PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Talbott’s Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is one of the great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sites in California. It was first planted in 1972 in the Santa Lucia Highlands, a Monterey County appellation on a bench above the Salinas Valley that has some of the coolest growing conditions of any wine region in the state, with cold Pacific winds that arrive every afternoon. Robb Talbott purchased the vineyard in 1994, which made Talbott an estate winery, and its reputation has only grown since: Wine Enthusiast called it a “Grand Cru” California vineyard, and its 1990 Chardonnay received a perfect 100 points from Wine Spectator in a 1997 retrospective tasting.
The 2017 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir is the estate’s flagship red, bottled under screw cap at 14.8% ABV, and it’s an older, more developed counterpart to the 2018 you also have in 3L. Critics have scored it consistently well. James Suckling gave it 93: “Sweet-and-sour character to this with dried strawberry, toasted-oak and lime undertones. Full to medium body, fine tannins and a creamy finish. Contrastive. Drink or hold.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate also scored it 93: “It has inviting, open-knit aromas of cranberry sauce, wild blackberries, blood orange, clove and turned earth plus notes of amaro and tobacco. The silky, light to medium-bodied palate offers lovely, earth-tinged fruits with a grainy, fresh frame and long, layered finish.” Wine Spectator scored it 91: “The lithe flavors of red plum, raspberry and cherry pastry feature sandalwood and cedar accents, backed by medium-grained tannins. Plump, spicy finish.” Wine Enthusiast scored it 90: “There are savory iodine and sanguine kicks to the nose of this bottling, with dried boysenberry and leather aromas as well. That earthy, meaty element carries to the sip, where dried cherry and shiitake mushroom flavors show.” (All scores are for the standard 750ml bottle; the double magnum holds the same wine.)
Compared with the 2018, the 2017 reads as the more savory, lighter-bodied, earth-and-spice-driven of the two, with the cranberry, amaro, and tobacco notes and a silky, grainy structure, while the 2018 is the riper, rounder, creamier vintage with more cherry and plum fruit. Both are 3 liters, four bottles’ worth, about 20 glasses, a showpiece for a dinner party, a holiday table, or a gift, and large formats age more slowly than standard bottles, which helps an older vintage like the 2017.
It’s an earthy, savory California Pinot Noir with bright acidity, a great match for roast duck, salmon, mushroom dishes, roast chicken, and lamb. Serve it slightly cool, at about 60-62°F, and give it a little air.
Talbott 2017 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir is produced by Talbott Vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, California, from estate-grown Pinot Noir from the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (planted 1972; Talbott-owned since 1994). Screw cap. 14.8% ABV. Presented in a 3000ml double magnum, equal to four standard bottles.
Scores are for the 750ml bottle; the double magnum holds the same wine.
James Suckling — 93 Points:
“Sweet-and-sour character to this with dried strawberry, toasted-oak and lime undertones. Full to medium body, fine tannins and a creamy finish. Contrastive. Drink or hold.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate — 93 Points:
“It has inviting, open-knit aromas of cranberry sauce, wild blackberries, blood orange, clove and turned earth plus notes of amaro and tobacco. The silky, light to medium-bodied palate offers lovely, earth-tinged fruits with a grainy, fresh frame and long, layered finish.”
Wine Spectator — 91 Points:
“The lithe flavors of red plum, raspberry and cherry pastry feature sandalwood and cedar accents, backed by medium-grained tannins. Plump, spicy finish.”
Wine Enthusiast — 90 Points:
“There are savory iodine and sanguine kicks to the nose of this bottling, with dried boysenberry and leather aromas as well. That earthy, meaty element carries to the sip, where dried cherry and shiitake mushroom flavors show.”
Nose
Cranberry sauce, wild blackberry, blood orange, dried strawberry, and dried boysenberry, with clove, turned earth, amaro, tobacco, and savory iodine.
Palate
Silky and light- to medium-bodied, with earth-tinged red fruit, red plum, cherry pastry, sandalwood, and cedar, with a grainy, fresh frame.
Finish
Long, layered, and creamy, with spice and shiitake-mushroom savor.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, California |
| Variety | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Producer | Talbott Vineyards (founded 1982) |
| Vineyard | Sleepy Hollow Vineyard — planted 1972; Talbott-owned since 1994 |
| Closure | Screw cap |
| ABV | 14.8% |
| Critics | James Suckling 93 · Wine Advocate 93 · Wine Spectator 91 · Wine Enthusiast 90 |
| Style / Identity | A savory, earthy, silky California Pinot Noir with cranberry, amaro, and spice |
| Aromas & Flavors | Cranberry, wild blackberry, blood orange, clove, dried strawberry, amaro, tobacco |
| Serving Temperature | 60–62°F |
| Bottle Size | 3000ml (Double Magnum) |
Serve slightly cool, at about 60-62°F, with a little air.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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