Tight, firm, intense and concentrated, this is slow to unfold but does so with depth, focus and complexity, targeting mineral, dried berry, wild berry, blackberry, underbrush and cedar flavors, with ripe, chewy tannins. Drink now through 2022.—J.L.
Zinfandel Alexander Valley St. Peter’s Church Vineyard 2009
92 points | $45 | 370 cases made | Red
Distinctive and loaded with personality, with wild berry and white pepper aromas and complex, slightly rustic blackberry, smoky licorice and sage flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2017.—T.F.
Zinfandel Paso Robles Dusi Vineyard 2009
92 points | $35 | 250 cases made | Red
A complete package, this is ripe and briary, but also complex and focused. Aromas of smoky sage and black cherry lead to lively flavors of blackberry and spicy anise that show a hint of caramel. Drink now through 2017.—T.F.
Misc. Stuff California 2009
94 points | $45 | 252 cases made | Red
Tight, firm and focused, with a riveting mix of pepper and spice, this offers great depth and complexity while remaining light on its feet, with an impressive finish, where the flavors gain a minerally edge. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2020.
"The Fess Parker's Vineyard is chosen from 4 parcels or blocks. Three different French Syrah clones make up this great wine. The Combination of warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings resulting from unique east-west orientation of the Santa Ynez Valley along with sandy loamy soil creates ideal conditions for grape maturation." - Jeff Cohn
Tasting Notes
Cool climate aromatics of green peppercorn, smoked meats, exotic spices from the Far East with concentrated blackberry fruit. The palate is incredibly lush and soft up front, with sweet tannins which exhibit refinement as well as sturdiness enabling several years of drinkability. Multi-layered, like a rich Oaxacan mole, it presents new experiences with each sip.
JC CELLARS Syrah Santa Barbara County Fess Parker's Vineyard 2008Score: 92 | $30
Marked by intense, chewy and concentrated beef, dried berry, graphite, loamy earth and savory herb notes. Full-bodied, at points powerful and well-focused, this is well-endowed with flavor. Best from 2012 through 2022. 454 cases made. —J.L.
From Santa Barbara’s Fess Parker Vineyard, the 2008 Syrah offers lovely blueberry, black raspberry and graphite aromas, sweet, velvety tannins, a full-bodied opulence and a multilayered mouthfeel. This brilliant Syrah is also a great value. Consume it over the next 6-7 years.
Spot-on varietal spice and pepper get full play in this very expressive Syrah, and an extra bit of roasted meat gaminess is layered atop its very generous blackberry fruit. If ripe and mouthfilling, the wine is ever so slighty less so than most of its cellarmates, and its rich, nicely balanced, very long lasting finish shows nary a hint of last-minute heat. It too has a long life before it, but it is so structured as to also be useful now as a foil to a juicy, garlic-larded leg of lamb.
JC CELLARS Syrah Santa Barbara County Fess Parker's Vineyard 2007 Score: 91 | $30
Firm and concentrated, tight and full-bodied, this is marked by spicy cedar, wild berry, pepper, spice, mocha and espresso notes, ending with chewy tannins. Grows on you. Best from 2010 through 2016. 369 cases made. —J.L.
Thank goodness there are 369 cases of the 2007 Syrah Fess Parker Vineyard. This 100% Syrah tastes like a northern Rhone with lots of white pepper, roasted herb, licorice, blackberry, and creme de cassis notes presented in a full-bodied, opulent, exuberant, pure, impressive style.
Generous ripe, juicy black cherry and blackberry fruit is at this core in this full bodied effort, with hints of mineral, spice and floral scents. elegant and stylish. Drink now through 2012.
From another top-notch vineyard site, this time in Santa Barbara County, the 2006 Syrah Fess Parker Vineyard reveals a beautiful bouquet of flowers, black raspberries, black cherries, sweet spice, and pepper - very much in keeping with its appellation. The most hedonistic and opulent of these offerings, it should drink well for 7-8 years.
Intensely aromatic and packed with rich oak, blackberry fruit and loads of varietal spice, this deep, highly extracted Syrah is as well-balanced as it is impressively stuffed. It displays a great sense of strength and stamina from start to finish, and, although involving and wonderfully showy even when young, it has all the right pieces in all the right places to encourage keeping for anywhere from five to ten years.
Rustic, showing intense, ripe dried currant and berry fruit, with anise, mineral and sage notes. Gains depth and richness, smoothing out the tannins on the finish. Drink now through now 2012.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2005 Syrah Fess Parker Vineyard reveals exceptional fruit as well as notes of road tar, camphor, chocolate, blackberry liqueur, and roasted meat. This superb, full-bodied Syrah possesses silky tannin and a long finish. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years.
This Syrah exhibits a dense ruby/purple-tinged color as well as a
big, floral bouquet revealing hints of olives, garrigue, and pepper.
Medium to full-bodied with moderate tannin, restraint, and finesse, it
is the most elegant Syrah in this portfolio. Give it another 1-2 years
of bottle age and drink it over the following decade.
This wine simply bursts with ripe, vital fruit seasoned with notes
of white pepper, rich, creamy oak and vanilla crème brulée sweetness.
In the mouth, it is supple and balanced with a fair bit of openness as
it enters and a firmer frame as it finishes.
Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, forward, rich, sweet black
cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with overtones of vanilla; full body;
big, rich, lush blackberry fruit flavors; well balanced and structured;
lingering aftertaste. Appealing to taste now and also shows good aging
potential. Very highly recommended.
Harvested in late October, this wine reveals a dense ruby/purple
color in addition to a floral, slightly herbaceous, expressive bouquet
as well as flavors of black fruits, white pepper, tapenade, and smoke.
This medium to full-bodied, strikingly pure, beautifully made Syrah
will drink well for 5-6 years.
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91 points JC Cellars Fess Parker
