2022 Rosemary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Arroyo Grande Valley AVA
Tasting Notes
“Deep red hue. Blueberry jam and boysenberry leap out of the glass initially. Over time, notes of anise, grapefruit, cola, and cranberry pull back the reigns on ripeness. While this unique assemblage of qualities unite on the palate, they stay true to form and flow into a plush and luscious texture. This wine finishes silky smooth. Enjoy now through 2030.”
~Bill Brosseau, Director of Winemaking
March 2024
“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, June 2024
“Review Coming August 2024” Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast, August 2024
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: 35 years
Viticulture Practice: Sustainable (SIP Certified)
Vinification: Destemmed, fermented in stainless steel
Cooperage & Ageing: 15 months in 100% French oak, 86% new
Production: 11 barrels
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir (100% Clone 667)
Acidity: 3.45 pH, 6.99 TA (g/L)
Alcohol: 14.3%
Harvest: September 12, 2022, hand harvested
Club Release: March 2024
Release Price: $79
Drink Now through 2030
Past Wine Scores
“Medium ruby red. This is a rich Pinot Noir that opens with scents of ripe fruit complemented by spicy toasted oak followed by a mouth filling, hedonistic palate of excellent purity and depth. Could easily pass for a Pinot from the Russian River Valley. Finishes very long with round fine tannins. Hand harvested from 34-yearold vines (667 Clone), destemmed and fermented in stainless steel; matured 16 months in 78% new French oak. pH 3.44, 14.3% alc.”
Don Winkler
International Wine Review
August 2023
“Lovely purity of pinot noir fruit with some smoke, citrus and hot stone character on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied but not over done with a richness and freshness at the same time. Drink or hold.”
James Suckling
June 2023
“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
“A picture-perfect pinot nose freely offers up ultra-pure and pretty aromas of various red berries, anise, spiced tea and a whiff of sandalwood. The sophisticated mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is positively gorgeous thanks to the excellent mid-palate density, all of which is complemented by a strikingly long, precise, complex and harmonious finale. This classy effort is quite simply terrific.”
Allen Meadows
Burghound
October 2022
“Medium ruby color, silky texture, ripe mature cherry fruit, notes of toasted oak and earth, long and balanced.”
Anthony Dias Blue
July 2022
“Baked cherry, toasted oak and a pinch of sage show on the classic nose of this bottling from a historic vineyard on the southern end of San Luis Obispo County. A toasty quality frames the palate, where savory wood spice flavors wrap around the core of cherry fruit and rose petals.”
Matt Kettmann
Wine Enthusiast
December 2022
“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
“Begins on a savory note with cooking and oak spice and earthy herbal scents on the nose, but beautiful, sweet dark red fruit erupts on the palate producing a finesse-styled, harmonious combination. Excellent persistence with tangy, dark cherry lingering forever. ”
Don Winkler
The International Wine Review
December 2021
“Dark aromas of minty loam, black plum, baked earth and a hint of elderberry show on the nose of this bottling. The palate conveys richness, with black-plum and baked cranberry flavors, but then come slightly sour tones of grapefruit and orange rind.”
Matt Kettmann
Wine Enthusiast
“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
“Calling this wine “burly” would be a bit of an overstatement, but it is among the heftier and biggerbodied members of the Testarossa family of Pinot Noirs. Fully ripe and fairly fleshy in feel, it favors richness over refinement for now, and, if not unduly burdened by tannin, it is structured with the firm underbelly to age and, with time, may yet find a little more nuance and finesse.”
Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
June 2021
“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’s Vinous
November 2019
“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’s 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.