Gavin Chanin, who learned the winemaker’s art working with Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat (No. 4) and Bob Lindquist of Qupé (No. 25), also logging time at wineries in New Zealand and South Africa, makes what John Tilson of The Underground Wineletter calls simply “wonderful pinot noir and chardonnay.” These aren’t high-alcohol, heavily oaked wines. They have what David Sawyer, wine director at Brooklyn’s

Lilia Ristorante, describes as “extraordinary elegance and finesse, sourced from such regal vineyards as Bien Nacido and Los Alamos.” Chanin wines, he adds, are much sought-after not just around the country but in Europe, too — “and that right there is pretty much all you need to know.”