Talty Vineyards
Winery of the Year
Talty
Why Talty? Why not someone who makes more wines, who is more able to handle the vagaries?
The answer is easy. I’m not really that interested in knowing what a winemaker can do with a whole bunch of grapes. I have seen many winemakers do just that and do it brilliantly. What I have not seen is a winemaker with the Quixotic zeal of Michael Talty tilt at such an unglamorous target.
Unglamorous you say? Indeed I do. I love Zinfandel, don’t get me wrong. Why this whole article is sort of a testament to my love of Zin, but glamorous it is not. I could think of several grapes more likely to elicit an emotional wave across the wine world than the workman-like, stoic Zinfandel.
Therein lies the beauty of Talty. Not only does Michael Talty embody the modern winemaking ethos, but he does it in such a down to earth way, championing one the country’s greatest vinous treasures like few others.
So before we get into what I casually referred to as the modern winemaking ethos, perhaps some history is in order. This producer of world-class Zinfandel actually started out as a producer of garage-class Cabernet. Funny how things work out! What began in 1989 or 1990 with Cabernet because, as Michael says, “Cab was what I was drinking at the time,” led slowly and inexorably to today, when Mike makes only Zinfandel, though one might easily be fooled into thinking that he is still doing all the work in his garage!
Talty is the epitome of both the modern winemaking ethos and the romantic winemaking image as well. Consider the image. A long driveway, well tended vineyards on one side, peach trees (not Mike’s) on the other, leads to a quaint, compact winery attached to the family’s home. You might have trouble finding the place since this is a one man show, and while there was a sign out on Dry Creek Road, the big sign announcing the fact that Talty was ready to receive guest was still sitting in the back seat of Mike’s car. Such is the life of the single-handed winemaker.
Being the man behind the curtain was not Mike’s life long dream. In fact, he left a career in the family business once he realized that this wine gig might eventually work out. Of course, working out is a relative term, and in the 14 years since founding Talty, Mike has had his share of ups and downs. One of the biggest problems, particularly in the early years, was sourcing fruit- a problem easily solved by doing the obvious, yet painful, buying what has become the William Talty Estate Vineyard.
William Talty was Mike’s father who passed before Talty Vineyards became a reality. It was from his father that Mike learned to love food and wine and developed the appreciation that developed into his avocation. The vineyard is a tribute to William and has formed the backbone of Mike’s production since his first vintage in 1997, all six acres of 48-year-old vines.
Obviously, six acres does not a business make, or not much of one at least. This led Mike to seek out additional sources of fruit, settling on the young vines of the Dwight Family Vineyard which, like the William Talty Estate, is located in the heartland of Zin country: the Dry Creek Valley.
About the Dwight project Michael recalls:
“Herb Dwight approached me one day in the tasting room. He had heard of me through local discussions and what I was doing with Zinfandel. When he first approached me, his vineyard was only about 5-years-old. I told him we would have to wait a bit and let the vineyard mature more to develop more intensive flavors. In 2007, I felt we could take a stab at producing a single vineyard Zin under my label. He has allowed me, at my request, to have influence over the growing process in his vineyard.”
Mike’s third wine is an outlier in a few respects. The first is that it comes not from Dry Creek, heck not even from Sonoma County. The Filice Connolly Vineyard is located in Napa Valley, of all places! Of course, there are some folks who think Napa might be best suited to producing stunning Zinfandels, but that’s another story entirely.
The Filice story is much like the Dwight story, again in Michael’s words:
“John Filice, one of the owners of the Filice Connolly Vineyard, came into my tasting room early on and said, “ if you can make my vineyard taste as good as your Estate Zin, I would let you do anything you want during the growing season, including making the call on crop levels, harvest, etc.” The very first vintage from the 2003 Filice Connolly Vineyard was rated the number one wine out of 500 tasted on a tour from Napa to Sonoma by the wine writers from The Wall Street Journal.
