complex perfume of red cherries, barnyard and hay. Dried and tart cherry flavors with a hint of cookie dough and grass. Simple and a bit shallow on the back end, but an easy drinker. Reviewed April 7, 2008 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2005 Rusack Reserve Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.5% alc., 445 cases, $38. This wine is composed of the best barrels from Fiddlestix Vineyard (50%) and Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard (50%). 35% new French oak in the élevage. · This wine was one of my favorites that I tasted at the event. Deep red fruits with cinnamon and earth drive the flavors and a nice sweet cherry finish leaves a lasting impression. The texture is silky and comforting. A little heat peaks out on the nose but it is not obtrusive. Reviewed July 23, 2007 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2005 Flying Goat Cellars Rancho Santa Rosa Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

$44. This wine won the Red Wine Sweepstakes Award at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (now sold out not surprisingly). · Reviewed March 5, 2007 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2005 Brewer-Clifton Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.9% alc., 240 cases, $64. Clone 667 planted on a steep south facing slope replete with limestone. Owned and farmed by Bill Foley. · Dark reddish-purple in color. A wine crafted from what seems like overripe fruit with a nose of stewed, syrupy fruit, and chewy, thick flavors of raisin grapes. A Pinot Noir masquerading as a Syrah with none of the charm of Pinot Noir. Reviewed October 1, 2008 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2004 Summerland Winery Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., 300 cases, $40. The Santa Rosa Vineyard has 59 micro-blocks creating a slew of diversity. A variety of clones are included in this wine: 2A, Pommard, 667 and 777. · I caught this bottle in a funk (and only one bottle to taste). There were no defects, but the flavors were simple and the wine lacked any heart and soul. A shy nose offered aromas of cherries, vanilla and touch of distillate. The dark fruit flavors were flat. This is the tricky part of Pinot Noir: it can be beautiful as a rose one week and disjointed and pouty the next. Reviewed May 30, 2006 WINERY »