2012 Fess Parker Chardonnay Ashley's Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (7) Median Score: 90 points

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  1/7/2017 - wforster2@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points

  good Chardonnay for a party - ugly sweater party 2017

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  11/12/2016 - lachord Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Medium yellow color and oak. Citrus and melon notes.

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  8/13/2016 - wforster2@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points

  The wine looks blonde colored. The legs are fast. There is no sediment in the bottle.

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  12/17/2015 - wforster2@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Women's club or Bunko club really likes this

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  7/28/2015 - DaveZack Likes this wine: 91 Points

  We got this bottle from Fess’ wine club in November, 2013. Ashley’s Vineyard is in the Santa Rita Hills (about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara (give or take, depending on traffic)), which is one of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay regions on the planet. 2012 was also, generally speaking, a very good vintage throughout California. Let’s see how this typically good wine weighs-in for 2012.
  The bouquet is VERY well balanced (not overwhelmingly heavy on any particular element), exhibiting floral, white fruit, oak, dried herbs, and earthy components.
  The bouquet pretty much reveals how the wine is going to taste. Sure enough, there’s mostly white and stone-pitted fruits up front (like peaches and apricots, pears, and apples, along with some secondary elements of tropical fruits as well (pineapple, mango, and papaya)). Next up to the plate are dried, savory herbs and white pepper. The rich, creamy, slightly-oaky element adds a pinch of vanilla and hints/rumors/suggestions of baking spices as well.
  Structurally speaking, this wine is fabulously built upon zippy tannins and acidity. This wine should be able to age/mature nicely for another five years or so. Up front the fruity elements shine bright, followed by the rich, creamy, oaky mid-palate, all summed-up nicely by the structural elements (especially the acidity and tannins). The finish is smooth, long, and lingering.
  A lot of Cali Chards can be WAY over-ripe, oaky, and flat and flabby (with an exuberance of a tropical fruit profile). This beauty from one of the best Pinot and Chard regions in the world is (as always) very good. This wine is beautifully well-balanced, exhibiting harmoniously well-integrated fruit, spice, earth, oak, and structural elements into one bottle. This wine is also VERY food-friendly. I paired this beauty with one of my usual Chardonnay suspects (pan-seared scallops spiced with CostCo’s “Simply Asia” spice blend (mostly dried ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and sea salt, just to name a few)). This Chardonnay paired beautifully with the scallops and would also pair well with most chicken dishes (especially oven-baked chicken thighs that I also spice with “Simply Asia”) and other medium-bodied fish dishes.
  If you’re looking for a well-balanced, delicious Cali Chard that exhibits harmoniously well-integrated flavors and structural elements that is also VERY food-friendly, this would be a good place to start.

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