John Filice loved the balance and pure fruit that came from my wines. This vineyard is only about 2-2.5 acres in size, planted in 1941-1943 time-frame, head-pruned and dry-farmed, and 100 % Zinfandel.“
This is not entirely unheard of, but it sure seems to me like a clear indication that great things were underway chez Talty. Instead of searching out fruit sources, fruit sources have searched out Michael Talty. If that’s not a testament to the uniqueness and quality of Talty’s wines, I don’t know what is.
So what is actually underway? Mike is treating his Zins with the respect that is usually reserved for more delicate, expressive and expensive wines such like Pinot Noir. Who else is fermenting their Zin in open top, half ton bins and using native yeasts? This attention to detail and gentleness with which Mike treats the two tons or so that he typically gets from each dry farmed acre of head pruned vines shows in the end results.
These are Zinfandels, of that there is no doubt. Heck, they are about the most profoundly Zinny smelling Zins I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across, but put the wine in your mouth and they are so much more. These are wines that really share more with fine Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo than your average Zin. They glide across the palate showing remarkable balance for a wine that historically had harmonic issues!
These are Zins of richness and intensity but not huge weight. Brilliant in the mouth, they ooze fresh fruit and are built on a finely balanced structure that pits ripe tannins against rather succulent acidity. In short, they redefine what is possible with Zinfandel.
That one man would devote himself to such an endeavor really does leave me speechless at times. This is the passion we all hope to find in the wine world and for that alone, my hat is off to Talty Vineyards and everyone who makes these wonderful wines happen, for I know that while Mike is mostly a one man show, there is always someone behind the man.
But taking my hat off is not the same as selecting a producer for Winery of the Year. That requires one more thing, profound wines. I know many people will scoff at the thought of “profound” Zinfandel. It may be an oxymoron in some books, but I have always loved Zinfandel. In fact, I can even recall falling in love with Zinfandel. First base was the 1981 Edmeads Dupratt Vineyard, second base was the 1982 Ridge Howell Mountain, third base was the 1984 Nalle, and around home with the 1985 Lytton Springs.
I remember each of those wines clearly, as I hope to remember the moment I first nosed the 2008 Talty Felice Connolly, my first experience with Talty. What is so exciting for me about these wines is that they are so distinctive and special that I can’t help but think that there are people out there who will recall their encounters with a Talty wine as I recall my Zinfandel epiphanies.
One final thought before moving on, I have to say that price has played a role in my selection. Being able to get the best of anything for under $40 is a rare occurrence, and as with the Zins that opened my eyes so many years ago, the accessibility of the Talty wines is an asset that can only help the cause of Zinfandel, California wine, and wine appreciation in general. It would be very easy for me to have selected another producer who makes great wine at $80 or more per bottle, but making great wines is simply not enough to be winery of the year.
Kudos once again to Mike Talty for trying so hard, taking so many risks, and doing the right things, even though the choices made may have been difficult and not as obvious as they seem today. And thanks for the wines. Thanks for the balance and the brilliance, the delicacy and perfume, and last but not least, the friendliness. Having graced my dinner table repeatedly, I can honestly say that William Talty is about as food friendly a Zin as you’re ever going to find, and I believe that was the point.
These great Zinfandels are made in limited quantities, and while some are long sold out, others are still available from the winery.
If you like Zinfandel, I urge you to give Talty a try. If you don’t like Zinfandel, you really owe it to yourself to try Michael Talty’s wines at least once. They redefine what Zinfandel can be!
