Talbott Vineyards Tasting Room in Carmel-by-the-Sea

No matter how well you know it, there is always something new to discover in Carmel-by-the-Sea. This time around, I discovered the Talbott Vineyards tasting room located on Lincoln St. between 5th and 6th avenue.

Talbott Vineyards produces estate-grown chardonnay and pinot noir inspired by the traditions of Burgundy. There are two estate vineyards located in Monterey County: Sleepy Hollow Vineyard and Diamond T Vineyard.

My boyfriend, Matthew and I sat outside on the intimate patio and shared an Estate Flight of each the pinot noir and chardonnay.

We first started off with the Chardonnay Exclusive Flight that featured:

Audrey 2016 Chardonnay. Diamond T Vineyards, Estate Grown – One of my favorite chardonnays! It has a deep golden color and lush aromas of ripe stone fruit, baked apple, Asian pear, and exotic hard spices.

2015 Chardonnay. Diamond T Vineyards, Estate Grown – Has a toasty note of crème brûlée and lush aromas of ripe tropical fruit layered with yellow apple, meyer lemon, and hard spices.

Sarah Case 2016 Chardonnay. Sleepy Hollow Vineyards, Estate Grown – Taste juicy notes of tropical and stone fruits with a hint of brioche. The finish is smooth with a creamy texture.

2018 Block 50 South Chardonnay. Sleepy Hollow Vineyards – Breathe in a graceful aroma of white flowers, Anjou pear, and a hint of brioche. There are notes of lychee, Red Delicious apples, and hints of vanilla – sounds divine, right?

After, we moved onto the Pinot Noir Exclusive Flight that featured: 

2017 Sarah Case Pinot Noir. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands AVA – Features aromas of blackberry, black cherry and spices with notes of ripe fruit framed by round, velvety tannins and excellent acidity.

2017 Block 48 South Pinot Noir. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands AVA – Notes of dark cherry intertwine with layers of blackberries and raspberry compote, rounded out by refreshing acidity, soft tannins and oak.

2017 Block 23 West Pinot Noir. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard – Santa Lucia Highlands AVA – Layers of ripe dark cherry, raspberry and blackberry combined with notes of hard spices and vanilla.

2017 RFT Pinot Noir – Wine Club Exclusive. Diamond T Vineyard – Monterey AVA – Bold and flavorful with concentrated layers of ripe black cherry, plum, blackberry and boysenberry with full, yet subtle tannins and vibrant acidity.

After, we did a hop, skip and a jump next door to The Pocket with a bottle of Talbott RFT in hand. We dined on a Mozzarella di Buffala salad then Pappardelle Ragu – it was a perfect pairing!

I enjoyed exploring the different flavors and characteristics of wines from each of Talbott’s unique estate vineyards in Monterey County.

Even if you don’t live near California’s Central Coast, you can still get a taste of it with every sip of Talbott Vineyards wine!