Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a fine Pinot in here, but it's like buried treasure. Currently locked down with tannins, the wine shows extravagant extravagant flavors of dusty Asian spices, rhubarb, pomegranate, cola, cherryskin and sandalwood. Desperately needs time, but should be very fine. Drink 2011 through 2015.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dark ruby-hued 2007 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido F Block offers up a big, sweet bouquet of fresh roasted Provencal herbs, sassafras, cola, black cherries, underbrush, and earth. This spice and earth-driven wine possesses enough berry fruit to provide balance as well as complexity. Medium-bodied, attractively dense and long, it should age nicely for 6-7 years.
Established in 1989, Fess Parker Winery is a multi-generational family owned and operated winery that has a rich heritage in Santa Barbara County. Fess Parker produces premium, small-lot, vineyard designated Burgundian varietals from the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley as well as Rhône varietals from their organically farmed, SIP Certified estate vineyard.
Outstanding fruit sources, including some of the finest vineyards in the county, coupled with skilled winemaking, led by Blair Fox, form the foundation for the winery’s success. Now three generations in, the Fess Parker Family is proud to carry on Fess’s legacy of wine heritage and hospitality in Santa Barbara.
Fess Parker Winery was proud to be named a Top 100 Winery in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine in both 2022 and 2023.
Santa Maria Valley lies mainly in northern Santa Barbara County, with a small portion of it overlapping southern San Luis Obispo County. It is close to the Pacific, and runs east-west, which means warmer air in the eastern end draws cool air off the ocean in the west, and brings it through the valley. This effect, combined with abundant sunshine, lengthens the growing season. The longer growing season leads to long hang time, which promotes both ripeness and optimal acidity levels in grape berries. As early as the 1970’s, Santa Maria Valley was recognized as being a superior source of wine grapes, certainly including Chardonnay and Syrah. But arguably the top variety here is Pinot Noir.
Originally a domain primarily of growers, including the Miller Family of the justifiably famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, this AVA is now home to over 30 wineries. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir consistently offers full flavors of cherry, strawberry and raspberry, often accompanied by notes of spice, cola, vanilla and earth. They show impressive balance and elegance, as well as great versatility with food.