92pts Vinous
The 2017 The Big Easy, Fess Parker's Syrah, Grenache and Petite Sirah blend, is powerful, inky and dense, and yet it is also impeccably balanced. Chocolate, plum, cedar, licorice and leather are some of the many notes that race out of the glass in this decidedly sumptuous, flamboyant wine. Readers who like overt, generous reds will find much to like here. I find myself increasingly drawn to The Big Easy now that it is a bit less heavy than it was years ago. This rich, hedonistic Santa Barbara red is sure to find many fans.
91pts Wine Enthusiast
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.
91pts Jeb Dunnuck
Plums, blueberries, incense, and toasted spice notes all emerge from the 2017 The Big Easy, a rocking mouthful of delicious fruit. Upfront and ready to go, it's not going to make old bones, but it will certainly offer loads of pleasure over the coming 3-5 years.
90pts Wilfred Wong
The 2017 Fess Parker Big Easy is a beautiful red with a soft touch. This is lovely, fruity, and smooth. Its aromas and flavors of bright and pretty fruits should pair well with a roast pork tenderloin. (Tasted: September 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Winemaker Notes
Opaque purple in color. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, plum, boysenberry, vanilla, baking spices, smoked chocolate, and anise. On the palate there is flavors of blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, plum, smoked meat, and vanilla.
Blend: 53% Syrah, 32% Grenache, 15% Petite Syrah