2005 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 15%
The color shows some age here for sure, healthy red with brick, though not brown. Aromatically, this is rather delicate, showing a touch of brown sugar and herb over red currant and red cherry Lifesaver fruit. A touch of almond adds detail. This is very smooth in the mouth, broad and a bit low, but with bright, mouthwatering acids. The fruit, cocoa powder and dried strawberry fruit flavors are really well meshed and while a bit on the subtle side, are lovely. There’s a hint of mint on the finish which is a bit short, though with nice cherry pit and prune notes. On its way to becoming Rioja. 91pts
2007 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 15%
This is intense with pronounced oak notes but also shows lovely, peppery blackberry fruit and a little licorice. Rich and round in the mouth with lovely dried plum, bramble and chocolate-tinged black berry fruit and a lovely base of wood spice. This is so well balanced and while not a small wine, is transparent and fresh with vivid and intense flavors. The cherry fruit pops on the back end. Moderately long finish turns gently floral and wonderfully perfumed in the mouth. Love the fruit persistence here. 92pts
2008 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 14.6%
This is wonderfully expressive and varietal on the nose and while there’s an obvious oak presence, it supports the floral, lightly herbal and wonderfully fresh wild berry notes perfectly. A little light on entry though with perfect balance, the brambly blackberry and raspberry fruit really pops on the mid-palate. This shows more obvious oak and vanilla than the 2007. This maintains a really lovely herbal component on the palate that balances the toasty oak and keeps the cherry fruit perfectly centered. This really exhibits wonderful purity and fruit persistence on the long, palate staining finish. 93pts
2006 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 15%
This is singing tonight with a nose that melds earthy notes with caramel, prune, a hint of rhubarb, briary wood notes, and a bed of blackberry fruit. Smooth and elegant on the palate with wonderful transparency. There’s still lot of cocoa, toasty oak here, but the fruit is hanging in there at the same time. Lovely purity with classically Zinfandel brambly blackberry fruit on the palate accented by coconut oak and bright red cherry, red currant notes on the back end. This is a powerful wine but the balance lends it some finesse. The finish is still a bit chunky and shows a touch more oak than fruit upon opening. 93pts
2007 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 14.5%
This smells really ripe, medicinal and meaty, with some jammy plum fruit and nice floral and herbal top notes. On the palate, this retains a really fresh feel, though the flavors tend towards the over-ripe with more medicinal notes and some really attractive peppery spice. Overall, the flavors lack some definition, but this is big, bold and yet well balanced, making it easy to enjoy. The finish is notably fresher than the palate, with well-defined herb and spice notes gaining length from oak rather than fruit. 86pts
2008 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 14.7%
Wow, this is just so pure, so Zinfandel. There are briar and balsamic wood tones, fresh raspberry and red currant fruit, and hints of pepper and cocoa. What more could you ask for? On the palate, this is juicy and broad but with lovely height as well. It’s mouth-filling in fact, but what really sets this is apart is the phenomenal inner moth perfume. All balsamic and wild cherry with hints of rhubarb, dried citrus peel, blackberries and hints of red currants. This is slightly tannic still, but with great balance. The finish is actually a bit tight so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this continue to improve for another 18-24 months. 94pts
2009 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley
Intensely aromatic with layered notes of sandalwood, vanilla, orange blossoms, a hint of meat and big, peppery spice notes. This is pretty firm on the palate with ripe tannins supporting juicy wild cherry and blackberry fruit. Big and powerful right through and onto the long finish, which shows great intensity but is wonderfully vibrant due to the terrific acidity. This is awfully young but shows great promise. It can be enjoyed today for its exuberance, particularly if you don’t mind toasty oak spice and vanilla in your Zin. 93pts
2008 Talty Dwight Family Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Fairly darkly fruited on the nose with a decidedly floral tone along with hints of juniper, black pepper and gingerbread. Bright and clean on the palate, with the wonderful clarity that seems to be the Talty trademark. This is all wild raspberry fruit with some creamy white chocolate notes up front that turn into red cherry flavors on the finish. This is so pure and long, it just lacks a bit of complexity. What it does offer is beautiful. 93pts
2009 Talty Dwight Family Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
This is really high toned and attractive on the nose, with stemmy herb and floral notes over red berry and currant fruit. There’s also a sharp cedar note and some smoky char adding detail. Lean and focused on the palate with lots of early briary and oily herb notes. The tannins are fine and ripe and support clean, bracing red fruit along with the bright but integrated acidity. This really exhibits wonderful purity of fruit with a lovely sweetness and freshness, finishing with a minty tone and echoes of wood spice. 92pts
Talty
Why Talty? Why not someone who makes more wines, who is more able to handle the vagaries?
