I remember one day being asked why I liked the music of a particular artist. The inquisitive person, who I think was my father couldn’t understand what was so appealing: “all his songs sound the same.”

My reply: “Well, I guess I don’t mind all his songs sounding the same… I really like the song!” Little did I know that this same phenomena would exist with wine.

A few years ago I blogged about a wine from Talbott: (https://blog.musingsonthevine.com/2012/05/11/2009-talbott-sleepy-hollow-vineyard-pinot-noir-santa-lucia-highland-california/) and as a result of really liking the wine, picked up a case.

Fast forward to today and wouldn’t you know, I ran across another bottling from Talbott, their Kali Hart Pinot Noir from Monterey County and like my musical tastes, I just had to try it.

The Kali Hart Pinot Noir is an estate grown wine that is named for the youngest daughter of Robb Talbott, Kalin. In reading the technical details of the wine, we see that the grapes are sourced from the same vineyard, the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, as the wine I reviewed back in 2012. The difference being that the Kali Hart is taken from younger, less mature vines, suggesting the wine is similar in character, but perhaps lacking the refinement and intensity that older vines can often impart.

True enough, the Kali Hart has all the markers of being from Talbott – good balance – not too fruity with a judicious amount of earthy complexity. But, as I expected, the wine is less intense than the designated Sleepy Hollow wine. I had no problem with this, since the “song sounded the same.”

And, where we spent $24 NET per bottle for the Sleepy Hollow, the Kali Hart comes in at $17.99 BEFORE the discount, so it is conceivable to find the wine at less than $15 NET. I would say that given the similarity between these two wines, the potential $9 savings makes the Kali Hart a really good bargain.

This reinforces the point – our wine cellar is loaded with verticals because when we find a producer we like, we tend to follow them from year to year and from wine to wine. Sure, some may say that this a bit myopic, but in fact, if you follow a producer long enough, like a great musician, you see how the wisdom of age subtly changes their style and interpretation through the years.

Isn’t that what true appreciation is all about?

My tasting note:

Bright, fruity nose with lively red berry aromas and light floral hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity and supple tannin – well balanced. Fruity palate with raspberry, cherry and blackberry notes. Moderate length – smooth with a bit of earthy complexity on the finish. Drinking well now and should hold for another 2 to 3 years. Very Nice!

Cheers!