2020 Rosemary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
Tasting Notes
“Deep red hue. Enchanting scents of ripe cranberry, boysenberry, anise, and jasmine start off this Pinot Noir. With some air, notes of flint, dill, and dried cherry offer some verve and complexity. The complex aroma profile shows beautifully equally on the palate, paired with modest acidity and fine tannins. There is great energy and complexity as this wine enters the finish. Enjoy now through 2029.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
May 2022
“Moderate garnet color in the glass. Vivid aromas of well-spiced cherry and easy oak. Well-crafted and charming in a mid-weight style, with a caressing mouthfeel and generous flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, cocoa, and toasty oak. The tannins are refined making for good approachability. Very slick mouthfeel. Not a blockbuster but a seductive wine. I rarely encounter a 100% 667 clone wine that is this complete.”
Rusty Gaffney
The PinotFile
December 2022
Production Data
Growers: Talley Family
Winemaker: Bill Brosseau
Appellation: Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
Elevation/Exposure: 400 feet; South
Soil: White, rocky fractured sandstone and loam. Some clay subsoil
Vineyard Age: 33 years
Viticulture Practice: Sustainable (SIP Certified)
Vinification: Destemmed, fermented in stainless steel
Cooperage & Ageing: 18 months in 100% French Oak, 56% new
Production: 16 barrels
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir (100% Clone 667)
Acidity: 3.56 pH, 5.33 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.3%
Harvest: September 18, 2020
Club Release: May 2022
Release Price: $74
Drink Now through 2029
Past Wine Scores
“Dark garnet color in the glass. Shy but pleasing aromas of black cherry, terra-cotta, underbrush and slight toasty oak. Extremely engaging on the palate with a flourish of sappy dark cherry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit flavors. Clearly a special wine that is appealingly rich yet welcoming with complimentary tannins and a very long finish. This wine hits all the bass notes typical of the Wädenswil 2A clone.”
Rusty Gaffney
The PinotFile
June 2021
“Deep ruby color, lush and dense with juicy cherry fruit, fresh and tangy with excellent acid structure; silky and crisp, long and balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
September 2020
“Glistening red. Ripe red berries, potpourri, exotic spices and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Sappy, penetrating, spice-tinged raspberry, cherry preserve and candied rose flavors deepen slowly on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse, the fine-grained tannins adding shape to a strikingly long, smooth finish that leaves a resonating floral note behind.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
“Bright-rimmed ruby. Complex, intensely perfumed aromas of spice-tinged dark berry and cherry liqueur and floral oils, with a smoky topnote and a hint of minerals. Silky and seamless in the mouth, showing a penetrating quality to the blackberry, cherry preserve and spicecake flavors. Finishes very long and floral, with smooth tannins and resonating spiciness.”
Josh Raynolds
Antonio Galloni Vinous
“This 100% 667 clone bottling by Bill Brosseau is extremely beautiful on the nose, with scarlet rose petals, perfectly ripe cherry, hot raspberry pie and cinnamon spice aromas. That red fruit with cinnamon touch carries through the sip, which is flavorful but remains light on its feet, showing a touch of herbs and acid that persists into the finish.”
Wine Enthusiast
“The 2014 Pinot Noir Rosemary’s Vineyard is one of the deeper colored Pinot Noirs in the lineup. Coming from a top notch vineyard in the Arroyo Grande Valley and aged just under a year in 59% new French oak, this medium to full-bodied, silky, beautifully rich 2014 has classy notes of black raspberries, cassis, smoked herbs and licorice. Count me a fan, and I continue to be impressed with this vineyard.”
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Rosemary’s Vineyard
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, just six miles to the Southwest and surrounding the home of Talley Vineyards’ co-founder Rosemary Talley, Rosemary’s Vineyard is one of the coolest sites in the Arroyo Grande Valley Appellation. The cool climate and low yields, as well as exceptional soil, lend to the elements that produce this acclaimed fruit. Working closely with the Talley Family, Testarossa owners, Rob and Diana Jensen, and Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau, have created this very exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with classic old world flavors.