2019 Talley Vineyards Chardonnay Estate Arroyo Grande Valley 750 ml

We sell a lot of Chardonnay here at Wine Access, from case-buy offers perfect for everyday sipping to cellar-worthy collectibles that can evolve for decades. Which makes it that much more remarkable that the Talley estate-grown Chardonnay remains the #1 rated under-$30 Chard in Wine Access history.

That outstanding quality for the price is why Wine Spectator once called Talley “one of California’s best Chardonnay brands” and why the best sommeliers in the country caught on long ago: This wine has graced the wine lists at Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, and more. We once asked our friend, Wine Enthusiast’s #1 Sommelier in America, what he thought about Talley’s Chardonnay, and he couldn’t have been more effusive: “When you serve a bottle of Talley Chardonnay to a white Burgundy drinker, they think they’re sipping Meursault—at a fraction of the price.” 

With fruit from the Rincon and Rosemary vineyards—which supply Talley’s $55 and $65 single-site Chardonnays—this bottling is a pristine expression of the unique chalky clay soils and cool maritime climate of the Arroyo Grande appellation. Smoothed out by Old World-inspired winemaking, it’s clear why Talley put the Central Coast on the map: Their signature Chardonnay leverages coastal energy with a smooth, creamy texture from barrel fermentation.

In the end, Talley’s 2019 seems to have more in common with Meursault than classic California Chardonnay. It’s got a gorgeous creamy texture with wet stone, a rounded palate, and a very subtle hint of hazelnut. It’s just the latest bottling of a wine that we look forward to drinking every single vintage.