Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesSlightly lighter colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard comes from sandy soils and was 80% destemmed and brought up in 10% new French oak. Beautiful rose petal and spring flower notes as well as hints of sweet strawberry and cherry all flow to an ethereal, medium-bodied, silky Pinot Noir that has ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a beautiful finish. It's a fabulous effort that relies more on finesse, elegance, and purity than power and richness.
Candied cherry, mint leaves, thyme-flecked earth and a hint of toasted wood show on the nose of this bottling. The palate is fresh and yet savory, showing roasted cranberry and raspberry alongside wild tarragon and sagebrush flavors.
The 2017 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard has a pale to medium ruby color and classic nose of woodsmoke, cola, cranberry, rhubarb, wild blackberries, oolong tea, dried strawberry and amaro. It's light to medium-bodied, with ripe, spicy fruits, a beautiful silky texture and supporting frame of juicy acidity with grainy tannins and a very long, spicy finish.
This is youthful and intriguing, with notes of tanbark, pine frond and grainy strawberry, and an amaro-like tannic bitterness. Unresolved for now—as is typical of Chanin’s wines—this needs time in the cella
Chanin Wine Co. is dedicated to crafting wines from Santa Barbara County that reflect the individual vineyard in which they are grown. They focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, two grapes that are especially revealing of subtle differences in geography, geology and climate. The grapes are grown in Santa Barbara County, where cool coastal winds, diverse marine based soils and a long growing season provide an exciting and unique environment for Burgundian varieties.
The vineyards are the focus of all of the wines and each wine is made from grapes grown at one vineyard and not blended. Chanin searches out old vines, and makes wine from some of the oldest in the county. This allows them to make refreshingly balanced wines at lower alcohol levels than most California "blockbuster" or "cult" styled wines. Through low yields, improved farming techniques and gentle winemaking we aim to create a wine that pairs well with food and is delicious young, but is also age-worthy. All of the vineyards are organic or sustainably farmed.
Their winemaking philosophy is rooted in representing each individual vineyard by emphasizing balance, finesse, and complexity. They avoid excessive alcohol, and modern winemaking additives (such as commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes) that can overshadow vineyard characteristics. They also do not filter the wines or use intrusive wine processing machines. The goal is to grow grapes that are so healthy none of the above is needed.
Pinot Noir is the second-most planted grape in Santa Barbara County, just behind Chardonnay. It thrives in cooler areas of the region, namely in the of the Sta. Rita Hills, which is part of Santa Barbara’s larger Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Thought for decades to be too cool for viticulture, Sta. Rita Hills began to gain notoriety in the 1970’s, thanks to the pioneering work of Richard Sandford and Michael Benedict, among others.
Santa Barbara Pinot Noir dances across the palate with vivid red fruit and spice. Precision, bright acidity, elegance and fruit-driven silkiness make Santa Barbara Pinot delightfully enjoyable, whether on their own or with a variety of dishes.