Fess Parker The Big Easy 2021

"The 2020 Big Easy is superb. Inky, mocha, licorice, spice and a touch of American oak give this racy, voluptuous Petite Sirah-based red tons of character. The 2020 is bold and juicy, but also more aromatic and less heavy than some previous editions. It's a beautifully rendered wine from Fess Parker."

Smoked black cherries, roasted meats, lilac and oak make for an intriguingly floral while meaty nose on this popular, New Orleans-inspired red blend. It's smooth and suave entering the palate, where well-integrated oak flavors and tannins frame the black-cherry fruit. It will be great for barbecues.

A jammy blend that's fun to drink, with bold, fruit-forward blackberry, mocha and spiced pepper flavors that finish with refined tannins. Syrah, Petite Sirah and Grenache.

One of the larger production releases from this team (the largest?), the 2021 Big Easy is based on 56% Syrah, 32% Petite Sirah, 10% Grenache, and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its vivid purple hue is followed by a rock-solid nose of pure black and blue fruits, pepper herbs, cured meats, and spice. This carries to a medium to full-bodied red that leads with its fruit yet has ripe tannins, a juicy spine of acidity, and a great finish.