Winemaker Notes
These grapes were hand harvested early in the morning of August 26th & September 1st at 22.4 brix. They were pressed and directly put into French oak barrels (10% new) to ferment. The wine stayed there for 15 months on its lees and was then racked and lightly fined before being bottled unfiltered in February of 2018.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Wines sourced from Los Alamos Valley must be labelled “Santa Barbara County” due its current lack of an official AVA. Chanin Wine Company’s 2016 Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay is an absolutely head-turning wine. Aromas of coconut flakes, orange zest and yellow apples. The palate has a crystalline focus, weaving through flavors of honeycomb, red apples, oyster brine and coarse sea salt. The finish is magnetic and expansive, and this will continue to be a stunner for at least a decade.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Chanin's 2016 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard (17 months in 15% new French oak) gives up a perfumed, slightly tropical bouquet of pineapple and melon, with more spice and toasty notes coming through with time in the glass. This is a classic Chanin wine and a great introduction into the estate. It offers plenty of richness, yet a more vibrant, fresh, clean style, and should keep for 4-6 years.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.