Reprinted from i-winereview.com

Started in 2005, The International Wine Review is an industry leading publication oriented around wine education for wine consumers and wine trade professionals. Thoughtful reviews are enhanced by bi-monthly comprehensive regional reports.

Left to right: Don Winkler, Editor and Mike Potashnik, Publisher

Rob Jensen has been sourcing Chardonnay from the best vineyards in Central California for over three decades, and we’ve been reviewing them almost as long.  The Santa Lucia Highlands have always been at the core of the portfolio, but in recent years Testarossa has added outstanding vineyards from further south: iconic vineyards like Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada in the Santa Rita Hills and the Talley Family’s Rincon Vineyard in Arroyo Grande (now part of the new SLO Coast AVA).

We recently visited Rob and winemaker Bill Brosseau at the historic Testarossa Novitiate Winery in Los Gatos and tasted several older vintages that illustrate the increasingly refined and balanced character of the Testarossa Chardonnays as well as their ageability. Having worked with the same vineyards for so long, Bill clearly knows how to cultivate and harvest the diverse vineyards to get the best fruit and then does micro-vinifications parcel by parcel to allow for fine-tuned blending.

This (2022 vintage) was a challenging vintage with reduced yields and a Labor Day heat spike.  But earlier than usual growing conditions meant most Chardonnay was picked before the heat spike and was of exceptionally high quality.

Testarossa sources Pinot Noir grapes from some of California’s most noteworthy vineyards in three contiguous, Central Coast counties:  Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.  Most of the vineyards are exposed to the cooling influences of the Pacific Ocean.  Winemaker Bill Brosseau uses similar techniques making the wines, so the differences in the wines mostly reflect terroir.   What they all have in common is especially rich fruit, the right amount of balancing acidity, and juicy, bordering on lush textures. The wines were tasted at the winery in Los Gatos, where we also tasted  many older vintages, and at our offices in Washington DC.

95 points

2022 Diana’s Chardonnay
California AVA

“This barrel selection is a beautiful rendition of classic California Chardonnay sourced from distinctive, cool growing areas of the state. Very flavorful with generous orchard and tropical fruit beautifully balanced by vivacious acidity and a grippy structure. While it sees a bit more new oak than Testarossa’s other Chardonnays, it’s seamlessly integrated and contributes to the full, rich mouthfeel. Sourced from Sta Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley and Chalone; pressed whole cluster and fermented in French oak. Aged 17 months in 57% new French oak. pH 3.35, 14.2% alc. This is the best Diana’s Chardonnay to date, in our opinion.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

95 points

2022 Niclaire Pinot Noir
California AVA

“Saturated ruby. Expressive aromas redolent of dark cherry, pomegranate, lavender and toasty oak. A very silky and densely flavored wine seamlessly integrated with expensive French oak. Hedonistic mouthfeel, delicious layered flavors, and fine-grained tannins, finishing with a lingering sense of purity. Outstanding. A barrel selection from the AVAs that Testarossa sources fruit from. Aged 18 months in 82% new French oak. pH 3.43, 14.3% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

95 points

2022 Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“Opens with a bouquet of black cherry, black raspberry, and a hint of toasty oak. Beautifully balanced and full in the mouth with bright fresh fruit and moderate tannins. Very long finish. A beautiful wine. This vineyard, established in 1982 by Gary Pisoni, consists of 45 acres and is situated in the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains at about 1,300 ft. above the Salinas Valley. It is composed of several small vineyard blocks, each with a unique soil type and microclimate. The property sits at the southern end of the SLH at a considerably higher altitude than the majority of vineyards in the AVA. Its mountainous terrain, consisting of well-drained alluvial fans of very thin decomposed granite soil, stresses the vines, producing grapes of intense character. Matured 19 months in 57% new French oak. 14.3% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

