When we started back in 1982, the world was a different place. The internet didn’t exist, nor did emails or social media and shipping to consumers beyond the local neighborhood was out of the ordinary. Most everything was sold by someone coming to an establishment and physically picking up the bottle. A lot has changed over the years, but a handy, go-to, well-made, and well priced offering still has value in the marketplace.
We keep tabs on all price ranges here, but admittedly have little tolerance for clearly manipulated wines in any price range. Unfortunately, in the lower price rungs, the majority of offerings seem to fall into that category. We are looking for wines that are honest and varietal at every level.
We became aware of Shannon Ridge wines many years ago but, in truth, the wines weren’t particularly memorable. A lot has changed since then. It is unique in a few ways. This family-owned winery is in Lake County, which has seen a lot of development in recent years. Also the vineyards from which the Shannon Ridge wines come are situated at 2200 foot elevation and the winery is committed to sustainable farming. If you start with good fruit, odds are you can do something exciting with it. Wines like this, with honest, unfettered fruit and a sub-$10 price are exciting to a lot of people.
The winery is working on offerings in a variety of styles and price points, but it was this pair of reds under the ‘High Elevation’ banner at the value end of the spectrum that presented the most potential. Such wines are not abundant in the marketplace. Good color, good weight, varietal character and this kind of pricing may not ‘shock the world’, but they will make a lot of friends.
The Shannon Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County 2019 , all from mountain fruit, is a direct presentation of ripe blackberry and dark cherry, some spice and woodsy notes, and honest flavors. It got a 92 point nod from Wine Enthusiast with comments, “Bold and nicely spicy, this full-bodied wine wraps delicious black-cherry and blackberry flavors in moderate tannins, while hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla weave in and out of the fruit.”
The Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah Lake County 2019 is definitely something of a throwback style and has the punchy, full throttle black fruit one expects from the varietal. Pretty much a fast ball down the middle for fans of Petite Sirah, with flecks of pepper and spice woven into the aromatics and flavors. Wine Enthusaist said of this, “Quite ripe and jammy, this deeply colored wine also sports nicely integrated tannins that balance the intense blueberry and blackberry flavors. Being relatively smooth and polished for the varietal, it’s ready to drink through 2026…90 points.”
Will these wines change your life? Probably not. But do they show the potential of Lake County ‘done right’ and deliver exceptional value? Absolutely. Stuff like this never goes out of style.