Fess Parker 2008 Pinot Noir: Review

Santa Barbara County

14.5% abv

$29.00 a bottle

Fess Parker Winery

Santa Maria, California, USA

Fessparker.com

 

Aroma: berry bowl mix, spice, and I am picking up the alcohol.

Flavors: I really have to agree with the description on the bottle, which does not happen very often.  Actually, I have found that Fess Parker Winery does a pretty good job with their descriptions.  Here it is, “Bursting with flavors of spice, cranberry, light blueberry, and strawberry, …”  I thought the strawberry and cranberry notes were right on.  The spice seemed delicate but hiding behind some of the alcohol.  Little touch of pink peppercorn and faint oak.

Mouthfeel: smooth delivery, light but bright body, nice lingering berries on the palate.

I had a glass of this wine before dinner with sourdough crackers with Gouda and goat cheeses and another glass with dinner – pomegranate lamb chops topped with goat cheese and parsley.

Four hours later I popped that cork to have another glass.  Wow, the aroma is really different and with the first sip … this tastes different than earlier.

Aroma: The spice has really opened up: Sage, faint white pepper, light ginger, and every now and then a whiff of roasted vanilla. The spice is stealing the show on the nose. 

Hit the spice cabinet and smell the different spices and see what you experience. 

Flavors: toasted vanilla, light oak, faint black licorice, black currant, cranberry, the strawberry is not standing out front and center like it did on the first glass, which I had before dinner.  I am not detecting the alcohol on the flavor.

Mouthfeel: now the alcohol warmth seems to be on the finish.  Rich, smooth, wow tasty, and the light body is raised just a notch.

So, the question is which glass of wine is the real Fess Parker Pinot Noir?  Then, which one do I like the best?  I guess I’ll have to buy another bottle and make a decision then.

To the Point: this is a sexy and tasty Pinot Noir. Very tasty berry notes and when the wine opens up the complexity is just wonderful.  I would give it an A if I was into grading wines.

And, I made it back to The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan to pick up two more bottles.