By Talbott Vineyards
Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Background
The renowned Talbott Vineyards crafts estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir inspired by the traditions of Burgundy. With two estate vineyards located in Monterey County, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard and Diamond T Vineyard, Talbott offers a portfolio of exceptional wines to enjoy. For more than three decades, Talbott Vineyards wines have consistently garnered praise from wine critics and enthusiasts alike, including receiving a rare 100-point score in a Wine Spectator retrospective tasting for our 1990 Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay.

Vineyard
First planted in 1972 as one of the original vineyards in the renowned Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Sleepy Hollow stands as an icon of elegance and distinction, where its celebrated fruit showcases a true sense of place. Position, climate, slope, and aspect combine to create a naturally balanced vine that produces exceptional fruit and award-winning wines, earning Sleepy Hollow recognition as a California Grand Cru Vineyard. The vineyard is perched on an expansive benchland, tucked in the AVA's windiest, most northern stretch. Grapes bask in the early morning sunshine, then brace for cold afternoon winds that slow the maturation process. Its southeastern exposure is planted exclusively to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which flourish in consistently cool temperatures. Sleepy Hollow spans 500 acres of varied terrain over gently sloping hillsides.

Production
We use classic Burgundian techniques alongside modern methods to produce our Pinot Noir, blending tradition with contemporary practices. Open-top fermenters are used to increase the oxygen flow during fermentation and help develop richer, deeper flavors. Punch downs (as opposed to pump-overs), the gentlest method possible for breaking up the cap of skins and solids that forms over fermenting red wine, are used at Talbott Vineyards. Punching down helps give wine a fuller texture and flavors while also producing an elegant tannic structure. We inoculate with selected yeasts to begin fermentation, and those yeasts raise the temperature early during this process until it reaches at least 90 degrees F. We then hold it at that relatively warm level to bring out the vibrant color of Pinot Noir and extract every bit of flavor and goodness that comes from our vineyards. Once fermented, our Pinot Noir is drained directly from the fermentation vessel to a settling tank for 24-48 hours. This gentle means of clarifying and moving the wine helps preserve a rich, subtle texture. At this point, we begin oak aging, which varies depending on each wine and vintage.
[Information provided by Talbott Vineyards]
[Information is not vintage specific]

Wine: Talbott Vineyards Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow 2023
Score/Rating: 94
Review Date: 05/29/2025
Reviewed By: Jim Gordon
Tasting Notes: A lively, spicy, vivid red that bursts from the glass with cinnamon, clove and spiced cherry aromas on a full body. Good, vibrant acidity and moderate tannins give a lift to the palate. Sour cherry, plump raspberry, forest floor and savory bay laurel flavors give plenty to enjoy. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

Wine: Talbott Vineyards 2023 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
Score/Rating: 93
Suggested Drinking Window: 2025 - 2032
Review Date: 07/2025
Reviewed By: Billy Norris
Tasting Notes: The 2023 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is neatly poised and very well balanced, reflecting another positive step toward a more elegant style that began at Talbott in the recent past. The 2023 is a citrus-driven, vibrant Pinot with lovely lift and delineation. Blood orange, pink grapefruit, raspberry and sweet spice tones resonate from start to finish, all motivated by mouthwatering acidity and super-fine tannins. Rosy florals perk up on the close. Excellent.

Wine: Talbott 2023 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Score/Rating: 92
Review Date: 11/01/2025
Reviewed By: Matt Kettmann
Tasting Notes: Raspberry and cherry aromas are spiced up with pepper and forest herb on the nose of this bottling from a historic vineyard. The palate is smooth at first with strawberry and red flower flavors, but then savory elements of meat and herb add even more depth.

Wine: Talbott Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 2023
Score/Rating: 90
Suggested Drinking Window: Drink now through 2027
Review Date: 11/22/2025
Reviewed By: James Molesworth
Tasting Notes: This is extroverted in feel, with a mix of menthol, mulled red and black cherry, tea and sassafras notes that are a touch soft overall but generous through the finish. Offers ample fun in a near-term package. Drink now through 2027.