Talley Vineyards Estate Bottled Arroyo Grande Valley Pinot Noir 2020

93 Points - great buy                                                                                                                                      One of the Central Coast's finest producers of Pinot Noir. 93 Points Robert Parker:  "listening ruby-red. Mineral- and spice-accented red berry and cherry aromas are complemented by cola and floral nuances. Silky and appealingly sweet, offering vibrant raspberry, cherry and rose pastille flavors braced by a building mineral quality. Shows fine definition and floral lift on the energetic, persistent finish, which is framed by smooth, well-knit tannins. 15% whole clusters and 30% new French oak.... ...Two thousand eighteen marked Talley’s Rincon Vineyard’s 36th anniversary as the oldest vineyard in Arroyo Grande and the 32nd vintage for their wines. It’s hard to overstate the impact that the Talley family has had on high-quality grape-growing and winemaking (not to mention vegetable farming) in California’s Central Coast. The standard here is very high, starting with the impeccably maintained vineyards and extending to the winemaking, overseen since 2010 by Eric Johnson, who has helped place Talley in the upper tier of New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers, a slot that they easily maintain with the 2018 vintage. Talley has slowly been expanding outside the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay box in recent years, with great success. Production is still small for their Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache and Syrah bottlings, but they are more than worth the search, which is probably best done by contacting the Talleys directly.”  The one superstar for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Edna Valley is Talley Vineyards. Interestingly, they make most of their money growing vegetables rather than grapes. Yet Brian Talley and his team continue to turn out extremely elegant, European styled wines from this micro-climate at the southern end of the Edna Valley, not far from Arroyo Seco." Talley's Estate Pinot Noir is bright crimson in appearance and expressive of the distinctive character of the Arroyo Grande Valley which produces well structured pinot noir. Mineral notes in the aroma are complemented by hints of cranberry chutney and a faint trace of cigar box. On the palate, this elegant and well balanced pinot noir displays notes of bright raspberry and a touch of black pepper. With refreshing acidity and great structure, this wine is ready to enjoy now but will age gracefully over the next decade.

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