Winemaker Notes
The Pommard Clone is a darker, more brooding example of Pinot Noir. You will find cherry, forest floor, floral and even slightly smokey notes on the nose. The palate delivers nice structure with cherry, strawberry, cinnamon and dried herb flavors.
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
I always love this clone, and the 2021 Pinot Noir Pommard Clone reveals a lighter ruby, translucent hue to go with complex aromatics of forest floor, salty red and black fruits, iron, and black tea. It’s medium-bodied, has plenty of tannins, and beautiful balance. It too will drink well for at least 7-8 years.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Pomegranate, cherry and chaparral aromas are vibrant on the nose of this clonal showcase, which reveals how complete the Pommard clone can be. The fresh, exuberant palate explodes with cherry, cranberry and white pepper flavors while staying lighter weight.
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe and polished, with a beam of raspberry and bitter cherry puree gliding through, while light red tea, singed mesquite and savory notes add range and detail on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A superior source of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills is the coolest, westernmost sub-region of the larger Santa Ynez Valley appellation within Santa Barbara County. This relatively new AVA is unquestionably one to keep an eye on.
The climate of Sta. Rita Hills is a natural match for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, thanks to the crisp ocean breezes and well-drained, limestone-rich calcareous soil. Here, grapes ripen just enough, while retaining brisk acidity and harmonious balance.