The answer is easy. I’m not really that interested in knowing what a winemaker can do with a whole bunch of grapes. I have seen many winemakers do just that and do it brilliantly. What I have not seen is a winemaker with the Quixotic zeal of Michael Talty tilt at such an unglamorous target.
Unglamorous you say? Indeed I do. I love Zinfandel, don’t get me wrong. Why this whole article is sort of a testament to my love of Zin, but glamorous it is not. I could think of several grapes more likely to elicit an emotional wave across the wine world than the workman-like, stoic Zinfandel.
Therein lies the beauty of Talty. Not only does Michael Talty embody the modern winemaking ethos, but he does it in such a down to earth way, championing one the country’s greatest vinous treasures like few others.
So before we get into what I casually referred to as the modern winemaking ethos, perhaps some history is in order. This producer of world-class Zinfandel actually started out as a producer of garage-class Cabernet. Funny how things work out! What began in 1989 or 1990 with Cabernet because, as Michael says, “Cab was what I was drinking at the time,” led slowly and inexorably to today, when Mike makes only Zinfandel, though one might easily be fooled into thinking that he is still doing all the work in his garage!
Talty is the epitome of both the modern winemaking ethos and the romantic winemaking image as well. Consider the image. A long driveway, well tended vineyards on one side, peach trees (not Mike’s) on the other, leads to a quaint, compact winery attached to the family’s home. You might have trouble finding the place since this is a one man show, and while there was a sign out on Dry Creek Road, the big sign announcing the fact that Talty was ready to receive guest was still sitting in the back seat of Mike’s car. Such is the life of the single-handed winemaker.
Being the man behind the curtain was not Mike’s life long dream. In fact, he left a career in the family business once he realized that this wine gig might eventually work out. Of course, working out is a relative term, and in the 14 years since founding Talty, Mike has had his share of ups and downs. One of the biggest problems, particularly in the early years, was sourcing fruit- a problem easily solved by doing the obvious, yet painful, buying what has become the William Talty Estate Vineyard.
William Talty was Mike’s father who passed before Talty Vineyards became a reality. It was from his father that Mike learned to love food and wine and developed the appreciation that developed into his avocation. The vineyard is a tribute to William and has formed the backbone of Mike’s production since his first vintage in 1997, all six acres of 48-year-old vines.
Obviously, six acres does not a business make, or not much of one at least. This led Mike to seek out additional sources of fruit, settling on the young vines of the Dwight Family Vineyard which, like the William Talty Estate, is located in the heartland of Zin country: the Dry Creek Valley.
About the Dwight project Michael recalls:
“Herb Dwight approached me one day in the tasting room. He had heard of me through local discussions and what I was doing with Zinfandel. When he first approached me, his vineyard was only about 5-years-old. I told him we would have to wait a bit and let the vineyard mature more to develop more intensive flavors. In 2007, I felt we could take a stab at producing a single vineyard Zin under my label. He has allowed me, at my request, to have influence over the growing process in his vineyard.”
Mike’s third wine is an outlier in a few respects. The first is that it comes not from Dry Creek, heck not even from Sonoma County. The Filice Connolly Vineyard is located in Napa Valley, of all places! Of course, there are some folks who think Napa might be best suited to producing stunning Zinfandels, but that’s another story entirely.
The Filice story is much like the Dwight story, again in Michael’s words:
“John Filice, one of the owners of the Filice Connolly Vineyard, came into my tasting room early on and said, “ if you can make my vineyard taste as good as your Estate Zin, I would let you do anything you want during the growing season, including making the call on crop levels, harvest, etc.” The very first vintage from the 2003 Filice Connolly Vineyard was rated the number one wine out of 500 tasted on a tour from Napa to Sonoma by the wine writers from The Wall Street Journal.
