Winemaker Notes
Try pairing this Chardonnay with Petrale sole garnished with a corn relish or soft Camembert cheese.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2015 was the year "the drought hit us the hardest," says Brian Talley. "We picked Pinot Noir on July 15. It was unbelievable. The vines were so stressed." The 2015 Chardonnay Rosemary's Vineyard is scented of petrichor, saline and crushed shell to begin, and then it opens up to white blossoms, lime peel, dried hay and white peaches. In the mouth, it's light to medium-bodied, full of zippy, zingy energy and is minerally with just a dash of savory character, finishing long and nuanced.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
An impressive wine from one of my favorite California producers, the 2015 Talley Vineyards Rosemary's Vineyard Chardonnay offers an excellent combination of ripe apples, fragrant flowers, and oak accents in both its aromas and palate. The wine's exquisite finish wraps it all up into a fine and complex package. Pair it with panko-covered sautéed English sole. (Tasted: September 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.