95 points

2022 Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The Sierra Mar Pinot Noir is a beauty! Rich fruit and savory elements play off against one another resulting in a beautifully balance, tension-filled wine. There’s excellent depth of flavor and a serious character to this wine. The Sierra Mar Vineyard has 15 year old vines planted in loamy, decomposed granite soils at 1000′ elevation. Matured 18 months in 47% new French oak. pH 3.45, 14.2% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 La Rinconada Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Rita Hills AVA

“Beautiful aromatics of fresh yellow fruit, nectarine, hint of green mango, and a slight hint of oak. Gorgeous phenolics with a firm, rich backbone, mineral-like character in the mouth, and a long, focused finish. Excellent balance. pH 3.25, 14.2% alc. Clone 15 and Wente Clone matured 15 months in 34% new French oak.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

” Medium yellow with a golden hue. Mineral like nose of roasted grain and Meyer lemon. A superbly balanced wine showing good grip and firm-edged flavors. From a 51 year old vineyard of Wente Clone vines planted on shaly and clay loam soils at 395′; pressed whole cluster and fermented and aged 15 months in 40% new French oak. pH 3.15, 14.1% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“The Soberanes Chardonnay opens with scents of spring flowers and Meyer lemon. Superbly balanced with a firm structure and dense flavors of lemon curd and mandarin zest. Very long finish with rich extract. The oak influence was dialed back on this wine, preserving its delicacy and highlighting its minerality. Soberanes, a vineyard of 14-year-old vines owned by the Pisoni and Franscioni families and grown on sandy loam soils at 400′ with an East/Northeast orientation; whole cluster pressed and fermented and aged 12 months in 25% new French oak. pH 3.27, 14.2% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“Sumptuous nose of red cherry and raspberry. Opulent in the mouth with impressive fresh fruit concentration and bright acidity. Round tannins on the finish. Owned by boyhood friends, Gary Pisoni and Gary Franscioni, this highly acclaimed 50-acre vineyard was established in 1997. The vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir from the Pisoni Selection on Arroyo Seco sandy loam. Garys’ sits in the middle of the Highlands region at 300 feet above sea level and rises to 500 feet with an East/Southeast exposure. Matured 18 months in 65% new French oak. 14.3% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Rincon Vineyard Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA

“The Rincon Vineyard Pinot Noir opens with aromas of dark cherry and a hint of earthiness. It’s mouth filling with excellent depth of concentrated dark red fruit and savory herbs. Finishes long and focused. Made from 37 year old vines (Clones 2A and 667) grown in calcareous clay at 400′ with a southwest orientation. Aged 12 months in 57% new French oak. pH 3.56, 14.1% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

“Floral nose, rose petals. Nice spicy edge. Precise on the palate….lots of fruit….very cherry and pomegranate like. Spice on palate, too. Long spicy, red fruit finish. These wines are all fruit driven, richly fragrant and flavorful….not terribly complex but delicious easy drinking. A touch of cranberry. Like the Garys but not as sweet. Clone 667 and the Pisoni Selection, 26-year-old vines grown on sandy, gravelly loam; matured 12 months in 55% new French oak. pH 3.30, 14.2% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Rosemary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA

“Dark ruby. Sourced from California’s newest and coolest AVA, this Pinot Noir is particularly fresh with red fruit and earth and a hint of toasty oak on the nose. There are layered fruit and earthy flavors on the palate with excellent mid-palate weight and a long spicy, savory finish with fine round tannins. Hand harvested from 35 year old vines (667 Clone), destemmed and fermented in stainless steel; matured 15 months in 86% new French oak.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review

94 points

2022 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir
Santa Rita Hills AVA

” The Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir is always one of our favorites, and the 2022 vintage doesn’t disappoint. Of the three Sta. Rita Hills vineyards that Testarossa sources from, Sanford & Benedict is the furthest east. It has young vines (14 years old) and is planted to Dijon Clones 828, 667, and 943. The wine is red fruited with notes of red and black berries, rose petals, and cassis. Soft and pliant in the mouth, it shows an overall sense of refinement and a very long, focused finish with well-knit tannins. Matured 15 months in 57% new French oak. pH 3.41, 14.3% alc.” Don Winkler, International Wine Review