John Filice loved the balance and pure fruit that came from my wines. This vineyard is only about 2-2.5 acres in size, planted in 1941-1943 time-frame, head-pruned and dry-farmed, and 100 % Zinfandel.“
This is not entirely unheard of, but it sure seems to me like a clear indication that great things were underway chez Talty. Instead of searching out fruit sources, fruit sources have searched out Michael Talty. If that’s not a testament to the uniqueness and quality of Talty’s wines, I don’t know what is.
So what is actually underway? Mike is treating his Zins with the respect that is usually reserved for more delicate, expressive and expensive wines such like Pinot Noir. Who else is fermenting their Zin in open top, half ton bins and using native yeasts? This attention to detail and gentleness with which Mike treats the two tons or so that he typically gets from each dry farmed acre of head pruned vines shows in the end results.
These are Zinfandels, of that there is no doubt. Heck, they are about the most profoundly Zinny smelling Zins I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across, but put the wine in your mouth and they are so much more. These are wines that really share more with fine Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo than your average Zin. They glide across the palate showing remarkable balance for a wine that historically had harmonic issues!
These are Zins of richness and intensity but not huge weight. Brilliant in the mouth, they ooze fresh fruit and are built on a finely balanced structure that pits ripe tannins against rather succulent acidity. In short, they redefine what is possible with Zinfandel.
That one man would devote himself to such an endeavor really does leave me speechless at times. This is the passion we all hope to find in the wine world and for that alone, my hat is off to Talty Vineyards and everyone who makes these wonderful wines happen, for I know that while Mike is mostly a one man show, there is always someone behind the man.
But taking my hat off is not the same as selecting a producer for Winery of the Year. That requires one more thing, profound wines. I know many people will scoff at the thought of “profound” Zinfandel. It may be an oxymoron in some books, but I have always loved Zinfandel. In fact, I can even recall falling in love with Zinfandel. First base was the 1981 Edmeads Dupratt Vineyard, second base was the 1982 Ridge Howell Mountain, third base was the 1984 Nalle, and around home with the 1985 Lytton Springs.
I remember each of those wines clearly, as I hope to remember the moment I first nosed the 2008 Talty Felice Connolly, my first experience with Talty. What is so exciting for me about these wines is that they are so distinctive and special that I can’t help but think that there are people out there who will recall their encounters with a Talty wine as I recall my Zinfandel epiphanies.
One final thought before moving on, I have to say that price has played a role in my selection. Being able to get the best of anything for under $40 is a rare occurrence, and as with the Zins that opened my eyes so many years ago, the accessibility of the Talty wines is an asset that can only help the cause of Zinfandel, California wine, and wine appreciation in general. It would be very easy for me to have selected another producer who makes great wine at $80 or more per bottle, but making great wines is simply not enough to be winery of the year.
Kudos once again to Mike Talty for trying so hard, taking so many risks, and doing the right things, even though the choices made may have been difficult and not as obvious as they seem today. And thanks for the wines. Thanks for the balance and the brilliance, the delicacy and perfume, and last but not least, the friendliness. Having graced my dinner table repeatedly, I can honestly say that William Talty is about as food friendly a Zin as you’re ever going to find, and I believe that was the point.
These great Zinfandels are made in limited quantities, and while some are long sold out, others are still available from the winery.
If you like Zinfandel, I urge you to give Talty a try. If you don’t like Zinfandel, you really owe it to yourself to try Michael Talty’s wines at least once. They redefine what Zinfandel can be!
