GUEST LINE-UP:
- Eric Johnson - Winemaker, Talley Vineyards
- Dean Gray - Proprietor, Riverain Vineyards
Showing posts with label TALLEY VINEYARDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TALLEY VINEYARDS. Show all posts
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Friday, July 14, 2017
7/14 BRIAN TALLEY, TALLEY VINEYARDS, PHILLIP CORALLO-TITUS, CHAPPELLET
BRIAN TALLEY - OWNER/WINEGROWER , TALLEY VINEYARDS - NEW COOKBOOK, OUR CALIFORNIA TABLE: CELEBRATING THE SEASONS WITH THE TALLEY FAMILY
For three generations the Talley family has farmed in Coastal San Luis Obispo County. The tradition began in 1948 when Oliver Talley founded Talley Farms and started growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. During the 1970s extensive planting of wine grapes began in the neighboring Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County areas. After observation and extensive analysis, Oliver's son, Don Talley, was convinced of the potential to grow high quality chardonnay and pinot noir on the steep hillsides above Talley Farms. Don planted a small test plot in 1982 on the west hillside of the Rincon Vineyard that included chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon. Over time the varietal and clonal selections were refined and planting expanded to a total of 190 acres in the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys.
Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. The winery's first five vintages were produced in a small winery adjacent to one of Talley Farms’ vegetable coolers. In the fall of 1991, a winery was completed at the foot of the Rincon Vineyard. A 12,000 square foot barrel and case goods storage building was added in 2000, followed by a new tasting room in 2002. Talley Vineyards currently produces about 36,000 cases annually. Brian and Johnine Talley own and operate Talley Vineyards, while Brian, Todd, Ryan and Rosemary Talley manage Talley Farms.
OUR CALIFORNIA TABLE: CELEBRATING THE SEASONS WITH THE TALLEY FAMILY
The beautiful coffee table-style book traces the four-generation legacy of the Talley family, one of California’s most notable agricultural families with roots in the Central Coast dating back to the 1940’s.
The inspiring story, written by Brian Talley, president of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms, features more than 50 of the family’s most beloved recipes accompanied by stunning images from photographer Jeremy Ball. The collectible book tells how the family business grew from humble, Depression-era origins to become one of California’s leading producers of fresh vegetables and the maker of acclaimed estate bottled wines. The recipes are grouped season-to-season to showcase the best bounty of each Talley harvest offering the family’s take on such regional classics as Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Wilted Greens, Rock Cod Veracruz, Honey-Glazed Quail with Grilled Radicchio and Red Onions and Dungeness Crab with Pink Sauce.
Focusing on a wide range of produce, including bell peppers, spinach, Napa cabbage, lemons, avocados and Brussels sprouts, Our California Table emphasizes true farm to table cuisine and wine pairing.
Talley Vineyards established its first plantings in 1982, one of the only wineries in the Arroyo Grande Valley viticultural area, which has some of the coolest temperatures for grape growing in the state. Since its first vintage was released in 1986, Talley Vineyards has won wide acclaim for its estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is recognized as a benchmark producer of these varietals.
Profits from the sale of Our California Table benefit the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers. Established in 2004 by Talley and his wife, Johnine, the fund provides grants to non-profit organizations that assist San Luis Obispo County agricultural workers and their families. It has raised more than $600,000 since its inception, with a goal to establish a $1 million endowment so the fund can continue in perpetuity.
WWW.TALLEYVINEYARDS.COM
WWW.TALLEYFARMSFRESHHARVEST.COM
WWW.LASVENTANASRANCH.COM
PHILLIP CORALLO-TITUS - WINEMAKER, CHAPPELLET
OUR STORY:
The Chappellet family’s romance with Pritchard Hill started more than four decades ago when Donn and Molly Chappellet first glimpsed its magnificent vista of forests and wildflower-filled meadows. Inspired by the notion that Bacchus loves the hills, the Chappellets followed the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff and settled on Pritchard Hill’s rocky slopes, becoming the first winery to plant vineyards exclusively on high-elevation hillsides. From these Pritchard Hill vineyards, the Chappellets have been crafting extraordinary, age-worthy wines since 1967. Pritchard Hill’s rugged terroir has become legendary for producing wines with great intensity and depth—qualities that define the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignons. As a result, Chappellet wines have consistently received the highest praise from critics, and are sought after by the world's premier collectors. Today, a second generation of the family has joined their parents in embracing the romance of Pritchard Hill. They are passionate about preserving the land and continuing what Donn and Molly began—making extraordinary wines.
