Savannah Chanelle Vineyards
In my earlier post about the old Congress Springs Winery, I mentioned that Savannah Chanelle Vineyards has been operating there since 1996, but I had never visited there. Yesterday I corrected that, and I wish I had done so earlier. Savannah Chanelle is making some really nice Pinots, Syrahs and Zinfandels at reasonable prices.
2001 Pinot Noir, Central Coast
Medium color. Nose had red cherry and spicy oak. Red cherry flavors with hints of tobacco on the fruit, high acid, very soft tannins, and long fruity finish. A good lighter style Pinot, and an outstanding value. Retail price $12. My rating 83.
2001 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium color. Nose had red cherry, oak and tobacco. Red cherry, spices and tobacco on the fruit, high acid, some softer tannins, and long fruity finish. Another good Pinot, with a little more structure than the Central Coast, and an outstanding value. Retail price $14. My rating 85.
2001 Pinot Noir, Sleepy Hollow Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium dark color. Nose had cherry and spices. Red cherry and spices, tobacco, high acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a very good Pinot, with more elegance then the first two. They had a special case discount on this that made it $12 a bottle, which makes this a really outstanding value. Regular retail is $25. My rating 88.
2001 Pinot Noir, Armagh Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Medium color. Nose had cherry and spicy oak. Red cherry and spices in the fruit, high acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. A good Pinot. Retail is $28. My rating 86.
2001 Pinot Noir, Corda Vineyard, Marin County
This vineyard is just south of the Sonoma County line. Medium color. Cherry and spicy oak on the nose. Black cherry and spices on the fruit, high acid, hard tannins and a long fruity finish. This is a bigger style Pinot, that needs some time to soften up. Retail is $23. My rating 87.
2002 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Medium color. Cherry and cardboard on the nose. Red cherry fruit, with moderate acid and soft tannins. This was the weakest wine I tasted. Retail $22. My rating 78.
2002 Pinot Noir, Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium color. Red Cherry and spicy oak on the nose. Red cherry, spices and hints of tobacco on the fruit, good acid, soft tannins and a long fruity finish. This is a very good Pinot, that is drinking very well, but will probably age for a few more years. Retail is $30. My rating 88.
2001 Zinfandel, Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains
The estate Zinfandel vineyard was planted in 1910. It was abandoned and over grown when Daniel Gehrs rescued it in the mid seventies. Medium color. Nose had jammy raspberry. Fruit had raspberry flavors, with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is an elegant, fruity Zinfandel. Retail is $28. My rating 86.
2002 Syrah, Coast View Vineyard, Monterey Country
Dark garnet color. The nose was tight with berry aromas. The forward fruit had cherry and raspberry flavors, with high acid, high tannins, and a long fruity finish with hints of chocolate. This is a big Syrah that needs a little time to soften out the tannins. The fruit seems really promising. Retail is $20. My rating 88.
2002 Syrah Port, Monterey Country
This port is apparently made from the same Syrah as above. Dark garnet color. Nose has cherry and brandy aromas. The fruit has cherry and chocolate flavors, with sweet brandy, moderate acid, moderate tannins, and long sweet fruity finish. This seems like a very nice port. Retail is $28. My rating 88.
Savannah Chanelle also has a Estate Cabernet Franc from a vineyard planted in 1920 and an Estate Chardonnay, which I did not try.
Savannah Chanelle specializes in Pinot Noir, and they produce a nice assortment of Pinots at very reasonable prices. One of people in the tasting room told me that 2002 would be the last vintage Savannah Chanelle made Pinot’s from Garys’ Vineyard and the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, but they will be introducing Pinots from a number of new vineyard sources.
2001 Pinot Noir, Central Coast
Medium color. Nose had red cherry and spicy oak. Red cherry flavors with hints of tobacco on the fruit, high acid, very soft tannins, and long fruity finish. A good lighter style Pinot, and an outstanding value. Retail price $12. My rating 83.
2001 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium color. Nose had red cherry, oak and tobacco. Red cherry, spices and tobacco on the fruit, high acid, some softer tannins, and long fruity finish. Another good Pinot, with a little more structure than the Central Coast, and an outstanding value. Retail price $14. My rating 85.
2001 Pinot Noir, Sleepy Hollow Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium dark color. Nose had cherry and spices. Red cherry and spices, tobacco, high acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a very good Pinot, with more elegance then the first two. They had a special case discount on this that made it $12 a bottle, which makes this a really outstanding value. Regular retail is $25. My rating 88.
2001 Pinot Noir, Armagh Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Medium color. Nose had cherry and spicy oak. Red cherry and spices in the fruit, high acid, soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. A good Pinot. Retail is $28. My rating 86.
2001 Pinot Noir, Corda Vineyard, Marin County
This vineyard is just south of the Sonoma County line. Medium color. Cherry and spicy oak on the nose. Black cherry and spices on the fruit, high acid, hard tannins and a long fruity finish. This is a bigger style Pinot, that needs some time to soften up. Retail is $23. My rating 87.
2002 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Medium color. Cherry and cardboard on the nose. Red cherry fruit, with moderate acid and soft tannins. This was the weakest wine I tasted. Retail $22. My rating 78.
2002 Pinot Noir, Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
Medium color. Red Cherry and spicy oak on the nose. Red cherry, spices and hints of tobacco on the fruit, good acid, soft tannins and a long fruity finish. This is a very good Pinot, that is drinking very well, but will probably age for a few more years. Retail is $30. My rating 88.
2001 Zinfandel, Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains
The estate Zinfandel vineyard was planted in 1910. It was abandoned and over grown when Daniel Gehrs rescued it in the mid seventies. Medium color. Nose had jammy raspberry. Fruit had raspberry flavors, with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is an elegant, fruity Zinfandel. Retail is $28. My rating 86.
2002 Syrah, Coast View Vineyard, Monterey Country
Dark garnet color. The nose was tight with berry aromas. The forward fruit had cherry and raspberry flavors, with high acid, high tannins, and a long fruity finish with hints of chocolate. This is a big Syrah that needs a little time to soften out the tannins. The fruit seems really promising. Retail is $20. My rating 88.
2002 Syrah Port, Monterey Country
This port is apparently made from the same Syrah as above. Dark garnet color. Nose has cherry and brandy aromas. The fruit has cherry and chocolate flavors, with sweet brandy, moderate acid, moderate tannins, and long sweet fruity finish. This seems like a very nice port. Retail is $28. My rating 88.
Savannah Chanelle also has a Estate Cabernet Franc from a vineyard planted in 1920 and an Estate Chardonnay, which I did not try.
Savannah Chanelle specializes in Pinot Noir, and they produce a nice assortment of Pinots at very reasonable prices. One of people in the tasting room told me that 2002 would be the last vintage Savannah Chanelle made Pinot’s from Garys’ Vineyard and the Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, but they will be introducing Pinots from a number of new vineyard sources.
posted by mikeca | 10:27 PM
1 Comments:
We have been drinking SC wines for the last 7 years, and always found them to be consistently among our favorites. I recommend joining their wine club if you live anywhere that they ship.
B-)
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