Winemaker Notes
Aromas of toasted oak and caramelized sugar with a hint of lemon creme. Notes of fresh-baked Pink Lady apple galette underscored with crème brûlée. Decadently creamy with bright, palate-refreshing finish.
Perfect with crab salad spritzed with fresh lemon-dill dressing
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This estate-grown wine offers luscious, concentrated fruit flavors on a full body laced with bright citrus acidity for good balance. Aromas of golden apples, pineapple slices and creme brulee lead to a rich texture, luxurious fruit flavors and pastry nuances.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is another soft-textured white from Talbott, but it has the freshness to balance its ripe, creamy, spiced fruit. Tangerine, apricot, orange oil, cinnamon, chamomile and white flowers soothe the palate, soaking in with ease and pressing ahead with gentle forward motion. This is a fine choice for drinking over the next few years.
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.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.