WINEMAKER:
Chappellet wines are crafted to embody the terroir and the intensity of fruit that have made Pritchard Hill famous.Recognized for their signature mix of grandeur, power and purity, these coveted bottlings are the result of a winemaking process that begins in the vineyard, and champions its diversity. In the winery, renowned winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus—who has been guiding Chappellet’s winemaking program since 1990—individually ferments and ages lots from numerous vineyard blocks to maintain their distinctive character. These lots benefit from an array of maceration and fermentation practices. Adding even more depth and complexity, Phillip has established a barrel program utilizing the finest barrels from elite coopers and forests. With roots deep in the land, and a belief in constantly working to enhance the quality and character of Pritchard Hill’s fruit, Chappellet has earned acclaim for making California’s finest hillside Cabernet Sauvignons. The Chappellet portfolio also includes exceptional Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and the highly regarded Mountain Cuvée blend.
ABOUT PHILLIP CORALLO-TITUS, WINEMAKER
As Chappellet’s winemaker for more than two decades, Phillip Corallo-Titus has guided the winery’s storied winemaking program, building on Chappellet’s legacy as one of California’s preeminent producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. A gifted winemaker with a passion for experimentation, Phillip has embraced the diversity of Pritchard Hill to craft benchmark wines that authentically express the terroir-inspired complexity and character of their mountain origins.
Phillip discovered his passion for viticulture and wine at the age of 12 when he began helping his father in the family vineyard. This early exposure to working the vines was complemented at the dinner table, where Phillip’s father would pour French wines from his cellar. Building on this foundation, Phillip studied agronomy, viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis. A dedicated student of wine, Phillip also traveled to France to learn about the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
In 1981, Phillip joined the Chappellet team as assistant winemaker, where he spent four years honing his craft and learning about the estate vineyards before pursuing winemaking opportunities at Stratford and Cartlidge & Brown wineries. In 1990, Donn Chappellet invited Phillip to return to the winery as Chappellet’s winemaker, a position he has held ever since.
Working side-by-side with Jon-Mark Chappellet and longtime vineyard manager Dave Pirio, Phillip’s approach to winemaking begins in the vineyard. From his focus on harvesting at ideal ripeness to his emphasis on maintaining the integrity of Chappellet’s numerous vineyard blocks throughout the fermentation and aging process, Phillip strives to make wines that reflect both the vineyard and the vintage.In the winery, he handles the grapes very gently and uses an array of fermentation, maceration and cellaring techniques to accentuate and preserve the distinctiveness of each varietal.
In addition to his role as winemaker for Chappellet, Phillip also makes wine for Titus, his family's label. Phillip lives in Napa with his wife, Laura, and their two sons.
Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. The winery's first five vintages were produced in a small winery adjacent to one of Talley Farms’ vegetable coolers. In the fall of 1991, a winery was completed at the foot of the Rincon Vineyard. A 12,000 square foot barrel and case goods storage building was added in 2000, followed by a new tasting room in 2002. Talley Vineyards currently produces about 36,000 cases annually. Brian and Johnine Talley own and operate Talley Vineyards, while Brian, Todd, Ryan and Rosemary Talley manage Talley Farms.
OUR CALIFORNIA TABLE: CELEBRATING THE SEASONS WITH THE TALLEY FAMILY
The inspiring story, written by Brian Talley, president of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms, features more than 50 of the family’s most beloved recipes accompanied by stunning images from photographer Jeremy Ball. The collectible book tells how the family business grew from humble, Depression-era origins to become one of California’s leading producers of fresh vegetables and the maker of acclaimed estate bottled wines. The recipes are grouped season-to-season to showcase the best bounty of each Talley harvest offering the family’s take on such regional classics as Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Wilted Greens, Rock Cod Veracruz, Honey-Glazed Quail with Grilled Radicchio and Red Onions and Dungeness Crab with Pink Sauce.
Focusing on a wide range of produce, including bell peppers, spinach, Napa cabbage, lemons, avocados and Brussels sprouts, Our California Table emphasizes true farm to table cuisine and wine pairing.
Talley Vineyards established its first plantings in 1982, one of the only wineries in the Arroyo Grande Valley viticultural area, which has some of the coolest temperatures for grape growing in the state. Since its first vintage was released in 1986, Talley Vineyards has won wide acclaim for its estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is recognized as a benchmark producer of these varietals.
Profits from the sale of Our California Table benefit the Fund for Vineyard and Farm Workers. Established in 2004 by Talley and his wife, Johnine, the fund provides grants to non-profit organizations that assist San Luis Obispo County agricultural workers and their families. It has raised more than $600,000 since its inception, with a goal to establish a $1 million endowment so the fund can continue in perpetuity.
