The 2009 Pinot Noir La Colline is a cool, inward wine laced with dark red fruit. It shows gorgeous length and plenty of energy, with refined tannins and excellent overall balance. This fills out nicely on the finish and may ultimately merit a higher score. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. 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

Moving north, the 2008 Pinot Noir La Colline Vineyard (aged in 40% new French oak, fermented with 20% whole clusters, and made from the old Martini clone of Pinot Noir) exhibits a monolithic, earthy, blue and red fruit character, good spice, a certain angularity, but impressive purity and moderate depth. This wine should drink well for 4-5 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 dense purple-colored 2007 Pinot Noir La Colline Vineyard is more sensual and accessible than La Grande Colline. It also reveals more new oak, one of the few Tantara wines to display copious wood. Nevertheless, there is easily enough fruit to balance out the oak. Dark berry, earth, smoke, spice box, and abundant black fruit characteristics emerge from this rich, full-bodied wine. While more evolved than La Grande Colline, it will benefit from another 1-2 years of cellaring, and should age gracefully for 7-10 years. 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