The Chalone Appellation is world-renowned today, but it was not until 1982 that Chalone was first designated a distinct American Viticultural Area. First planted in the 1890’s by a Frenchman who perceived the soil similar to that of Burgundy, notoriety eventually came in 1976, almost a century later. At that time, the Judgement of Paris wine competition designated a bottle of Chalone Chardonnay third among top quality chardonnay producers from both France and California, and 20 months later the tasting was repeated, declaring first place this time to the Chalone Chardonnay.
 
Three years after the 1976 tasting, Matthew Taylor’s friend and celebrated winemaker Michael Michaud began his accomplished career given to exploring Chalone terroir. Michaud’s dedication to nuance and finesse as best expression for Chalone wines greatly influenced Matthew’s abiding relationship with the mountainous vineyard. Today, Matthew Taylor delivers his own insight for both the delicate nature of Pinot Noir, and the compelling character of the land that it can express.  
 
At 1,500 feet elevation, the land of Chalone had its unlikely birth far away beneath the Pacific, at the great rift where the Hawaiian Islands emerge. The nearby rock formations known as the Pinnacles are 30 million year-old volcanic remnants of the plate tectonics. The soil type of Chalone includes rare co-location of both ancient decomposed granite from the continental plate, and an intermixing of limestone and calcium carbonate deposits of Pacific origin. It is notably well-drained and mineral rich. Above the earth’s surface, the Michaud Vineyard rests in a high and isolated environment. Matthew Taylor’s relationship with these vines, with this earth, and the sky – are as respectful as they are manifest – in this first release of 2006 Matthew D. Taylor Pinot Noir.