WWW.TALLEYVINEYARDS.COM
WWW.TALLEYFARMSFRESHHARVEST.COM
WWW.LASVENTANASRANCH.COM
PHILLIP CORALLO-TITUS - WINEMAKER, CHAPPELLET
The Chappellet family’s romance with Pritchard Hill started more than four decades ago when Donn and Molly Chappellet first glimpsed its magnificent vista of forests and wildflower-filled meadows. Inspired by the notion that Bacchus loves the hills, the Chappellets followed the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff and settled on Pritchard Hill’s rocky slopes, becoming the first winery to plant vineyards exclusively on high-elevation hillsides. From these Pritchard Hill vineyards, the Chappellets have been crafting extraordinary, age-worthy wines since 1967. Pritchard Hill’s rugged terroir has become legendary for producing wines with great intensity and depth—qualities that define the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignons. As a result, Chappellet wines have consistently received the highest praise from critics, and are sought after by the world's premier collectors. Today, a second generation of the family has joined their parents in embracing the romance of Pritchard Hill. They are passionate about preserving the land and continuing what Donn and Molly began—making extraordinary wines.
WINEMAKER:
Chappellet wines are crafted to embody the terroir and the intensity of fruit that have made Pritchard Hill famous.Recognized for their signature mix of grandeur, power and purity, these coveted bottlings are the result of a winemaking process that begins in the vineyard, and champions its diversity. In the winery, renowned winemaker Phillip Corallo-Titus—who has been guiding Chappellet’s winemaking program since 1990—individually ferments and ages lots from numerous vineyard blocks to maintain their distinctive character. These lots benefit from an array of maceration and fermentation practices. Adding even more depth and complexity, Phillip has established a barrel program utilizing the finest barrels from elite coopers and forests. With roots deep in the land, and a belief in constantly working to enhance the quality and character of Pritchard Hill’s fruit, Chappellet has earned acclaim for making California’s finest hillside Cabernet Sauvignons. The Chappellet portfolio also includes exceptional Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and the highly regarded Mountain Cuvée blend.
ABOUT PHILLIP CORALLO-TITUS, WINEMAKER
As Chappellet’s winemaker for more than two decades, Phillip Corallo-Titus has guided the winery’s storied winemaking program, building on Chappellet’s legacy as one of California’s preeminent producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. A gifted winemaker with a passion for experimentation, Phillip has embraced the diversity of Pritchard Hill to craft benchmark wines that authentically express the terroir-inspired complexity and character of their mountain origins.
Phillip discovered his passion for viticulture and wine at the age of 12 when he began helping his father in the family vineyard. This early exposure to working the vines was complemented at the dinner table, where Phillip’s father would pour French wines from his cellar. Building on this foundation, Phillip studied agronomy, viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis. A dedicated student of wine, Phillip also traveled to France to learn about the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
In 1981, Phillip joined the Chappellet team as assistant winemaker, where he spent four years honing his craft and learning about the estate vineyards before pursuing winemaking opportunities at Stratford and Cartlidge & Brown wineries. In 1990, Donn Chappellet invited Phillip to return to the winery as Chappellet’s winemaker, a position he has held ever since.
Working side-by-side with Jon-Mark Chappellet and longtime vineyard manager Dave Pirio, Phillip’s approach to winemaking begins in the vineyard. From his focus on harvesting at ideal ripeness to his emphasis on maintaining the integrity of Chappellet’s numerous vineyard blocks throughout the fermentation and aging process, Phillip strives to make wines that reflect both the vineyard and the vintage.In the winery, he handles the grapes very gently and uses an array of fermentation, maceration and cellaring techniques to accentuate and preserve the distinctiveness of each varietal.
In addition to his role as winemaker for Chappellet, Phillip also makes wine for Titus, his family's label. Phillip lives in Napa with his wife, Laura, and their two sons.
Friday, December 18, 2015
12/18 MAGGIE TILLMAN, ALTA COLINA, BRIAN TALLEY, TALLEY VINEYARDS
MAGGIE TILLMAN – SALES AND MARKETING, ALTA COLINA
HISTORY
Since the 1970’s, Bob Tillman has looked for the site where he could plant a world-class vineyard. He didn’t find that property until the Tillman family moved to the Central Coast of California and tasted the wines coming out of Paso Robles. Finally, he and his wife Lynn knew they were in the place where they could produce the kind of wines they love to drink.
In 2003, after an extensive search for the ideal location, Bob found the beautiful hilltop property on Adelaida Road in Paso Robles that would become Alta Colina Vineyard. Nestled high in the rugged coast range mountains, Alta Colina Vineyard’s natural beauty soothes the spirit with its 360 degree vistas and calming seclusion.
