Winemaker Notes
This wine is a quintessential example of the high pedigree of fruit from the fabled Bien Nacido vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Big, rich and velvety on the palate with loads of forward cherry & strawberry fruit framed in with complex spice, cola and toast characteristics.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark cherry and light herb aromas are surrounded by delicate oak spices on the nose of this bottling. Sandalwood and oak are prominent on the sip, where a pure expression of dark-red fruit rises in the midpalate before waves of wild thyme, oregano and dark spices push into the bold finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Classic iodine-laced red and black fruits, black tea, orange blossom, and subtle oak all emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard, which is medium-bodied and has a nicely textured, sweetly fruited mouthfeel and solid balance. This classic Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir will shine for 4-5 years at a minimum.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard is scented of berry jam, cured meats, allspice and Angostura bitters. The palate is medium-bodied with a core of sweet berry fruit, grainy tannins, refreshing acidity and a spicy finish. Best After 2022
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Wine & Spirits
Cool and foggy when first poured, this wine has beguiling high-toned notes of red raspberry and rhubarb. Almost immediately, the flavors darken and deepen with air, framed by generous, chocolatey oak which melds well with the red fruits.
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.