Also exhibiting a certain mineral intensity as well as plenty of earthiness and spice box, the 2008 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido (about 30% new French oak) comes from the sandy, loamy soils over shale in this vineyard. The wine has excellent ripeness (about 20% stems are included in the fermentation process) and is an attractive, open-knit, spicy wine with oodles of red fruits and earth. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. This is a dizzying array of wines, including four Chardonnays and eleven Pinot Noirs. Perhaps it is overkill, but the quality of the wines is very high, and Tantara remains one of the bright, shining spots for these varietals on the Central Coast. Among the four Chardonnays, two are from the Santa Maria Valley, the Dierberg and the Bien Nacido, the Talley-Rincon is from Edna Valley’s Arroyo Grande appellation, and the Brosseau from the limestone soils of Chalone. The Pinot Noirs essentially cover virtually every Central Coast appellation, from the Santa Lucia Highlands in the north to the Santa Maria Valley in the south.Tel. (805) 938-5051; Fax (805) 938-0036