To achieve great wines from this spectacular site, Bob assembled a world-class team: John Crossland, Dean Harrell, and Steve Vierra from Vineyard Professional Services planned, planted, and farmed the vineyard; Scott Hawley consulted on the winemaking and the crucial decision on when to harvest; and Bob makes his wines in space leased from Alex and Monica Villicana. Collectively, this expert group has over 100 vintages under its belt! Finding the incredible site and assembling the expert team were only the first steps in preparing the property for planting. First, the narrow track up the mountain had to be expanded to a workable agricultural road—a non-trivial task given the very steep terrain. A high volume water well was drilled at the bottom of the mountain and piping installed to carry water over 500 feet up the hill where a reservoir holds the vital irrigation supply. Then the soils were ripped to allow free vine rooting, the drip irrigation system constructed, and finally the trellis was put in place.
After more than a year of site preparation, the first vine was planted on April 23, 2005 by Ann Walsh, Lynn’s mother. That vine was Petite Sirah in vineyard block 7—now named Ann’s Block to commemorate the event. By the end of May, 40,773 vines were planted, consuming 31.1 acres broken into 15 blocks. Four Rhône red wine varietals and 4 white Rhône varietals are planted. Most are sourced from a French government nursery (the so-called ENTAV selections) with 1 block coming from John Alban’s vineyard in the Edna Valley, located in Southern San Luis Obispo County. The first three growing seasons were dedicated to vine development. The focus was on developing robust plants with extensive root systems while carefully pruning to shape the above-ground canopy for optimal fruit production. In 2007 the vineyard produced Alta Colina’s first crop—tiny by commercial standards, but adequate to give the first taste of what is to come. As we had hoped, the wines are excellent—the future looks very bright for Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery.
ABOUT MAGGIE
Maggie Tillman is our full-time sales and marketing person in Paso Robles. After three years working at other high-end Paso Robles wineries, Maggie now works full time for the family business. She often represents Alta Colina at events around the state as well as manages the tasting room and Tasting Club. Maggie is the person to direct almost any question toward!
WINEMAKING PRACTICES
Every bottle of Alta Colina wine is estate grown and produced. You are drinking a pure expression of our vineyard’s soil, weather, varietal clones, rootstocks, and site. Our winemaking practices are aimed at delivering that pure fruit expression directly to you with minimum intervention. The actual winemaking process starts right after harvest, as we nourish and hydrate the vines to encourage carbohydrate storage in the over-wintering wood and to support the late season root growth. We also get next year's nutrients into the soil via compost application ahead of the winter rains that distribute the nutrients throughout the root growth zone.
Once winter has passed, we begin the season-long process of manicuring and nurturing each vine in search of the viticulturist's perfect balance—that moment when the fruit load, the leaf canopy, and root system achieve perfect harmony. Once the vines in a given block reach that point, we look to the grapes for the moment when the sugar ripeness, acidity, and the phenolic ripeness (flavors and color) are optimized. This moment may not occur simultaneously in every block of the vineyard, so we harvest some blocks today, others day after tomorrow, and so on until we get all the fruit into the winery in the optimum condition. After 11 months in the vineyard ensuring that we have the highest fruit quality, the process of winemaking finally commences. Ours is a minimalist approach—we want to let the vineyard express itself with little intervention on our part.
We grow 4 varieties of white grapes, all from the Rhône Valley in France: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. Each is vinified separately, and the wines blended after several months of aging. The process starts with hand harvesting starting pre-dawn when the fruit is at its coolest. We visually inspect each cluster in the field as it is picked—this is the greatest intervention we introduce into the natural process. The fruit is at the winery by 7 AM, where it is gently pressed to extract the sweet grape juice. The stems and grape skins are returned to the vineyard for composting. The juice is fermented mostly in oak barrels to extract flavor from the barrel and to allow the yeast access to oxygen which is slowly diffusing through the oak staves. A fraction is fermented in stainless steel which yields pure fruit flavors. After the fermentation is complete, we blend these lots together and let them rest for about 2 months.
Sometime in January, we sit down and taste our way through all the white varieties, and experiment with blends. There are no rules in the blending process—we are guided by the flavors expressed by the vineyard. So far, we have settled into 3 general blending regimes. First, a Viognier dominated wine featuring strong varietal characteristics, big body, and the power to pair with any sauce. This is the 12 O'Clock High. Second, a Marsanne dominated wine made in a similar style, but featuring the Fuji apple flavors of that varietal--Claudia Cuvee. Both these wines are blended, returned to barrel, and aged for another year prior to bottling.
The third blend is made in a crisp, fresh, fruity style perfect for shell fish dishes. This wine is varietally labeled as Grenche Blanc. We continue to experiment with Roussanne--each year will see a different treatment of this grape until we find the optimum from the vineyard. Once these final blends are complete, the wine is aged another few months and bottled in the spring.
