The lightest of the Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noirs is the 2008 Pinot Noir Silacci Vineyard. One hundred percent destemmed and aged in 40% new oak for 16 months, this wine is limited in availability but fresh and lively, with red currants intermixed with sweet and sour cherries, and hints of raspberry and sassafras. The wine is spicy, earthy, medium-bodied, and best drunk over the next 3-4 years. This is a dizzying array of wines, including four Chardonnays and eleven Pinot Noirs. Perhaps it is overkill, but the quality of the wines is very high, and Tantara remains one of the bright, shining spots for these varietals on the Central Coast. Among the four Chardonnays, two are from the Santa Maria Valley, the Dierberg and the Bien Nacido, the Talley-Rincon is from Edna Valley’s Arroyo Grande appellation, and the Brosseau from the limestone soils of Chalone. The Pinot Noirs essentially cover virtually every Central Coast appellation, from the Santa Lucia Highlands in the north to the Santa Maria Valley in the south.Tel. (805) 938-5051; Fax (805) 938-0036