Wine & Spirits Names Three Chanin Wines in “Year’s Best” Issue

We’re honored to have three of our wines listed in the April issue of Wine & Spirits magazine’s “Year’s Best Pinot Noir.”

2013 Los Alamos Pinot Noir- 93 pts

“Herbal aromas and a light, rosy hue predict this wine’s delicacy. Gavin Chanin harvested the fruit from sandy vineyard quite early in 2013- August 31-capturing pinot noir in a perfect state of ripeness. It’s fresh and exuberant, with just enough strawberry-red fruit to flesh it out, the structure deliciously silky yet firm at its edges. Decant it for sautés mushrooms.”

2013 Zotovich Pinot Noir- 91 pts 

“This sketches a brisk line of red raspberry flavor limned with green, marine scents. It’s delicate but persistent, with an energy that feels connected to the vineyard’s spare, sandy soils and the salt-laden winds that sweep through the Santa Rita Hills- light enough for pan-seared cod with black trumpet mushrooms.”

2013 Duvarita Pinot Noir- 91 pts

“While this was picked at modest ripeness and aged in mostly used oak, it feels a bit obvious at first, a sweet-fruited pinot noir with caramelized edges. It needs some time to develop- with air, the fruit tightens into a brisk line of strawberry and rose, the aromas turning root and herbal, suggesting gentian root and bay leaf. It’s a compelling wine that just needs another year or two in bottle to fully integrate.”