Bottling is tough on wine. It’s a shocking event and some bottles temporarily lose their character as a result. After a few months of recuperation, they are ready for your drinking enjoyment. We suspect the Roussanne based wines will benefit from further bottle aging—stay tuned as we get more experience with Alta Colina Vineyard fruit. We also grow 4 varieties of red grapes, again all Rhônes: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Petite Sirah. The situation here is a bit more complex as we have 3 clones of Syrah and 4 of Grenache. All clones are vinified separately and (potentially) blended together after up to a year of aging. Our harvest process for reds is identical to that described above for whites. Once the fruit reaches the winery however, the process is considerably different.
We begin by de-stemming, which separates the individual grapes from the woody stem. In the case of red wines, we need the grape skins to be part of the fermentation as they possess the crucial color and flavor compounds that are associated with these wines. The stems impart unwanted woody flavors to the wine, so we return them to the compost process. After de-stemming, we visually inspect the individual berries again and remove anything that is not perfect.
Fermentation takes place in open-top tanks. We allow the native yeasts from the vineyard to kick off the fermentation on their timetable. Sometimes we get a rogue native yeast that commences fermentation. When that happens, we inoculate with wine yeast which quickly overwhelms the rogue and gets us back on track. A red wine fermentation is something like a newborn; it needs attention every few hours in the form of a “punch-down”. The carbon dioxide, released by the yeast, lifts the grape skins to the surface where they will dry out if not forcibly pushed (or punched) down into the liquid wine below. This is the primary reason winemakers lose weight (not to mention, get a bit testy) during the harvest season—sleep deprivation is a terrible thing!
When the fermentation has consumed all the sugar in the grape juice, we pump the free-run wine from the tank and place it in oak barrels. The remaining mass of skins (now a bit worse for the wear) is moved into the press, and the press-run wine is extracted by gentle pressure and placed in oak barrels. After about 6 months of aging, all barrels are tasted and the initial blends decided. The wines are racked into tanks, blended, and returned to barrel where they age another 8 months before again being tasted and the blends fine tuned if necessary.
While the wine is aging in barrel, oxygen slowly diffuses through the oak staves where it mingles with the tannin molecules to soften the wine and round its flavors. Then, in the spring of the second year after harvest, we bottle the wine and let it sit for a few months to recover from the bottling process. Alta Colina reds are released in the subsequent fall with another 6 months of bottle aging to get through the bottling shock and to further develop the flavor and structure of the wine. They are ready to drink, but will continue to develop for years to come.
WWW.ALTACOLINAWINE.COM
BRIAN TALLEY – OWNER/WINEGROWER, TALLEY VINEYARDS
HISTORY
For three generations the Talley family has farmed in Coastal San Luis Obispo County. The tradition began in 1948 when Oliver Talley founded Talley Farms and started growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. During the 1970s extensive planting of wine grapes began in the neighboring Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County areas. After observation and extensive analysis, Oliver's son, Don Talley, was convinced of the potential to grow high quality chardonnay and pinot noir on the steep hillsides above Talley Farms. Don planted a small test plot in 1982 on the west hillside of the Rincon Vineyard that included chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon. Over time the varietal and clonal selections were refined and planting expanded to a total of 190 acres in the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys.
Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. The winery's first five vintages were produced in a small winery adjacent to one of Talley Farms’ vegetable coolers. In the fall of 1991, a winery was completed at the foot of the Rincon Vineyard. A 12,000 square foot barrel and case goods storage building was added in 2000, followed by a new tasting room in 2002. Talley Vineyards currently produces about 36,000 cases annually. Brian and Johnine Talley own and operate Talley Vineyards, while Brian, Todd, Ryan and Rosemary Talley manage Talley Farms.
WINEMAKING
Talley Vineyards is located in Coastal San Luis Obispo County, one of the world’s great regions to grow chardonnay and pinot noir. Traditional Burgundian methods are employed in the cellar to capture all of the potential of this place and to produce expressive and complex wines that purely reflect their vineyard origins.
Chardonnay is hand harvested and whole cluster pressed. The juice is only minimally settled in tank then racked into light to medium toasted French oak barrels. The level of new oak used depends on the wine, but generally ranges between 15% and 25%. All of the wine is barrel fermented with native yeasts. Maximum fermentation temperatures are cool and range from 68°-74°F to preserve the natural fruit characteristics of the wine. As is traditional in Burgundy, all of the wine ages sur lie and undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften the natural acidity while adding richness and complexity to the finished wine. The Estate Chardonnay is typically bottled after 11 months in barrel, while the Single Vineyard Selections age 14-16 months in barrel.
