2003 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir "Estate" (Arroyo Grande Valley)

Talley Vineyards
2003 Estate Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley

VINEYARD
The 2003 Estate Pinot Noir was produced entirely from pinot noir grapes grown in the Talley Familys two
vineyards in the Arroyo Grande Valley. The majority of the blend came from the Rincon Vineyard, which
flanks the Talley Vineyards winery to the north and east. The balance of the blend was produced from
Rosemarys Vineyard, which surrounds Don and Rosemary Talleys home, one mile west of the winery.

GROWING SEASON
Unseasonably warm winter temperatures caused an early and erratic budbreak, with some vines starting to
grow in mid-January. We spent the rest of the growing season trying to even out vine growth. Strong
shoots were tipped to slow their growth, while weak shoots and extra grape clusters were removed
before flowering. Leaf and lateral shoot removal was completed in May and June to promote air circulation
and even ripening. A final pass was made through the vineyard during veraison when the least ripe clusters
were removed. For the first time ever, we performed two harvests in most of our pinot noir blocks, hand
picking only the ripest grapes on the first pass and waiting an additional two to three weeks before harvesting
the remaining clusters. This labor-intensive strategy was one of the important factors that elevated the
quality of the 2003 wines, and lead to the longest harvest on record. Harvest began August 13 and was
completed October 7.

WINEMAKING
As with previous vintages, we employed the traditional Burgundian techniques that result in the most
expressive and complex wines. The grapes were hand-harvested and delivered to the winery only during
the cool morning hours. They were then gently destemmed directly into small fermenters and the must
began a pre-fermentation cold soak that lasted from three to five days. Fermentation with native yeasts
began spontaneously and the wine was pressed off just as it went dry. The wine was transferred to 30%
new FranÃçois FrÃères barrels from the Allier and Vosges forests. This Pinot Noir aged in barrel for 16
months before it was gently bottled, without filtration, March 10, 2005. Only 2,974 cases were produced.

TASTING NOTES
Similar to the 2002 because of the increasing role of newer plantings in the blend, the 2003 Estate Pinot
Noir yields violets and black fruits in the aroma followed by flavors of cherry and spicy blackberry, with
hints of cinnamon and sarsaparilla. This rich wine pairs well with roasted Pacific Salmon, wild mushroom
risotto, or spring lamb.