One of the most affordable, delicious, and dependable red wine blends being made today!

The Fess Parker Frontier Red Lot No. 111 is ALWAYS an interesting, well-made, delicious, red bargain.  I’ve previously had Frontier Reds (FRs) that were rich, creamy, earthy, and spicy, like a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  The Lot No. 111 (the subject under review here) is quite different from most of the other FRs that I’ve had before.  This is a light-bodied blend that tastes like it’s predominantly made with Grenache.  The addition of Spain’s Tempranillo and Portugal’s Souzao, which I’ve never seen listed as a component on a FR before, seems to add another level of depth and flavor.

Sticking with the “tastes like it’s mostly Grenache” theme, there’s gorgeous red fruits like raspberries, strawberries, and cherries up-front, along with suggestions of secondary dark/black fruits like blackberries and sour cherries.  There’s also a serious savory herb element to this wine as well, along with black pepper.  Oak is barely present and not out-of-balance, along with an earthy and mineral element as well.  The wine has nice acidity and a slightly rustic finish (all in a very good way).

To cut the chase and to describe this wine as expeditiously as possible, imagine taking a Pinot Noir and blending it with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  Yeah, the person who would dare do something that sacrilegious should rot in hell for eternity, but it’s just about how I would quickly/easily describe this wonderful, affordable blend!

I noticed while writing these notes that the wine really evolved as it was able to breathe.  When just opened (and as previously mentioned), the Grenache became most apparent.  As the wine breathed and oxidated, the Syrah stepped-up to the plate and said, “Hey, check me out!”  So you may want to decant this wine for an hour or so to allow its aromatic elements to develop.

We paired this wine with a traditional stew made with a hodge-podge of meats from the freezer (lamb, ham, and pork).  Since there were fresh and rehydrated mushrooms in the mix (along with the usual veggies and tomatoes), the FR went very well with the stew where the mushrooms paired quite nicely with the earthy, spicy elements in the wine. 

This wine would also be a fantastic red steak wine and would equally pair well with a spiced pork loin or lamb shanks/chops/racks.

I would score this wine 87 points (out of 100) and give it a Good-to-Excellent quality-to-price ratio score.

Complete tasting notes can be found at http://vino-pinionated.blogspot.com/