The 2009 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard is understated and finessed in its ripe, juicy red berries, licorice and flowers. There is a shyness and introspectiveness to the Dierberg that is actually quite attractive. Sweet, silky tannins frame the finish, where bright floral notes add the final nuances. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. I tasted a wide range of wines from Tantara, including a whopping 12 different Pinots. I can certainly understand the appeal of vinifying small lots of fruit from a large number of top sites in the Central Coast, but it must be a huge challenge to properly supervise the growing of fruit in sites that run from Arroyo Grande to the Santa Lucia Highlands. These 2009 Pinots suggest a little more focus on fewer appellations might not be a bad thing.Tel. (805) 938-5051; Fax (805) 938-0036; tantarawinery.com

The 2008 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard is outstanding. This wine also includes about 20% stems, and was aged for about 16 months in 50% new French oak. It has sweet and sour pomegranate as well as blacker cherry notes intermixed with some loamy, gravelly soil undertones. The wine is youthful, medium to full-bodied, more exuberant and denser in richness, with more concentration than the two previous wines. More saturated ruby/purple in color, it should drink nicely for 7-8 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

The 2007 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard (20% stems are utilized) reveals notes of earth, herbs, forest floor, sweet currants and black cherries in its medium to full-bodied personality. The wine smells good, hits the palate with authority, then tails off slightly in the finish. This is a fascinating, exceptionally high quality group of Pinot Noirs. They tend to range in the mid-14% alcohol levels, with the oak regime generally around 30-60% new. Tantara’s policy with respect to fermenting with stems varies from zero to as much as 20% for the Dierberg, Evelyn, Bien Nacido Old Vine, and Solomon Hills. Production is relatively limited, from a low of under 90 cases for the Bien Nacido Old Vine and Brosseau, to just over 200 cases for some vineyards. The most limited cuvees are the two single vineyard lots of Burt and La Grande Colline, approximately 24 cases of each. Most of these wines, save for a handful of exceptions that are noted, are capable of lasting 8-10 years or more. for a handful of exceptions that are noted, are capable of lasting 8-10 years or more. Kudos to Tantara for a very impressive line-up of Pinots.Tel. (805) 938-5051; Fax (805) 938-0036