Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards

Tony Craig has been buying fruit from the Russian River area for more than a few years. When he took over the reigns at Savannah-Chanelle in 2003, he faced a cellarful of wines that needed to be moved and a new direction that needed to be taken. He knew Russian River fruit was well-regarded, and sought to add this to the repertoire at his new home.

What a lovely bright cherry bouquet greets you in this wine. And the ripe plums are quite seductive. Everything about this wine draws you in, and nothing puts you off. It is a Pinot for people who don’t like earth, forest, barnyard or anything even remotely vegetal in their wines, especially their Pinots. It would be a wine that former President GHW Bush would like because there is no broccoli, no beets, no tomato. It’s all berry fruits, which is nice, but certainly for Pinot, single-handed. Very well-pigmented, like all Tony Craig’s wines, and the structure is typical as well: big and bold and very satisfying. This wine is a bit hot in the nose: not surprising, as the 04 vintage was pretty darned ripe in general, and this is advertised as 15% on the label. And the finish has a bit of that jammy character more associated with Zin. But Tony saves the day by bringing out the acidity and playing up the nice strawberry jam flavors that wrap so nicely around that bright acid center. This is a wine for RR Pinot lovers, and you know who you are!

(Alc: 15%, Retail: $50)

Reviewed March 28, 2007 by Laura Ness.