Winery: Fess Parker

Vintage: 2015

Wine Name/Vineyard: Sta. Rita Hills

Wine Category: Pinot Noir

Grape blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Central Coast

State or country: California

Price: $30

Cases produced: N/A

The Barrel Cellar Score: 87

Review date: Feb 1, 2019

Color:  Deep purple, however after tilting the glass to allow light through showed burgundy.

Nose:  Ripe cherry and berries, raisins, and vanilla.

Taste:  This wine has lots of character.  It’s full bodied, jammy, has a velvety texture, and has a plethora of strong flavor notes.   Smoke is the first thing I taste, followed by oak, dark cherry and cranberry.  There is acidity in this wine with a dominant vanilla finish.

Assessment:  This wine is California bold.  While it boasts strong character, it lacks balance.  It’s a mix of strong flavors that just don’t find unity.  I would appreciate more tannic structure in this wine; more dryness would balance out the acidity.   Additional time in the bottle would also help to mellow the dominant flavors.  $30 dollars is a fair value for this wine.

Fess Parker Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a good choice.  87 points

Pairing recommendation:  Dried fruit and dark chocolate.