2015 Talley Vineyards Estate Chardonnay Arroyo Grande 750 ml

Among the Best Under-$30 Chardonnays in America

Michael Madrigale — NYC’s legendary “Sommelier of the Year” — called Brian Talley’s estate-grown gem “the best under-$30 Chardonnay in America.” Wine Access clients agree — Talley has long been one of our top-rated and top-selling Chardonnays. Upon release of the 2015 Talley Estate Chardonnay Arroyo Grande, Vinous’ notoriously stingy Chardonnay critics wasted no time adding fuel to the label’s fiery popularity, awarding it 93 points. Vinous praised its potent aromas and taut mineral-driven texture — yet another of fifteen Talley Chardonnays to land a 92-94 Vinous rating since 2013. Culled from a quartet of estate vineyards in the dramatically windswept hillsides of the Arroyo Grande Valley, this luscious expression of the California Central Coast has again earned Talley a place among California’s elite, alongside Kistler, Kongsgaard, Luc Morlet, and Peter Michael. Those other wines push triple digits, but Talley does not. 

Brian Talley’s acclaimed reputation stems from his unwavering dedication to producing Chardonnays from a rich Burgundian script. His methods virtually create a region-shifting experience. As Madrigale has point out, “When you serve a bottle of Talley Chardonnay to a white Burgundy drinker,” he’s told us, “they think they’re sipping Meursault — albeit at a fraction of the price.”

California’s ongoing drought conditions produced dramatically low yields in 2015. The Chardonnay that did emerge from Brian’s four Arroyo Grande vineyards — Rincon, Rosemary’s, Las Ventanas, and Monte Sereno — was exceptional. Caressed by a cool maritime climate, these berries interpret the terroir’s calcareous soils in nimble, complex fashion, resulting in a Chardonnay boasting an elegant expression of sublime harmony and balanced acidity.