After hand harvest and cluster sorting, the pinot noir is predominantly destemmed, though 25% whole clusters are maintained in vineyard blocks that achieve good stem lignification. Destemmed grapes are berry sorted before they are gravity fed into small open top fermenters. Before fermentation, the must undergoes a "cold soak" of three to five days to extract color, aroma, and flavor. Only native yeasts ferment the pinot noir, with the objective being a long, slow fermentation. Maximum fermentation temperatures range from 85°-92° F. After a cuvaison of about ten days, the wine is racked, with minimal settling, into medium-heavy toasted French Oak barrels where it ages for 15-18 months before bottling. Generally 30-35% of the barrels are new.
During their elevage, wines from individual vineyard blocks are kept separate for the first 8-10 months before a series of blind tastings are conducted to assemble the Single Vineyard Selections. Year after year, these wines typically come from the same few blocks within each respective vineyard. The Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir generally incorporate all of the vineyard blocks farmed by the family in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Before bottling, all barrels are tasted individually and any not meeting Talley Vineyards strict quality standards are kept out of the final blend. The wines are then gently bottled, using in-house bottling equipment.
The goal is to produce distinctive and balanced wines that best express the unique character of each of the Talley family’s six vineyard sites. It is the commitment to this objective that results in the consistency of quality from vintage to vintage that is the hallmark of a great winegrowing estate.
ABOUT BRIAN TALLEY
Brian Talley is a third generation farmer born and raised in Arroyo Grande. While attending UC Berkeley, where he earned degrees in History and Natural Resource Economics, he worked in a wine shop called Curds and Whey where he fell in love with wine.
Brian began his career in the family business at age 12 when he started harvesting vegetables at Talley Farms. He became General Manager of Talley Vineyards in 1991 and now serves as President of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms. Brian is recognized as a leader in the local wine industry and was cofounder of the World of Pinot Noir, has served as President of the San Luis Obispo Wine Country Association and been recognized by both Robert Parker and the local wine industry as a Wine Industry Person of the Year.
Brian loves cooking, wine and travel as well as running, cycling and golf. He lives at the edge of Talley Farms with his wife Johnine and daughters Elizabeth and Olivia.
WWW.TALLEYVINEYARDS.COM
HISTORY
In 2003, after an extensive search for the ideal location, Bob found the beautiful hilltop property on Adelaida Road in Paso Robles that would become Alta Colina Vineyard. Nestled high in the rugged coast range mountains, Alta Colina Vineyard’s natural beauty soothes the spirit with its 360 degree vistas and calming seclusion.
To achieve great wines from this spectacular site, Bob assembled a world-class team: John Crossland, Dean Harrell, and Steve Vierra from Vineyard Professional Services planned, planted, and farmed the vineyard; Scott Hawley consulted on the winemaking and the crucial decision on when to harvest; and Bob makes his wines in space leased from Alex and Monica Villicana. Collectively, this expert group has over 100 vintages under its belt! Finding the incredible site and assembling the expert team were only the first steps in preparing the property for planting. First, the narrow track up the mountain had to be expanded to a workable agricultural road—a non-trivial task given the very steep terrain. A high volume water well was drilled at the bottom of the mountain and piping installed to carry water over 500 feet up the hill where a reservoir holds the vital irrigation supply. Then the soils were ripped to allow free vine rooting, the drip irrigation system constructed, and finally the trellis was put in place.
After more than a year of site preparation, the first vine was planted on April 23, 2005 by Ann Walsh, Lynn’s mother. That vine was Petite Sirah in vineyard block 7—now named Ann’s Block to commemorate the event. By the end of May, 40,773 vines were planted, consuming 31.1 acres broken into 15 blocks. Four Rhône red wine varietals and 4 white Rhône varietals are planted. Most are sourced from a French government nursery (the so-called ENTAV selections) with 1 block coming from John Alban’s vineyard in the Edna Valley, located in Southern San Luis Obispo County. The first three growing seasons were dedicated to vine development. The focus was on developing robust plants with extensive root systems while carefully pruning to shape the above-ground canopy for optimal fruit production. In 2007 the vineyard produced Alta Colina’s first crop—tiny by commercial standards, but adequate to give the first taste of what is to come. As we had hoped, the wines are excellent—the future looks very bright for Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery.
ABOUT MAGGIE
Maggie Tillman is our full-time sales and marketing person in Paso Robles. After three years working at other high-end Paso Robles wineries, Maggie now works full time for the family business. She often represents Alta Colina at events around the state as well as manages the tasting room and Tasting Club. Maggie is the person to direct almost any question toward!
