Talley Vineyards Arroy Grande Valley Chardonnay 2021

	From renowned family winery Talley Vineyards
	Fermented and matured in French oak barrels
	Rich white with butter and oak, but also freshness and minerality

Description

Talley himself introduces this Chardonnay as 'the quintessential expression of Talley Vineyards'. Also according to expert Jebb Dunnuck, this is 'a great introduction for readers looking to understand the style (and quality) of this terrific estate'.

We can fully agree with that. The Talley family has decades of experience growing vegetables in San Luis Obispo County's Arroyo Grande Valley. Talley Vineyards has been around since 1986. Since then, it has built up a good reputation, especially for its excellent Chardonnays, which are characterized by Burgundian tension and finesse. The grapes are perfectly at home in the Central Coast vineyards that benefit from cool wind influence from the Pacific Ocean.

This Estate Chardonnay is the domain's calling card and is made exclusively from grapes from its own vineyards. That is certainly not a given in California, where many producers buy their grapes. The chardonnay is harvested by hand in the Arroyo Grande Valley. A classic Burgundy vinification follows in the cellar: fermentation with the grape's own yeasts in wooden barrels and maturation of eleven months in (25% new) French oak barrels. Finally, the wine rests briefly in stainless steel tanks.

This method produces an impressive white wine, which you could easily confuse with a Puligny or Meursault. A ripe, rich style Chardonnay with notes of butter and toast, but also a lively freshness and a smoky, mineral touch. In short, a beautiful Californian Chardonnay that will absolutely appeal to Burgundy lovers.