Event

Each Thursday we open just one bottle of exceptional wine.

One that not only do we think is excellent, but that has received critical plaudits as well.

Usually rated in the 90's, we discount it by 20 - 40%.

A great wine at a great value.

It's what we do to be certain that...

Every day is a Special Occasion at The Wine Cabinet!!

Open Bottle

Featuring

T A L B O T T 

2012   

Pinot    Noir    
Sleepy Hollow Vineyard

Santa Lucia Highlands  
    
90    Points !        
“Brilliant ruby-red. Ripe cherry and black raspberry on the 
fragrant, smoke-tinged nose. Sappy and expansive, offering 
gently sweet dark berry flavors that are sharpened by 
peppery spice and orange pith nuances. Shows good energy 
and a seamless character on the gently tannic finish, which 
clings with very good tenacity and subtle spiciness.” 
 
-Josh Jaynolds, November 2013

The 2011Vintage received 92 points from The Wine Advocate and while 2012 has yet to be reviewed for the public, Talbott Pinots have been in the 90's since the early 2000's (e.g. 2011- 93/92; 2008 - 92/91)

"A beautiful, earthy and slightly Burgundian effort, the 2011 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard spent 11 months in 30% new French oak. Offering up lovely black cherry, earth, toasty oak and spice, it has outstanding definition and clarity on the palate with integrated acidity and ripe tannin. Youthful and lively, it should be given a handful of years in the cellar and enjoyed through 2021. Drink 2015-2021. 

I was blown away by these current releases and across the board the wines show beautiful balance and loads of class. In addition, the Kali Hart and Logan releases are serious values that should not be missed!"

#208 August 2013 Jeb Dunnock

More from Restaurant and Wine Critic Ronn Wiegand on the 2011

“The Sleepy Hollow is luscious and full bodied; an intensely flavored (plum, cherry, toast, clove, spicy oak, red currant), well-balanced, persistent wine that is still quite youthful.” 
  
Four and a half out of Five Stars: EXCELLENT quality for its type, style, and 
price. Among the very best of its type for its price. Highly recommended. 
 
-Ronn Wiegand, June 2013 

Our Thoughts

This is the type of Pinot Noir that we're alays looking for - Ripe, Lush. Balanced and great today or after cellaring for a while. The color of ripe black cherry with aromas of cherry pie, cola and vanilla with cinnamon spice thrown in for good measure. The palate delivers everything the nose promises and the lingering flavors beg for another taste. Whether you're having a juicy Ribeye off the grill or a side of salmon from the North Atlantic, this wine leaves you happy to be there!

Sleepy Hollow Vineyard

Located in the stunning Santa Lucia Highlands, 13 miles south of Monterey Bay, this 565-acre hillside vineyard is divided into three separate vineyard parcels, Sleepy Hollow West, Sleepy Hollow South and Sleepy Hollow North. Both the West and South parcels are planted on Arroyo Seco gravelly loam soil, which allows excellent root penetration, enabling the vines to pick up subsoil minerals that increase flavor complexity. These sparse, well-drained soils also reduce yields, creating rich, concentrated flavors in the grapes. The vineyard's predominately east-northeast exposure, combined with its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, contributes to a cool growing site with moderate vineyard temperatures. This results in a long growing season, giving the grapes the luxury of more hangtime to develop greater varietal character. Grapes from Sleepy Hollow West and South predominantly contribute to the Talbott Sleepy Hollow, Cuvée Carlotta and Logan Chardonnays, and the Talbott, Cuvée Sarah Case and Logan Pinot Noirs.

[Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Map] The Sleepy Hollow North block of Talbott's Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands is home to the Talbott winery. This special 115-acre, contiguous vineyard block has predominantly Chualar gravelly loam soil that contains a large percentage of sand, gravel and granite-based rock. The unique composition of this well-drained soil allows for excellent root penetration. As with Sleepy Hollow Vineyard's older blocks, growing conditions at Sleepy Hollow North result in low yields and excellent concentration of flavor components in the fruit. Relatively close proximity to the Pacific Ocean moderates temperatures, resulting in a long, mild growing season. The block's mainly northeast exposure also contributes to cooler temperatures. Sleepy Hollow North is planted with newer clones of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1989 and 1990, new Wente clones were planted on shy-bearing rootstock. The vines are on vertical trellising and receive minimal irrigation. In recent years, several acres of Pinot Noir vines were also planted on select rootstocks to elite Pommard and Dijon clones. Like Diamond T, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is cultivated with a focus on environmentally conscious, sustainable farming practices.

HISTORY

In 1982, Robb Talbott began planting his original Diamond T Estate vineyard on a cold, windswept mountaintop in Carmel Valley. Conventional wisdom was against him, and many said the steep, exposed site with its massive shale boulders was “too cold,” “too difficult to plant” and “too challenging to grow on.” But Robb had a vision—a vision he held on to as he prepared the cliff-side vineyard by hand, breaking apart its massive boulders with a 12-pound sledgehammer. “It all began with my first taste of a great Burgundy,” says Robb. [Diamond T Vineyard Map]  “That experience profoundly shaped my palate, and as I grew older I knew that I wanted to create unique and exceptional Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Wines that took their inspiration from the traditions of Burgundy, but had their roots in California’s soils.”

To achieve this goal, Robb Talbott established one of the Central Coast’s most esteemed estate programs, featuring two of Monterey County’s grand cru sites: Diamond T Estate and the legendary Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Though located a mere 18 miles apart, these two vineyards offer remarkably different growing conditions, yielding rich and distinctive Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that embody their unique terroirs.

At its heart, the history of Talbott Vineyards is the story of one family’s determined focus and commitment to excellence. In 1950, Robert Talbott, Sr., his wife Audrey, and their son, Robb, moved to Carmel, California, where they started a luxury tie company. Audrey sewed the ties by hand and Robert, Sr. sold them up and down the California coast. During silk buying trips to Europe for their business, the Talbotts visited French and Italian vineyards and soon became interested in fine wine. As their interest grew, they aspired to produce their own California wines, using the Burgundian techniques that they had become passionate about.

[Diamond T Shale] In 1982, Robb planted Diamond T, and the Talbotts built their original winery in idyllic Carmel Valley. For his first plantings, Robb selected the storied Corton-Charlemagne Chardonnay clone, planting it in Diamond T’s almost soil-free chalky shale. Robb knew that the vines would have to struggle to survive at Diamond T, producing miniscule yields and wines of great intensity.

After years of working with fruit from Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, in 1994 the Talbotts achieved another important milestone when they were able to acquire the property—making Talbott an all-estate winery. Featuring blocks of old Wente clone vines planted in 1972, Sleepy Hollow has earned a reputation for producing wines of great depth and voluptuousness. Today, Sleepy Hollow’s River Road block is home to the winery’s state-of-the-art winemaking facility, where Robb Talbott and renowned winemaker Dan Karlsen guide Talbott’s storied Chardonnay and Pinot Noir programs. These estate wines have gained a reputation for their lushness, grace and great aging potential, and have become benchmarks of quality on the Central Coast.