Talley Rincon Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Pan-seared halibut with lemon-butter sauce, roasted chicken with herbs, creamy chanterelle mushroom risotto
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Dominion Tantara Talley Rincon Vineyard Chardonnay represents a masterful marriage of boutique winemaking and one of the Central Coast's most legendary terroirs. Located in the cool Arroyo Grande Valley, the Rincon Vineyard was first planted by the pioneering Talley family in 1982. It is celebrated for its unique soil profile, consisting of calcareous clay and loam, which imparts a distinctive chalky minerality to the grapes. Influenced by the nearby Pacific Ocean, the vineyard experiences foggy mornings and breezy afternoons, allowing the Chardonnay fruit to ripen slowly while retaining its vibrant natural acidity. Dominion Tantara honors this exceptional site through traditional Burgundian methods, employing barrel fermentation, wild yeasts, and careful lees stirring in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is a sophisticated expression of California Chardonnay, balancing rich stone fruit and citrus flavors with a refined, saline-tinged finish.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1997 by Bill Cates, Dominion Tantara is a distinguished boutique winery located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The winery is dedicated to producing exceptional, site-specific wines, sourcing fruit from some of the Central Coast's most prestigious vineyards, including Bentrock, Dierberg, and La Encantada. Emphasizing traditional French winemaking methods and minimal intervention, Dominion Tantara specializes in elegant, terroir-driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. Their acclaimed single-vineyard and reserve bottlings, such as the Cuvee Jeannette and Evelyn Pinot Noirs, are highly regarded for their sophistication, balance, and aging potential.