2005 La Crema Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California

This wine immediately strikes me as a classic Californian Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily a good thing. I say that because I find that Californian style of Pinot to be very light and thin with a medicinal quality to the palate. Contrast that to the depth and richness of those Californian Pinot's that go their own way, and you cleave the lovers of these wines. Consider me in the camp of the Burgundian style, no surprise there, and in California I look for the wines of Walter Hansel, Jed Steele or Kent Rasmussen. Not so much Burgundian, these wines, as Californian meets Burgundy. Either way, they contrast well against the style of the La Crema tasted here.

Which is odd, really. La Crema's reputation is pretty solid, and they are known to make incredible, intense and delicious Chardonnay's. That's a long way of saying that I don't know that I would judge the winery by our tasting of this Pinot Noir. There are two reasons for that:

1. It is a 2005 and will likely deepen and become more complex with age.

2. This wine is entry level, and there are several beyond this that may get to where I want to go. I am going to seek those out and taste in comparison to this one in the coming weeks.

Melissa Stackhouse is the winemaker over at La Crema and she has been working to put her stamp on the house winemaking style. That is probably good, as Melissa is known to favor a Burgundian style of Pinot Noir. Actually, that would be a third reason why I will check out more wines from La Crema crafted by Melissa Stackhouse. For whatever reason, this Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir just didn't get there.

We decanted for a bit and poured to smell. The nose was a bit hot with alcohol, and had cassis and jammy fruit blended with that medicine quality I mentioned earlier. The nose is not bad, just not what we go for, and to my mind is simple and without depth. There is a sandy quality to both the nose and the palate which makes me feel like the grapes were grown in really arid, sun drenched vineyards... which they were not.

The palate is simple and restrained. I would say light with little complexity. The fruit is more strawberry, but it dissipates quickly leaving an aftertaste that is like, well... it's like medicine. There is an earthy component to the palate that we like, but it is not in balance with the rest of the wine. The finish is fairly short and dry.

Lately, we've been looking for some value wines to flesh out the lower end of our cellar. Wines that we can enjoy whenever we want without feeling like we are robbing our daughter's inheritance. Just kidding. But seriously, we are looking for good value wines that we can keep and drink over the next year or so while we stock up on more long-term keepers. This wine is not either of those, obviously, but as I said we will continue to check out La Crema and let you know what we taste.

cost - $21.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 7

2005 King Estate Signature Pinot Noir, Lorane Valley, Oregon

And the endless parade of Oregon wines continues. What can I say, there are so many to enjoy and we like enjoying them. This wine was no different, but the story behind King Estate is almost as good as the wine itself.

King Estate was born in 1991, realizing a twelve year fantasy for Ed King and his father. Ed moved to Oregon in 1979 to pursue his MBA, but quickly realized he had a passion for winemaking. His father sold off his business and retired in 1985, doing quite well. They began looking for vineyard property and found an excellent 600 acre plot. They dove in. Today King Estate is nearly 1200 acres of certified organic vineyards producing very high quality fruit. It is a winery known for decidedly Burgundian/European sensibilities and as a result has a reputation for producing consistently beautiful wines. Ed and his dad still lead the winery.

This Pinot Noir could be considered entry-level for their catalog of wines. That in no way detracts from it, though. In the glass the wine is vibrant and bright garnet colored. The nose is full of black currants and raspberry. There is also some all-spice and hints of oak. On the palate there shows deep fruit, with blueberry and cherry jam-like flavors. There is an interesting taste that is almost like baking oatmeal cookies that we really liked a lot. All of this is balanced by a smoky quality that lingers into the finish. Medium bodied with a short finish, this wine was nice and easy to drink. It is a good wine with lighter food, but is also fine as a sipping wine on its own. Though this is a 2005 and will get better with some age under it, it is drinking well now and offers a nice value for a solid Oregonian Pinot Noir from an all organic estate.

cost - $22.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2004 Domaine de Saint Pierre Sancerre, Loire Valley, France

