Santa Barbara is a fascinating wine region. Arguably the home of the greatest Californian Pinot Noir, it is a very well respected region but strangely remains 'very much undiscovered by the broader population' even though its top releases contain 'all the hallmarks of the world’s greatest wines' (AG).

Having always been overshadowed by the big, bold Cabernets of the Napa Valley on the global fine wine scene, prices have remained very fair and that is certainly the case with the Fess Parker 2018 Pinot Noirs we have to offer today. A set of releases 'loved' by Jeb Dunnuck for offering 'some serious values as well as great wines', our two stand-outs we have selected are the Pommard Clone and the Clone 115.

The Fess Parker Clone 115 Pinot Noir 2018 is arguably the star of the show with quadruple 94 points from Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, Dunnuck and Vinous's Antonio Galloni. A 'rich, enveloping wine' (AG), it is intensely perfumed showcasing an extensive array of aromas from ripe red cherry, elder berry and spices to more earthy notes of mushroom, iron shavings and tea. While it does have 'hefty dry tannins' (WE), the 'soft contours and extravagantly ripe fruit add to the wine's sense of immediacy' (AG).

A more brooding example of Pinot Noir that aims to show off the specific terroir of the estates's Ashley's Vineyard, the Pommard Clone 2018 is 'another beautiful wine in this lineup' (JD). Scoring 95 points from Decanter, 93 points from Wine Enthusiast and double 92 points from Dunnuck and Galloni, this Pommard Clone showcases the 'racy style' that makes the wines of the Santa Rita Hills 'so irresistible' (AG). Impressively 'sophisticated and nuanced' (DC), while it is the most fruit forward of the Fess Parker 2018s, this 'stays pure and beautifully balanced' (JD).