Talley Rincon Pinot Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
The collaboration between the late, legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat and the pioneering Talley family represents a golden chapter in Central Coast winemaking history. Sourced from the iconic Rincon Vineyard in the Arroyo Grande Valley, this single-vineyard Pinot Noir showcases a highly distinctive terroir defined by calcareous clay and soft limestone soils. First planted by Don Talley in 1982—the very same year Au Bon Climat was founded—the Rincon Vineyard benefits from cool maritime breezes sweeping in from the Pacific Ocean. Clendenen applied his signature old-world, Burgundian approach to this fruit, utilizing open-top fermenters, manual punch-downs, and thoughtful aging in classic Francois Frères French oak barrels. The resulting wine is celebrated for its remarkable structure, vibrant acidity, and a signature mineral-driven complexity that sets it apart from warmer California expressions.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1982 by the visionary late winemaker Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach, Au Bon Climat is situated in the cool-climate expanse of the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. Operating out of the acclaimed Bien Nacido Vineyard, the winery forged an international reputation by championing restraint, balance, and classical Burgundian traditions long before cool-climate California viticulture entered the mainstream. Driven by early harvesting, indigenous fermentations, and meticulous French oak aging, Au Bon Climat crafts structured, age-worthy wines distinguished by high natural acidity and moderate alcohol levels. The estate is celebrated globally for its expressive site-specific and reserve bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including iconic signature labels such as Knox Alexander, Isabelle, and Nuits-Blanches au Bouge.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5%