History of Talbott Vineyards

Talbott Vineyards is the story of one family’s belief in hard work, commitment to strict standards of excellence, and determined focus.

Robert Talbott Sr., his wife Audrey, and their son Robb moved to Carmel, California, in 1950, where they started a luxury tie company. Audrey sewed the ties by hand and Robert Sr. sold them up and down the California coast out of his station wagon. During silk buying trips to Europe for their growing tie business, the Talbotts visited French and Italian vineyards and soon became interested in fine wines. As their interest grew, they aspired to produce their own California wines, using the Burgundian techniques that they had become passionate about during their European vineyard tours.

Realizing their dream, they founded Talbott Vineyards in 1982 along with son Robb, with the planting of the 24-acre Diamond T Estate Vineyard and the construction of the first winery in the idyllic Carmel Valley. The Corton-Charlemagne Chardonnay clone at Diamond T was planted in almost soil-free chalky shale with vines closely spaced in the Burgundian tradition. The Talbotts knew that the vines would have to struggle to survive at Diamond T and believed that this would result in Chardonnay of great intensity. History has proven them correct and today this area is a highly regarded, coveted winegrowing region, producing grapes with great versatility and flavor.

The insistence on accepting nothing short of exceptional quality proved costly for the winery from the beginning.  After a stellar first release in 1983, the Talbotts decided not to release the 1984 Chardonnay. Two-thirds of the 1985 Chardonnay was also declassified.  Further, the 1991, 1992, and 1993 Pinot Noir vintages were held back.  In an industry where the word quality has almost become trite, Robb has brought meaning back to the word.

This unwavering commitment to quality has manifested itself in a passionate commitment to Talbott’s estate program—an estate program that has defined Talbott’s reputation for excellence and consistency. In 1989, the Talbotts expanded their vineyard holdings with the purchase of River Road Vineyard, located on a 125-acre ranch in the Salinas Valley. Here, the present-day 28,000 square foot winery was built, designed to facilitate the traditional, hands-on wine making techniques that embody the Talbott winemaking style.

The Talbotts had also purchased excellent fruit for many years from the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, located adjacent to Talbott’s River Road Vineyard. In 1994, when presented with the opportunity, the Talbotts jumped at the chance to acquire this ideal vineyard property. With the addition of Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, the Talbotts enjoy the benefits of being a 100 percent estate winery, with direct control of all farming of their vineyards.

Today, Talbott Vineyards produces estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir under four labels: Talbott, Logan, Case, and Kali Hart. Each line of wine is its own “winery within a winery,” with its own distinctive style. Talbott Chardonnays have gained a reputation for their elegance and great aging potential, and all Talbott wines have become benchmarks of quality, year after year. The Talbott family plans to keep production small to maintain exacting quality standards and continue to create distinctive handmade wines with intensity, balance, and finesse.