Winemaker Notes
Aromas of citrus, orange zest, croissant, and vanilla make up the bouquet. The palate bursts with flavors of golden apple, lemon meringue, and toasty oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a tightly woven streak of Meyer lemon peel on the nose of this single-vineyard expression yet there are also warmer tones of white peach and blanched almonds. The lean yet expressive palate's lemon-blossom tang picks up broad yellow-flower flavors into the finish.
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Wine & Spirits
You can smell the minerality in this bright, floral chardonnay from a block Fess Parker has been drawing from since 2007. It’s there in a kind of white-clay dustiness that underlies the yuzu blossom and lemon curd notes, the wine subtly rich, with a roasted-nut depth of flavor. For chilled prawns and romesco sauce.
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Jeb Dunnuck
More spice, chamomile, white pepper, and resinous herb notes emerge from the medium-bodied 2018 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard. It offers integrated acidity, a crisp, clean mouthfeel, and a great finish.
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Wine Spectator
Crunchy and fresh, with a deep core of apple, citrus and melon flavors, interwoven with vibrant savory and minerally elements. Offers a pure and rich-tasting finish. Drink now through 2025.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay shows excellent weight and range of flavors. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of sandalwood, dried earth, ripe fruit, and oak. Enjoy it with grilled halibut. (Tasted: April 14, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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.