Jeb Dunnuck gives our 2016 Vintage rave reviews!
2016 Chanin Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard- 96 Points
The 2016 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard comes from a terrific site just outside of Santa Maria. It has more citrus and minerality, with some marine oyster shell notes, medium to full body, gorgeous acidity, and a layered, seamless texture. This is fabulous stuff all the way and one of the gems in the vintage. As with the Los Alamos Chardonnay, this spent 17 months in 15% new French oak, with plenty of time on lees (no stirring).
2016 Chanin Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard – 95 Points
Aged 17 months in 15% new oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard shows the more mineral, seaside, marine-influenced style of this vineyard beautifully. Black cherries raspberries, crushed rocks, spice box, and tons of salty minerality all flow to a tight, vibrant Pinot Noir that still shows the purity, balance, and suppleness that makes this vintage so special. It’s a beautiful wine that has both nuance and intensity.
2016 Chanin Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard – 92 Points
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.
2016 Chanin Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard – 94 Points
The 2016 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard comes from the sandy soils of the Los Alamos Vineyard and has lots of framboise, spice, and dried flower notes in an ethereal, elegant, seamless package. There’s some background herbal/stemmy notes, but it has a remarkable vibrancy and purity and a clean finish. It’s a beautiful Pinot Noir!
2016 Chanin Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard – 94 Points
From a site on the southern end of the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2016 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard has slightly more density and weight compared to the Bien Nacido, with buttered orchard fruits, pineapple and spice aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and layered, it’s another beautiful wine that will keep for a decade or more.
2016 Chanin Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard – 94+ Points
The 2016 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, from a site on the southern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, is the flagship Pinot Noir of the estate and saw the standard 17 months in 15% new barrels. It’s beautifully concentrated (which is a trait of this vineyard) with ample red currants, red cherries, spice box, forest floor, and crushed rock aromas and flavors. With medium to full body, a ripe, layered texture, good acidity, and sound underlying structure, it’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.
2016 Chanin Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County – 92 Points
From a vineyard inside the Sta. Rita Hills and one just outside the region, aged 17 months in 10% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County from Chanin is classic Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir all the way. Forest floor, raspberries, cherries, dried herbs, and earthy notes as well as the textbook salinity of the region all emerge from the glass. It’s medium-bodied, elegant and silky on the palate, with impeccable balance and a great finish. Drink it any time over the coming decade or more.