I may not have yet made it out to Lake County, California, but that doesn’t mean that I am not in love with Shannon Ridge Wines.  ABC carries a few wines from Clay Shannon and his beautiful vineyards in Cali, and I can’t think of one that I don’t drink.  But I can’t talk about them all in this little blog so I will talk about two. Yes, only two, otherwise I would take up your entire day.

I’ll start white, it’s Florida and it’s still 90 degrees outside even though it is almost October. One that stands out for me is Shannon Ridge Morine Ranch Roussanne.  Their winery tasting notes read:  “The grapes used to produce the 2009 Shannon Ridge Lake County Roussanne were picked from our Morine Ranch block with steep south facing slopes which help create an elegant wine with great complexity. We blend in a small percentage of Viognier to elevate the tropical aromas. A portion of the wine was barrel fermented in French oak to help add a rich mouth feel and creamy softness and balance”.  If you don’t know Roussanne, it’s a French blending grape usually grown in the Rhone.  Wines made from Roussanne are characterized by their intense aromatics which can include notes of herbal teas. In its youth, it shows more floral, herbal and fruit notes, such as pear.  So as summer comes to an end follow it with a unique wine with a great crisp flavor.

Speaking of summer ending, we’re looking for a red wine that stands out among the rest—and that’s Shannon Ridge Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.  This Cab Sav is a single vineyard that lies in the more specific High Valley of Lake County.  What can I say except this is California Cab at its best.  It is French oak aged to silky perfection for 20 months.  There are flavors of cassis, cherry, and raspberry, with a long smooth finish and just a touch of oak.  I can’t wait ‘till the weather changes and I can drink this outside watching the night sky.  Since we have gotten this wine in our stores I have taken it to dinner parties and shared it in my home with my husband. 

I have only had great success with Clay Shannon’s wines and I suggest you find your favorite in our stores and take home a bottle tonight.

Kathleen Anderson, North/West Wine Supervisor. Follow Kathleen on Twitter: @ABCwinekat