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Today's Wine Review

2023 Fess Parker Pinot Noir "Sta. Rita Hills"

Fess Parker 2023 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Winery: Fess Parker

Vintage: 2023

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Sta. Rita Hills"

Wine Category: Pinot Noir

Grape blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Santa Rita Hills

State or country: CA

Price: $35

Cases produced: 6,542

KWG Score: 90.5 (based on 4 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (91)

Review date: September 2, 2026

Wine Review: This clear and dark red colored Pinot Noir from Fess Parker opens with a pencil lead and black tea bouquet with hints of black cherry, loam, and oak. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, smooth, and very savory. The flavor profile is a stewed black plum and cherry-cola blend with notes of graphite and cranberry. I also detected hints of oak, five-spice, hard black licorice, and black pepper. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and moderate tannins are nicely sustained. I would decant this Pinot for a little while before pairing it with a glazed Christmas ham. Enjoy - Ken

Winemaker Notes: Aromas & Flavors: Black Cherry, Red Plum, Cranberry, Wild Strawberry, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Sassafras, Nutmeg, Baking Spices, Black Tea, Sandalwood & Forest Floor.

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