2018 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard

Two thousand eighteen marked Talley’s Rincon Vineyard’s 36th anniversary as the oldest vineyard in Arroyo Grande and the 32nd vintage for their wines. It’s hard to overstate the impact that the Talley family has had on high-quality grape-growing and winemaking (not to mention vegetable farming) in California’s Central Coast. The standard here is very high, starting with the impeccably maintained vineyards and extending to the winemaking, overseen since 2010 by Eric Johnson, who has helped place Talley in the upper tier of New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers, a slot that they easily maintain with the 2018 vintage. Talley has slowly been expanding outside the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay box in recent years, with great success. Production is still small for their Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache and Syrah bottlings, but they are more than worth the search, which is probably best done by contacting the Talleys directly.