Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay 1999

BN#148596

Sleepy Hollow Vineyard is situated along the Santa Lucia bench in the northwestern section of the Salinas Valley of Monterey County. Planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 1974, it was independently owned until 1990 when Robert Talbott purchased the property for his Talbott Winery.

The vineyard is broken up into two major parcels: A and B. Parcel B produces the best quality Chardonnay by far and it is in this parcel that Talbott Winery harvests grapes for its own Talbott Chardonnay. Our particular block within parcel B is Set 5, which is located in the upper 1/3 of the gently sloping vineyard. We select blocks located high on the slopes to ensure good drainage and intensity of flavor in the grapes. Soils consist of sandy loam and Monterey shale making for excellent drainage. The vines are on 5C rootstock and are a combination of Wente and Mount Eden clones. The trellis is a split canopy designed to acclimate the clusters to sun early in the year, thus avoiding sunburn later in the summer. This trellis design also helps to produce more evenly ripened fruit.

Peter's Notes: Incredibly intense and rich. It's a true Cali Chard with loads of buttered popcorn and caramelexhibited in the nose. The palate is rich and complex layering melon and pear fruit with a good acidic balance. the finish is long and lingering with a good dose of spice. A definite winner for those in love with Cali Chard.

Wine Advocate

The outrageously complex, rich, tightly-knit 1999 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard emerges from the more northern region of Monterey, but there is no doubting its potential. Buttered popcorn, caramel, spice box, mineral, and tropical fruit aromas gradually emerge from this full-bodied wine's impressive aromatics. This rich and intense wine, with high acidity and tremendous length, will benefit from additional cellaring. It should age for 5-7 years, possibly longer. Very impressive!

Score: 90. —Robert Parker