Winemaker Notes
Aromas of lemon, oyster shell and graham cracker lead to flavors of lemon curd, saline, apple and pine. The laser like finish displays subtle complexity and persistence.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Chardonnay Rosemary's Vineyard reveals a medium gold hue and a stunning nose of stone fruits, ripe melon, spicy wood, and salty minerality. Aged sur lie for 14 months, it's balanced and medium-bodied, with a juicy, lively mouthfeel and a great finish. This is another truly brilliant Chardonnay from this estate that you could put in a blind lineup of top White Burgundies. Drink 2025-2035.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Rosemary's Vineyard begins with a flicker of flinty reduction before delving deeply into layers of lemon oil, mint, lime zest, green apple and chalk. Mineral-driven and very cool-climate in feel, it pulses with energy. Site expression is front and center here, amplified by an extra measure of tension and drive that elevates the Rosemary's above the rest of the range. This is a strikingly complete Chardonnay from Brian Talley. Bravo.
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Decanter
Gorgeous Chardonnay comes from the hands of winemaker Eric Johnson at Talley Vineyards on the San Luis Obispo Coast. This bottling from Rosemary's is the coolest site on the cooler than you'd expect Talley estate. Beautiful and full aromatics of clover honey, candied ginger, rich, ripe pineapple, and a sweet white gardenia floral tone. The palate nails texture, as a creamy lemon curd flavour segues into juicy ripe mangoes, perfectly ripe Meyer lemon pulp and an undeniable coastal salinity that soars at the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most dynamic and multifaceted Chardonnay from Talley is the 2023 Chardonnay Rosemary's Vineyard, which derives from vines planted in 1988 and 1998 on shale and loam soils. Fennel, flint, hazelnut and crushed stone aromas gradually build in intensity on the nose, followed by a palate that combines nimble energy with punchy textural breadth, a tensile core and exceptional finesse. It concludes with a weightless, deep, rich finish while sacrificing no verve, clarity or dimension. This functions like an amalgam of the other Chardonnays in the range, and it should develop beautifully into its second decade.
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Wine Spectator
A stylish white, showing a beautiful floral note up front, plus jasmine and lemon blossoms. Offers a vivid, mouthwatering and intense core of lemon zest, with hints of beeswax and Asian pear. Freshly grated ginger and Himalayan sea salt leave an impression on the finish. Drink now. 581 cases made.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of the coolest growing areas in California, the Arroyo Grande Valley runs from the southwest to the northeast, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Central Coast AVA. Situated so that cold Pacific Ocean air and fog is allowed to filter into the valley, Arroyo Grande also has an incredibly long growing season. Bud break occurs in February in most years with flowering in May and harvest in late September; the area is classified as cool Mediterranean.
These weather factors combined with the soil types—continental and marine rocks, greywacke, limestone, shale and volcanic—create wines with great concentration and fresh acidity. The cooler end of the valley is perfect for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and is a good producer of sparkling wines. The warmer, more inland part of the valley is home to some of California’s oldest Zinfandel vines.