Frontier Red Lot No. 90 Review

Fess Parker Winery

Santa Maria, California, USA

Fessparker.com

14.5% abv

$12.00 a bottle

Six pack purchase

The Super Fine Wine & Liquor in Canton, Michigan

Red Blend no vintage

Appearance: nice garnet body

Aroma: juicy red and black berries; blueberry, black and red currants,

Flavors: dark berries, currants, blueberry, hint of oak,

Mouthfeel: smooth, simple, easy to drink, tad thin,

Blue Cheese in Burger topped with smoked black sea salt, smoked black pepper, A1 sauce, hickory smoked thick sliced bacon, slice of aged Vermont Cheddar Cheese (didn't have any blue cheese), and romaine lettuce on a Hawaiian Bread Bun.

To the Point: a very simple red; good with food; had one glass with a burger for lunch and a glass with a New York strip for dinner; right price point to serve at a party; to set back and just enjoy – I’ll drink the Big Easy by Fess Parker Winery; I liked the earlier Frontier Reds

The Big Easy 2010 Review

Fess Parker Winery

Santa Maria, California, USA

FessParker.com

14.9% abv

66% Syrah, 19% Petite Sirah, 15% Grenache

Aged: 20 months in 40% new French & American Oak

Runs around $35.00 bottle

Purchased: Super Fine Wine & Liquor Canton Michigan

Read the posting on the 2009 The Big Easy

Appearance: garnet with a purple edge, nice legs on the glass

Aroma: let this bottle open before enjoying; big juicy dark berries: blackberry, mulberry, boysenberry; solid earthy tone of soil – it’s like you can taste the soil the vines were grown in with each sniff; has sweetness and creaminess of a 55% dark chocolate; here and there I get a whiff of ground white peppercorn with its musty style;

Flavors: the first few sips right after opening the bottle it seemed a little thin; after letting it open the flavors really popped; rich dark berries mingle with the 55% like dark chocolate; a touch of campfire toasted marshmallow; tart cranberry on the mid; peppery spice seems to be more on the finish; nice earthy notes evolve – lighter earthy tone on the front and moderate earthy tones on the back;

Mouthfeel: tannins are under control; nice acidity; hint of sweetness swirls around the dark berry like bitterness; rich berry profile; pleasing earthy tone; dry feel;

Daniel Boone Coon Skin Cap

To the Point: decant this bottle for 30 minutes before enjoying; fresh out of the bottle comes across thin and once it opens up boy is it tasty; just as good as the 2009 blend; might not be as complex as that vintage but damn close; I highly recommend; can age till 2019; I bought a six pack case and I don’t think one of these bottles will make it to 2016 – so, I guess I should buy another six pack!

And, for the cigar lovers – this is great with a fine cigar.  I would recommend a medium rare filet mignon topped with blue cheese and cherries or grilled lamb chops; I will do a full dinner review with this wine down the road.

The Big Easy 2009: Review

Origianl artwork on the bottle by Diane Millsap

Fess Parker Winery

Fessparker.com

Santa Maria, California, USA

61% Syrah, 23% Petit Sirah, 16% Grenache

14.9% abv

Appearance: deep garnet, plenty of leg action after each swirl of the glass,

Aroma: just wonderful, I wish I could do it justice; big juicy blackberries, mulberries, mixed with a good dose of red berries – reminding me of raspberry and sweet cherry, smoked pecan wood, the hint of vanilla reminds me of the butter horn rolls that I pick up at Zehnder’s for some reason,

Flavors: a lot of the nose follows along with some dark chocolate likeness, a little sweet vanilla cherry, hint of spice

Sorry, I didn’t get to finish mouthfeel.  I got called away and I never came back to finish the review but, I did finish the bottle and it was terrific.  I’ll finish and update the review when I open another bottle.  

The coon skin cap Daniel Boone wore

Parker Station Pinot Noir 2009: Review

Parker Station Inc.

