2017 Talley Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir
California Cool-Climate Pinot Noir — Eight Years in the Making
Talley Vineyards has been farming the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys of San Luis Obispo County since 1948 — long before California Pinot Noir was fashionable, and long before anyone was paying attention to this stretch of the Central Coast. The family planted their first wine grapes in 1982, drawn by the same cool Pacific breezes and marine fog that make this one of California's most compelling Pinot Noir regions. Today, Talley is regarded as one of the state's benchmark cool-climate Pinot Noir producers, and the Estate wine is the expression that best captures the breadth and character of their land.
The Estate Pinot Noir draws fruit from across Talley's multiple vineyard sites in the Arroyo Grande Valley — each parcel contributing something distinct to the final blend. The result is a wine of intricate aromatics and brilliant structure: rose petals, smoke, and dusty red berries on the nose, giving way to a savoury palate where rooibos, sea salt, and herbal notes frame tart raspberry and cranberry. A note of salty blood orange lingers on the finish — a signature of cool-climate Pinot Noir at its most expressive and distinctive.
Variety: Pinot Noir
Estate: Arroyo Grande Valley, San Luis Obispo County, California
Vintage: 2017
Bottle size: 750ml
With 8 years of bottle age, the 2017 is now drinking at its most complex and rewarding. Decant for 30 minutes. Will continue to hold through 2028.
If the Talley Estate Pinot Noir has captured your attention, these cool-climate Pinot Noir from different producers are worth exploring:
Life's too short for bad wine.