WINEMAKING PRACTICES
Every bottle of Alta Colina wine is estate grown and produced. You are drinking a pure expression of our vineyard’s soil, weather, varietal clones, rootstocks, and site. Our winemaking practices are aimed at delivering that pure fruit expression directly to you with minimum intervention. The actual winemaking process starts right after harvest, as we nourish and hydrate the vines to encourage carbohydrate storage in the over-wintering wood and to support the late season root growth. We also get next year's nutrients into the soil via compost application ahead of the winter rains that distribute the nutrients throughout the root growth zone.
Once winter has passed, we begin the season-long process of manicuring and nurturing each vine in search of the viticulturist's perfect balance—that moment when the fruit load, the leaf canopy, and root system achieve perfect harmony. Once the vines in a given block reach that point, we look to the grapes for the moment when the sugar ripeness, acidity, and the phenolic ripeness (flavors and color) are optimized. This moment may not occur simultaneously in every block of the vineyard, so we harvest some blocks today, others day after tomorrow, and so on until we get all the fruit into the winery in the optimum condition. After 11 months in the vineyard ensuring that we have the highest fruit quality, the process of winemaking finally commences. Ours is a minimalist approach—we want to let the vineyard express itself with little intervention on our part.
We grow 4 varieties of white grapes, all from the Rhône Valley in France: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. Each is vinified separately, and the wines blended after several months of aging. The process starts with hand harvesting starting pre-dawn when the fruit is at its coolest. We visually inspect each cluster in the field as it is picked—this is the greatest intervention we introduce into the natural process. The fruit is at the winery by 7 AM, where it is gently pressed to extract the sweet grape juice. The stems and grape skins are returned to the vineyard for composting. The juice is fermented mostly in oak barrels to extract flavor from the barrel and to allow the yeast access to oxygen which is slowly diffusing through the oak staves. A fraction is fermented in stainless steel which yields pure fruit flavors. After the fermentation is complete, we blend these lots together and let them rest for about 2 months.
Sometime in January, we sit down and taste our way through all the white varieties, and experiment with blends. There are no rules in the blending process—we are guided by the flavors expressed by the vineyard. So far, we have settled into 3 general blending regimes. First, a Viognier dominated wine featuring strong varietal characteristics, big body, and the power to pair with any sauce. This is the 12 O'Clock High. Second, a Marsanne dominated wine made in a similar style, but featuring the Fuji apple flavors of that varietal--Claudia Cuvee. Both these wines are blended, returned to barrel, and aged for another year prior to bottling.
The third blend is made in a crisp, fresh, fruity style perfect for shell fish dishes. This wine is varietally labeled as Grenche Blanc. We continue to experiment with Roussanne--each year will see a different treatment of this grape until we find the optimum from the vineyard. Once these final blends are complete, the wine is aged another few months and bottled in the spring.
Bottling is tough on wine. It’s a shocking event and some bottles temporarily lose their character as a result. After a few months of recuperation, they are ready for your drinking enjoyment. We suspect the Roussanne based wines will benefit from further bottle aging—stay tuned as we get more experience with Alta Colina Vineyard fruit. We also grow 4 varieties of red grapes, again all Rhônes: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Petite Sirah. The situation here is a bit more complex as we have 3 clones of Syrah and 4 of Grenache. All clones are vinified separately and (potentially) blended together after up to a year of aging. Our harvest process for reds is identical to that described above for whites. Once the fruit reaches the winery however, the process is considerably different.
We begin by de-stemming, which separates the individual grapes from the woody stem. In the case of red wines, we need the grape skins to be part of the fermentation as they possess the crucial color and flavor compounds that are associated with these wines. The stems impart unwanted woody flavors to the wine, so we return them to the compost process. After de-stemming, we visually inspect the individual berries again and remove anything that is not perfect.
Fermentation takes place in open-top tanks. We allow the native yeasts from the vineyard to kick off the fermentation on their timetable. Sometimes we get a rogue native yeast that commences fermentation. When that happens, we inoculate with wine yeast which quickly overwhelms the rogue and gets us back on track. A red wine fermentation is something like a newborn; it needs attention every few hours in the form of a “punch-down”. The carbon dioxide, released by the yeast, lifts the grape skins to the surface where they will dry out if not forcibly pushed (or punched) down into the liquid wine below. This is the primary reason winemakers lose weight (not to mention, get a bit testy) during the harvest season—sleep deprivation is a terrible thing!
When the fermentation has consumed all the sugar in the grape juice, we pump the free-run wine from the tank and place it in oak barrels. The remaining mass of skins (now a bit worse for the wear) is moved into the press, and the press-run wine is extracted by gentle pressure and placed in oak barrels. After about 6 months of aging, all barrels are tasted and the initial blends decided. The wines are racked into tanks, blended, and returned to barrel where they age another 8 months before again being tasted and the blends fine tuned if necessary.
