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Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2016

Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2014

Smoky baked yellow apple, yellow peach, and clementine grace the nose of this well-priced Monterey Chardonnay. Talbott’s 2016 Kali Hart is made from Corton-Charlemagne Chardonnay clone vines from the winery’s Sleepy Hollow estate vineyard, a hillside parcel that is a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean. On the palate there is creaminess, yet there is […]

Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir 2016

Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir 2016

I was pleased to have toured Carmel Road’s stunning Panorama vineyard on the day they had a falconer out to deter starlings just ahead of harvest and equally pleased to meet their capable winemaker. The 2016 Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir is loaded with briary fruit anchored by aromas of earthy substrata. Sous bois, dried […]

Chalone Vineyard Estate Syrah 2014

Chalone Vineyard Estate Syrah 2014

From Chalone’s historic estate in the Gavilan Mountain Range—it’s the oldest producing vineyard in Monterey County, with an altitude of around 1,800 feet and limestone-based soils, the wines from this small AVA are incredibly distinct. The 2014 Vineyard Estate Syrah boasts roasted plums, blackberries, tobacco, cedar, tar, black pepper, oxblood, and even a bit of […]

Bernardus Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2015

Bernardus Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2015

Aromas of stemmy raspberry, black cherries, and macerated blackberry followed by vanilla, sweet tobacco, white pepper, and Oolong tea. There is concentration and power on the palate, but lightness too—as I typically find in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the acidity has a signature energy to it—nervy and coated in marine influence, it dances amidst pure […]

Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2015

Robert Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2015

A suffusion of smokey minerals, creme brûlée, toasted coconut flake, mandarin and grilled pineapple. Talbott’s 2015 Kali Hart Chardonnay is made from the winery’s Sleepy Hollow estate vineyard, a hillside parcel that is relatively close to the Pacific Ocean—where cool maritime breezes lend a moderating effect. The effect of this microclimate on the palate is […]

Gallo Signature Series Pinot Noir 2013

Ernest & Julio Gallo Signature Series Pinot Noir 2013

I prefer Gallo’s Signature Series Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir with some age on it—the 2013 offers up a bouquet of that is more dark fruited than red. Blackberries at peak ripeness, a touch of black cherry, vanilla and cola precede a wine that is swathed in fine, velvety tannins. This is a richer, more […]

Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2014

Robert Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2014

An excellent value to be found in this estate grown, Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay. The site lies just thirteen miles from Carmel Bay, along the northern edge of the valley—planted in 1982, in Corton-Charlemagne Chardonnay clone vines, it’s a wine that delivers subtle, layered flavors of smokey baked yellow apples, figs, and lemon torte strike […]

Bridlewood Monterey County Pinot Noir 2014

Bridlewood Monterey County Pinot Noir 2014

A nice value with a distinctive underbrush and red cherry note I attribute to Monterey Pinot Noir, particularly the acidity and what it does in the mouth—a bright burst, even though this is a more delicate, fully translucent example from the region. In addition, wafting cherry blossoms, leaves crackling underfoot, instant coffee, a touch of […]

Talbott Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 2014

Robert Talbott Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

The brawny side of Pinot Noir, Talbott’s Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands. There, Pommard and Dijon clones burrow deep into Chualar gravelly loam soil and sand, resulting in a wine with an equal measure of weight and acidity along with steeped raspberry, cherry, rose hip, underbrush, and spice notes. Bordering […]

J Vineyards Pinot Noir Monterey, Sonoma, & Santa Barbara Counties 2015

J Vineyards Pinot Noir Monterey, Sonoma, & Santa Barbara Counties 2015

J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir is a blend of Pinot Noir from three AVAs: Monterey County, Santa Barbara County and Sonoma County. It’s a big, voluptuous wine, not quite opaque and neatly inlaid with black cherry, roasted strawberry, warm brown spices, and decaying rose petal. Silky on entry, with well-integrated tannins—the acidity hits at […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com