Chanin Wine

Producing Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are defined by purity, Gavin Chanin crafts some of the most exciting wines on our list, from the oldest vines in the finest sites across Santa Barbara County.

It was during his first summer break while studying art at UCLA that Gavin Chanin started working for legendary winemaker Jim Clendenen at Au Bon Climat in Santa Barbara. He went on to work as assistant winemaker with both Jim and with Bob Lindquist at Qupé: between them, Bob and Jim put Santa Barbara on the map, so this experience stood Gavin in great stead to start his own label in 2007.

He started off with some Chardonnay from Los Alamos vineyard, and the following year, 2008, was able to add some Bien Nacido fruit, impressing the owners with a ten year business plan. Since then, he’s added most of Santa Barbara County’s most celebrated sites to his list, including Sanford and Benedict and Zotovich, only crafting single vineyard wines. And in Sanford and Benedict and Bien Nacido, he works with some of the oldest vines in the vineyards, dating back to the 1970s.

While he doesn’t own his own vineyards, Gavin works hand in hand their owners and growers to guarantee the quality of the fruit he takes. He prefers to pick early to preserve freshness in the wines, but there is no suggestion of under ripeness whatsoever.

In the cellar, he works simply, using some whole bunch fermentation where it adds to the wine, limited new oak, and no filtration. The resulting wines have a clarity and purity that matches the beauty of his labels, which feature his very own art – using oil paint, photography, even house paint for one memorable release.