Big Easy by Fess Parker is a Big, Easy Choice
Fess Parker is known for small production, elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, plus cool climate Syrah in my mind. In this case, they decided to make a wine that is just a little… extra. Still balanced and delicious, just more.
The inspiration here is not subtle. This wine is styled after the legendary Penfolds Bin 95 Grange, the Australian icon that proved Syrah could make wines as powerful and age-worthy as anything in the world. Now, nobody in Santa Barbara is claiming they’ve recreated Grange, but the ambition and swagger of The Big Easy is definitely part of the program. Think of blends like The Prisoner when they were new (and still good).
The 2021 Big Easy is a blend of 56% Syrah, 32% Petite Sirah, and 12% Grenache, which in plain English means: dark fruit, structure, spice, and just enough lift to keep the whole thing from feeling like a velvet brick. Syrah brings the black fruit and savory edge. Petite Sirah shows up like the friend who insists on ordering another round, adding density, color, and grip. Grenache sneaks in at the end to brighten things up with a little red fruit and aromatic charm.
And while this is a big wine, the oak treatment is refreshingly restrained. The wine is aged mostly in older barrels with just 17% new oak, meaning you get the richness and polish without a mouthful of lumber.
Production is also surprisingly small at fewer than 3,500 cases, which for a wine with this kind of following basically means it disappears the moment people remember it exists.
This is not a shy wine. It is not a delicate wine. It is, however, a very delicious wine.
95 Points, Vinous
The 2021 Big Easy is fabulous. In fact, this is one of the finest editions I have tasted of Fess Parker's Grange-inspired wine. Succulent red-toned fruit, mint, plum, rose petal and a kiss of new American oak build into the heady, sumptuous finish.