Fess Parker Chardonnay ’08- Santa Barbara Greatness WE93 under $15

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this but I love Santa Barbara Chardonnays.  So much so that I have six of Fess Parker’s ‘coon  skin hat engraved wine glasses- an ode to his days playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in the ’50′ s and ’60′s.  Sadly, we lost Fess on March 18th of this year (my dad is shedding a tear right now), but his legacy lives on in some of Santa Barbara county’s best Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Super rich and oaky, this is the antithesis to the stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation Chardonnay that’s stylish now.  This is not what you would call subtle, but sometimes subtle is just an excuse to make boring wine.  For $13.95, this is one of the best values currently on the market.

If you live in the L.A. area make it a point to visit the Fess Parker winery on Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Barbara wine country.  Some might call it “commercial” but it’s a beautifully manicured property that has some of the best wines in the county.  On the weekends they make some killer tri-tip tacos that you can eat while walking the vineyards.  My favorite part- with your $10 tasting you get a nice crystal glass engraved with the Fess Parker logo.  Wouldn’t it be nice if they still did that in Napa?!

Buy Here: 2008 Fess Parker Chardonnay $13.95

Wine Enthusiast 93 points

“Run, don’t walk to buy up cases of this beautiful, well-priced Chardonnay. It’s rich and sumptuous in vanilla oak and lees-inspired flavors of pineapples, pears and lime tart. Easy to find, with production of 17, 496 cases.”