2005 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 15%
The color shows some age here for sure, healthy red with brick, though not brown. Aromatically, this is rather delicate, showing a touch of brown sugar and herb over red currant and red cherry Lifesaver fruit. A touch of almond adds detail. This is very smooth in the mouth, broad and a bit low, but with bright, mouthwatering acids. The fruit, cocoa powder and dried strawberry fruit flavors are really well meshed and while a bit on the subtle side, are lovely. There’s a hint of mint on the finish which is a bit short, though with nice cherry pit and prune notes. On its way to becoming Rioja. 91pts
2007 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 15%
This is intense with pronounced oak notes but also shows lovely, peppery blackberry fruit and a little licorice. Rich and round in the mouth with lovely dried plum, bramble and chocolate-tinged black berry fruit and a lovely base of wood spice. This is so well balanced and while not a small wine, is transparent and fresh with vivid and intense flavors. The cherry fruit pops on the back end. Moderately long finish turns gently floral and wonderfully perfumed in the mouth. Love the fruit persistence here. 92pts
2008 Talty William Talty Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 14.6%
This is wonderfully expressive and varietal on the nose and while there’s an obvious oak presence, it supports the floral, lightly herbal and wonderfully fresh wild berry notes perfectly. A little light on entry though with perfect balance, the brambly blackberry and raspberry fruit really pops on the mid-palate. This shows more obvious oak and vanilla than the 2007. This maintains a really lovely herbal component on the palate that balances the toasty oak and keeps the cherry fruit perfectly centered. This really exhibits wonderful purity and fruit persistence on the long, palate staining finish. 93pts
2006 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 15%
This is singing tonight with a nose that melds earthy notes with caramel, prune, a hint of rhubarb, briary wood notes, and a bed of blackberry fruit. Smooth and elegant on the palate with wonderful transparency. There’s still lot of cocoa, toasty oak here, but the fruit is hanging in there at the same time. Lovely purity with classically Zinfandel brambly blackberry fruit on the palate accented by coconut oak and bright red cherry, red currant notes on the back end. This is a powerful wine but the balance lends it some finesse. The finish is still a bit chunky and shows a touch more oak than fruit upon opening. 93pts
2007 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 14.5%
This smells really ripe, medicinal and meaty, with some jammy plum fruit and nice floral and herbal top notes. On the palate, this retains a really fresh feel, though the flavors tend towards the over-ripe with more medicinal notes and some really attractive peppery spice. Overall, the flavors lack some definition, but this is big, bold and yet well balanced, making it easy to enjoy. The finish is notably fresher than the palate, with well-defined herb and spice notes gaining length from oak rather than fruit. 86pts
2008 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley 14.7%
Wow, this is just so pure, so Zinfandel. There are briar and balsamic wood tones, fresh raspberry and red currant fruit, and hints of pepper and cocoa. What more could you ask for? On the palate, this is juicy and broad but with lovely height as well. It’s mouth-filling in fact, but what really sets this is apart is the phenomenal inner moth perfume. All balsamic and wild cherry with hints of rhubarb, dried citrus peel, blackberries and hints of red currants. This is slightly tannic still, but with great balance. The finish is actually a bit tight so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this continue to improve for another 18-24 months. 94pts
2009 Talty Filice Connolly Vineyard Zinfandel Napa Valley
Intensely aromatic with layered notes of sandalwood, vanilla, orange blossoms, a hint of meat and big, peppery spice notes. This is pretty firm on the palate with ripe tannins supporting juicy wild cherry and blackberry fruit. Big and powerful right through and onto the long finish, which shows great intensity but is wonderfully vibrant due to the terrific acidity. This is awfully young but shows great promise. It can be enjoyed today for its exuberance, particularly if you don’t mind toasty oak spice and vanilla in your Zin. 93pts
2008 Talty Dwight Family Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Fairly darkly fruited on the nose with a decidedly floral tone along with hints of juniper, black pepper and gingerbread. Bright and clean on the palate, with the wonderful clarity that seems to be the Talty trademark. This is all wild raspberry fruit with some creamy white chocolate notes up front that turn into red cherry flavors on the finish. This is so pure and long, it just lacks a bit of complexity. What it does offer is beautiful. 93pts
2009 Talty Dwight Family Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
This is really high toned and attractive on the nose, with stemmy herb and floral notes over red berry and currant fruit. There’s also a sharp cedar note and some smoky char adding detail. Lean and focused on the palate with lots of early briary and oily herb notes. The tannins are fine and ripe and support clean, bracing red fruit along with the bright but integrated acidity. This really exhibits wonderful purity of fruit with a lovely sweetness and freshness, finishing with a minty tone and echoes of wood spice. 92pts