2008 Fess Parker "The Big Easy" (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, October 05, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker Winery

WINE NAME

The Big Easy

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

78% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Santa Barbara County, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.9%

PRICE PAID

Normally $34 a bottle, we procured this bottle at a special futures pre-release net price of $21.87 (sales tax and shipping included; I believe the futures price was around $16 to $18 a bottle).

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought from the winery’s wine club at a special futures pre-release price in March 2011 (see above).

BOUQUET

This wine has a pretty, floral (especially violets) bouquet, punctuated with spices and herbs, along with suggestions of oak and earth. 

TASTING NOTES

Fess Parker’s The Big Easy is always a dependable, dark, rich, spicy, chewy red blend (always mostly Syrah, along with Petite Sirah and, if memory serves me well, once in a while another varietal or two thrown into the mix to make things REAL interesting and delicious). 

Once again, Fess comes through with another fabulous Big Easy.  The wine pours almost black (what would you expect from Syrah and Petite Sirah?) and is wonderfully delicious.  There is an abundance of black and red fruits up front, especially plums, blackberries, blueberries, and hints of black cherries and raspberries.  There’s also a truck-load of spices and herbs, such as a MOUNTAIN of black pepper and a perfect dose of savory herbs like rosemary. 

This is a full-throttle, high octane red blend that is perfect for fall/winter.  Syrah and Petite Sirah are not exactly shy or demure varietals, so if you enjoy big, bold, rich, fruity, spicy, powerful reds, this blend is difficult to beat for the price.  It is delicious and well-balanced (though the alcohol level is fairly high, the flavor profile and structure allow it to wear its alcohol well), with a smooth, lingering finish that hangs around for a nice long while.

Membership definitely has its privileges; this wine is a bargain at $21.87, though, quite frankly, I’d easily pay up to $40 - $50 a bottle in a restaurant for this fabulous red blend.  The Big Easy is always dependable and ALWAYS delicious.  If you like rich, creamy, spicy, deeply-flavored red blends, you cannot go wrong with Fess Parker’s The Big Easy.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with thick ribeyes smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (I hate to brag, but I BBQ’d the ribeyes to medium-rare perfection).  This wine just may be the PERFECT red steak wine.  The Big Easy would also pair well with Arthur’s curried lamb shanks and just about any other red beef dish like pot roast, prime rib, or even hamburgers.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now and will probably continue to age beautifully for another ten years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

90 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT (based on the futures pre-release price; GOOD at the regular price of $34)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparker.com/