Juicy pomegranate, potting soil, raspberry compote. Plump strawberry, black tea leaf, fresh Santa Rosa plum. Impressively expansive and highly aromatic eruptions of lush dark cherry, fresh blueberry, and cranberry cocktail lead an astoundingly expressive and seductive display intricately complicated by hints of coriander, ocean air, and forest floor. Notes of turned earth, pine cone, and white mushroom gently advance a parade of well integrated natural tones that are brightened and lifted by pretty floral notes of blooming roses and hydrangeas. Suggestions of nutmeg and cinnamon gradually emerge within wafts of delicate baking spices that rise above gorgeous marine-influenced impressions of crushed oyster shell, dried seaweed, and saline minerality. Astoundingly high toned, fragrant, and ethereal on the nose with a palate that is deep and generous yet still wonderfully restrained; exhibiting an outstandingly terroir-expressive yet highly polished presentation that flawlessly marries beguiling fruit with irresistible earthy charm. Just over medium in body with soft and supple tannin cut and tightened by elevated acidity. This 2018 Stone Corral Vineyard Pinot Noir by Talley Vineyards is a magnificently complex and captivating red from the Edna Valley.

Located just miles from the Pacific Ocean along the San Luis Obispo coast, the Edna Valley is one of California's coldest winegrowing zones and has become absolutely legendary for the production of truly world class Pinot Noir. This bottling, crafted by Talley Vineyards using Pinot Noir sourced from the Stone Corral Vineyard in Edna Valley, spectacularly showcases the inimitable mix of complexity and finesse that this region's best offerings can express. This wine effortlessly leaps from the glass with expressive yet still classic central-coast Pinot fruit enhanced by an intriguing mix of fresh natural notes, marine earthiness, and lifted spice. It is delicious and perfectly approachable now yet also possesses enough structure to develop in bottle for some time, although this will be hard to resist opening and enjoying right away. Absolutely outstanding.