Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir is an elegant, luxurious expression of the world-class wine produced in Talbott's Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. This flagship Pinot Noir offers a distinct earthiness, minerality and dark fruit intensity characteristic of Sleepy Hollow’s long growing season and terroir. Aromas of sarsaparilla, nutmeg and clove mingle with notes of ripe black cherry, raspberry and vanilla bean to deliver a rich, mouth-filling texture. Highly detailed red and black berry flavors, vibrant acidity and well-heeled tannins support the inherent minerality that yields a complex finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of ripe cherries, plums, button mushrooms and baking spices. It’s medium-to full-bodied, round and creamy with soft tannins and bright acidity. Juicy, ripe and flavorful. Tangy, zesty undertones.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard features blackberry and dark cherry on the nose with accents of licorice, pipe tobacco, earth and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is soft and grainy with concentrated, earthy fruits and a long, graphite-laced finish.
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Wine Spectator
This elegant red is filled with fresh-crushed cherry and plum flavors that are backed by crunchy acidity. Ends with notes of dried savory herbs on the svelte, minerally finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of dried cherry, sagebrush, baked berry and loamy earth show on the nose of this bottling from the historic vineyard. Dark berry and black plum flavors emerge on the sip, where licorice and nutmeg add layers to the bold wine.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
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.