The 2017 Chardonnay Estate, aged 14 months in 20% new French oak, has open-knit aromas of apple pie, crushed stone, sweet spices, quince paste and hay with notions of honeysuckle and honeyed almonds. The palate is medium-bodied, silky and lively, demonstrating great restraint of fruit and just enough of that savory character. It’s refreshed by bright acidity and finishes long and bright.

Opening with exuberant white peach, lemon curd and grapefruit notes with suggestions of marzipan and crushed stones, the medium-bodied 2015 Chardonnay Estate delivers refreshing citrus and minerally flavors with a racy acid line and good length.

The 2014 Chardonnay Estate, which is from the Arroyo Grande Valley, is outstanding. Notes of white flowers, white peach and saline-like characteristics all emerge from the medium-bodied, chiseled, clean and beautifully precise Chardonnay. Mostly from the Rincon Vineyard, with smaller portions from Rosemary's and Monet Sereno, aged nine months in 23% new French oak, drink it over the coming 2-4 years.

Lively and leaning towards the pretty, elegant end of the spectrum, the 2011 Chardonnay Estate Arroyo Grande has plenty of ripe apple, pear, baking bread and toast as well as juicy acidity and medium-bodied richness. Nicely textured, it’s a solid effort to drink over the coming 3-4 years. Drink now-2017. These knockout efforts are made by Brian Talley and were some of the most impressive Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs I tasted during my more than two week trip through the central coast. In addition to their estate offerings, their Bishop’s Peak releases reviewed here come from purchased grapes throughout the central coast and offer good typicity and drinkability for not much buck. Tel. (805) 489-0446; www.talleyvineyards.com

The entry-level 2010 Chardonnay Estate is a gorgeous wine. Here the fruit shows the slightly richer aromatic and flavor profile of Chardonnay. Pastry, lemon, pears and white flowers are some of the notes that flesh out in the glass. This is another terrific wine for the money. The Estate is mostly Rincon, with a dash of Rosemary’s. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. I tasted a wide range of superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs with proprietor Brian Talley and winemaker Eric Johnson. Talley remains one of the great estates in California that has yet to be fully discovered. As a result, prices remain exceedingly fair considering the quality of what goes into the bottle. Stylistically, Talley prefers the more taut, mineral side of Chardonnay, while the Pinots tend to emphasize perfume over sheer size. Native fermentations, little new oak and minimal SO2 are all part of the gentle treatment these wines receive in the cellar. The 2010 harvest was characterized by a long growing season. Budbreak was early and temperatures remained cool throughout most of the year, with the exception of a period of heat in mid-September. The harvest was ten days later than 2009, with the Pinot coming in before the Chardonnay. Overall yields were on the low side. In 2009, the heat arrived around Labor Day, just as the harvest was about to get started. Talley describes 2009 as a little riper than his ideal. I have also included notes on Talley’s entry-level Bishop’s Peak wines. Tel. (805) 489-0446; www.talleyvineyards.com