Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay is a straw color. Aromas of citrus, orange zest, beeswax, croissant, vanilla, baking spices exude from the glass. The palate bursts with flavors of golden apple, lemon meringue, vanilla, baked pear, toasty oak.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a great site in the Santa Maria Valley, the 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard was brought up all in French oak, 36% being new. A Burgundian bouquet of salted orchard fruits, toasty oak, crushed rock, and hints of honeysuckle all flow to a medium to full-bodied, rounded, sexy Chardonnay that has loads of fruit and texture, plenty of classic Bien Nacido character, and a great finish. It's a gem in the lineup.
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Wine Enthusiast
Sandalwood, sea salt, singed lemon and creamy poached pome fruits show on the nose of this bottling. There is a great sizzle of acidity to the sip, where flavors of lemon juice and kumquat are framed in a chalky tension.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Restrained on the nose, the 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard slowly reveals acacia, toast, lemon pith, white peach and red apple scents. Medium to full-bodied, it offers good intensity of honeyed/savory fruits and tangy acidity to carry the citrus-laced finish.
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Wine Spectator
Layers of rich apple pastry and pear tart flavors are matched to luscious tropical fruit accents in this open-textured style. Offers a plush, spicy finish.
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.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.