While the wine is aging in barrel, oxygen slowly diffuses through the oak staves where it mingles with the tannin molecules to soften the wine and round its flavors. Then, in the spring of the second year after harvest, we bottle the wine and let it sit for a few months to recover from the bottling process. Alta Colina reds are released in the subsequent fall with another 6 months of bottle aging to get through the bottling shock and to further develop the flavor and structure of the wine. They are ready to drink, but will continue to develop for years to come.
WWW.ALTACOLINAWINE.COM
BRIAN TALLEY – OWNER/WINEGROWER, TALLEY VINEYARDS
For three generations the Talley family has farmed in Coastal San Luis Obispo County. The tradition began in 1948 when Oliver Talley founded Talley Farms and started growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. During the 1970s extensive planting of wine grapes began in the neighboring Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County areas. After observation and extensive analysis, Oliver's son, Don Talley, was convinced of the potential to grow high quality chardonnay and pinot noir on the steep hillsides above Talley Farms. Don planted a small test plot in 1982 on the west hillside of the Rincon Vineyard that included chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon. Over time the varietal and clonal selections were refined and planting expanded to a total of 190 acres in the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys.
Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. The winery's first five vintages were produced in a small winery adjacent to one of Talley Farms’ vegetable coolers. In the fall of 1991, a winery was completed at the foot of the Rincon Vineyard. A 12,000 square foot barrel and case goods storage building was added in 2000, followed by a new tasting room in 2002. Talley Vineyards currently produces about 36,000 cases annually. Brian and Johnine Talley own and operate Talley Vineyards, while Brian, Todd, Ryan and Rosemary Talley manage Talley Farms.
WINEMAKING
Talley Vineyards is located in Coastal San Luis Obispo County, one of the world’s great regions to grow chardonnay and pinot noir. Traditional Burgundian methods are employed in the cellar to capture all of the potential of this place and to produce expressive and complex wines that purely reflect their vineyard origins.
Chardonnay is hand harvested and whole cluster pressed. The juice is only minimally settled in tank then racked into light to medium toasted French oak barrels. The level of new oak used depends on the wine, but generally ranges between 15% and 25%. All of the wine is barrel fermented with native yeasts. Maximum fermentation temperatures are cool and range from 68°-74°F to preserve the natural fruit characteristics of the wine. As is traditional in Burgundy, all of the wine ages sur lie and undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften the natural acidity while adding richness and complexity to the finished wine. The Estate Chardonnay is typically bottled after 11 months in barrel, while the Single Vineyard Selections age 14-16 months in barrel.
After hand harvest and cluster sorting, the pinot noir is predominantly destemmed, though 25% whole clusters are maintained in vineyard blocks that achieve good stem lignification. Destemmed grapes are berry sorted before they are gravity fed into small open top fermenters. Before fermentation, the must undergoes a "cold soak" of three to five days to extract color, aroma, and flavor. Only native yeasts ferment the pinot noir, with the objective being a long, slow fermentation. Maximum fermentation temperatures range from 85°-92° F. After a cuvaison of about ten days, the wine is racked, with minimal settling, into medium-heavy toasted French Oak barrels where it ages for 15-18 months before bottling. Generally 30-35% of the barrels are new.
During their elevage, wines from individual vineyard blocks are kept separate for the first 8-10 months before a series of blind tastings are conducted to assemble the Single Vineyard Selections. Year after year, these wines typically come from the same few blocks within each respective vineyard. The Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir generally incorporate all of the vineyard blocks farmed by the family in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Before bottling, all barrels are tasted individually and any not meeting Talley Vineyards strict quality standards are kept out of the final blend. The wines are then gently bottled, using in-house bottling equipment.
The goal is to produce distinctive and balanced wines that best express the unique character of each of the Talley family’s six vineyard sites. It is the commitment to this objective that results in the consistency of quality from vintage to vintage that is the hallmark of a great winegrowing estate.
ABOUT BRIAN TALLEY
Brian Talley is a third generation farmer born and raised in Arroyo Grande. While attending UC Berkeley, where he earned degrees in History and Natural Resource Economics, he worked in a wine shop called Curds and Whey where he fell in love with wine.
Brian began his career in the family business at age 12 when he started harvesting vegetables at Talley Farms. He became General Manager of Talley Vineyards in 1991 and now serves as President of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms. Brian is recognized as a leader in the local wine industry and was cofounder of the World of Pinot Noir, has served as President of the San Luis Obispo Wine Country Association and been recognized by both Robert Parker and the local wine industry as a Wine Industry Person of the Year.
Brian loves cooking, wine and travel as well as running, cycling and golf. He lives at the edge of Talley Farms with his wife Johnine and daughters Elizabeth and Olivia.
WWW.TALLEYVINEYARDS.COM
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