2024 Fess Parker - Chardonnay Santa Barbara County (750ml)

Fess Parker Winery takes its name from the actor best known for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on screen in the 1950s and 60s. After stepping back from acting, Parker turned to real estate development and, in 1989, purchased a 714-acre ranch along what is now the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail with his son Eli, initially intending only to grow grapes for other producers. The venture grew far beyond that modest plan, and the winery remains family run today, with Eli Parker and his sister Ashley Parker Snider carrying on their father's vision across nearly 700 acres of vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.

The 2024 Chardonnay draws on fruit from across the county, with roughly a third of the wine aged in French oak, twenty percent of it new, and the remainder in stainless steel to keep the fruit expressive and fresh. That mix reflects the winery's long practice of blending sites picked at different levels of ripeness for added complexity, without letting oak dominate the final wine. Santa Barbara's coastal climate, moderated by Pacific breezes that funnel through its east-west running valleys, gives the grapes an unusually long, even ripening season.

The wine shows aromas of passion fruit, papaya, and ripe pineapple layered with lemon meringue and a touch of graham cracker. On the palate it is plush yet lively, with notable mid-palate weight balanced by bright acidity and a lingering, open finish. It pairs well with roasted chicken, seafood pasta, or a creamy brie.