Santa Maria, California, USA

Fessparker.com

Appearance: light ruby

Aroma: the spice is noticeable as you pour the glass, let me call it spice box; red fruit like strawberry and cranberry; hint of oak

Flavors: the spice box is front and center to me, a little green spice and an herbal mix with pinch of green peppercorn; strawberry plays a good role; light tart cranberry; plum skin; 

Mouthfeel: on the bottle they call it medium to full bodied.  I call it mild-medium in body weight.  I’ll give it a 3.5 maybe a 4 on my strength scale.  Not a very long aftertaste.    

To the Point: a worthy Pinot Noir.  While tasty … it seems a tad thin at times … something is not bringing it all together. 

Frontier Red: Review

Barbecue Edition

Lot No. 122

NV

California Red Wine

Fess Parker Winery

Santa Maria, California, USA

Fessparker.com

14.9% abv

$10.00 a bottle (case price)

I purchased this at the Fine Wine Source in Livonia Michigan.

This NV – no vintage wine had me interested when I sampled it at Jimmy’s store. 

I have to say that for a 10 dollar bottle and a no vintage on top of that this is one damn good bottle of red wine. 

Appearance: this has one dark body for a wine at this price, deep purple with a shiny ruby edge.

Aroma: this is one complex aroma for any price.  It is just a guessing game waiting to happen – ‘what do you smell’.  Big time berry bowl – I’ll call it black cherry, black currant, boysenberry; a nice touch of spice – a little pinch of sage and white pepper; there is a good smoky note and it also reminds me of a fresh box of cigars in a quality cedar box and with 800 cigars in my humidor I think I know that smell. 

Flavors: this is not one of those wines that just fool you with a nice bouquet and then quits on the flavor.  Take all those notes from the nose and add a little sweet 50% dark chocolate and a touch of hardwood.

Fess Parker Played Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett in Movies and TV Shows 

To the Point: this wine tasted really good in the store and so good that I bought a case.  I think I’ll get another one if there are any left.  (Jimmy save me a case)  If you ever see this one don’t buy just one bottle you will be disappointed if you do.  Dollar to Taste = Value; and that means this is the best value out there.  Most $10.00 bottles I water the grass with them.     

Here are the Vineyard Notes:

73% Camp Four Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, 20% Schied Vineyards in Monterey County, 4% French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles, 3% Rodney’s Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Vallery.

Here is the blend:

40% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 18% Grenache, 9% Petite Sirah, 5% Mourvedre, 4% Cinsault, 2% Caringnane, 2% Tempranillo.  I think they should have found one or two more grapes to add this assemblage of fine grapes.  I wish they put the years to each of the grapes.  

Fess Parker 2007 Viognier Santa Barbara County

Viognier is pronounced: Vee-on-yay

Fess Parker Winery
Santa Maria, California, USA
14.9% abv
$24.00 a bottle
Fessparker.com

On the bottle notes: ‘Our full-bodied Viognier exhibits flavors of honeydew, white peach, mango and light butter, finishes with citrus and mineral notes.’

This is a fuller bodied white. Their description is as close as it gets. I really enjoyed this white wine and I am looking forward to drinking some more. Rumor is that the 08 is not as good as the 07. When I find it I’ll try it and let you know

Wine Enthusiast gives it a 93 rating.

I have had 5 different wines from the Fess Parker Winery and I have been more than satisfied with each one.

Click on the wine to view the posting
Fess Parker Pinot Noir 07
Chardonnay 08
Syrah 05 SBC
Syrah 04 Rodney’s Vineyard

Want to learn more about this grape visit – enjoyingviognier.com

Please leave a comment.

Fess Parker 2007 Pinot Noir: Wine Review

Santa Barbara County
fessparker.com
Visit their web site and buy yourself a raccoon skin cap

This is one tasty wine with notes of bing cherry, raspberry, pomegranate?, and just plain loads of berries. This would be fun to wine to play the game, “what berry am I tasting?”

There is just the right touch of mocha, just a touch.

The aroma is just super special.

This is a terrific Pinot Noir. Pick up a bottle and give it a try.