There is no doubt that we have exposed our bias for the wines of the Loire Valley. We've only really discussed a few, though, and in the context of our review of this Sancerre thought we would give you a little background on the Loire valley and the wines of the region. The valley gets its name from the Loire river that runs through the area. It is this river, changing and moving across the landscape over its history, that has imparted so many of the mineral qualities in the soil that make their way into the regions wines. The Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire are noted for these qualities, and we seek them out. In reality, the Loire is made up of several different grape growing areas and these represent a broad range of growing climates from the appelation Sancerre in the east to the appelation of Muscadet. Along the river are many other appelations, some very recognizable and others less so. The more widely known are Vouvray, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. But there is also Touraine (a wine from which we just reviewed) as well as Chinon and Anjou (wines from which we will be reviewing in the near future). It is the white grapes of the appelations that the Loire is most noted for, and it goes without saying that the queen of these is Sauvignon Blanc. We would be remiss, though, to not point out that the Melon grape of Muscadet in the Loire makes amazing wine... also a favorite of ours and a grape that is gaining an increasing following with the vineyards of the Willamette Valley and wineries like Panther Creek and Ken Wright Cellars. Something that we are are excited to do, and that is also gaining increasing exposure, is to begin reviewing some of the red wines of the Loire, wines that go mostly unnoticed here in the US but that deliver excellent value and quality.

We found this Sancerre to be classic and delivering of the promise for the wines of this appelation. The nose was bright with lemon and flint, and a subtle pine quality. It tasted wonderful with more citrus, moving toward grapefruit, and a nice minerally backbone. We also picked up rosehips in the finish, which was clean and dry. For the money, this wine is a nice entry-level example of the style of Sancerre.

cost - $16.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8

2003 Domaine Merieau Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire Valley, France

We have reviewed the more prominent Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire before, the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume here on winecommando. Together these represent a spectrum of Sauvignon Blanc wine making style in this region. There are others, though, that offer both the quality and characteristics of these wines, but at a better value. We picked up this Loire Valley wine for $14.00, which is an excellent value. What makes this wine distinct is that it is aged on the lees, meaning that it is left to age for a time with the materials that collect at the bottom of the vat. These materials are the dead yeasts and residual yeasts that occur during the wine making process, and this process, called sur lies in French, adds a quality to wine that can be pretty incredible. In the case of this Sauvignon Blanc, it softens greatly the sharpness of the citrus and grapefruit flavors and adds a creamy, yeasty component. This is the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc that is an excellent apertif wine, and one that is a great food wine. This Domaine Merieau is great with food, having more depth, complexity and structure than is typical. The nose is full of fragrant lavender, honey and hints of grapefruit. The palate is round with pear and sharp green apple, balanced by the softness of honeydew melon. The finish is rich and lush, which we find fairly unique as compared to the majority of French Sauvignon Blanc. The minerally qualities are still there, as is the tradition of the soil of the Loire, but they are part of a bigger picture in this wine. This bottle was a very pleasant surprise and more of it will find its way into our cellar for the summer.

cost - $14.00

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9

2005 St. Innocent Vitae Springs Vineyard Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Part two of our St. Innocent double header, and the takeaway here is that Mark Vlossak makes fantastic Pinot Gris, a varietal that I feel is too often overlooked. We reviewed the Adelsheim Pinot Gris earlier, another winery in the Willamette Valley, and the point I made then is how terrific a food wine Pinot Gris really is, and that it sits between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

The style of this wine is focused on the fruit. St. Innocent does not barrel age the Vitae Pinot Gris so as to emphasize the incredible fruit that comes from their low yield vineyard. The nose is full of pear, honeysuckle and a little orange peal. It has a dry sweetness to it that draws you in and on the palate there is really nice round fruit with pear, lemony citrus, vanilla and a spiced fruit quality. It is a very dry wine, but incredibly sophisticated and though it finishes cleanly, the roundness and richness of the fruit lingers on your palate. There is great structure and enough acidity here to pair this wine with spicier foods, and I could see having this with a Szechuan seafood dish or with a spicy fish or chicken preparation. This Pinot Gris would be an excellent white staple wine for your cellar, and we plan to enjoy more of it on the patio this summer.

cost - $17.00

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2004 St. Innocent Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, WIllamette Valley, Oregon

Some people are born into wine and others find their way to it. In that second group there are some who get there by happy accident, and others who carefully chart their path. Like the 10 year old who knows that he wants to become a lawyer (?) or an astronaut... and then becomes what they set out to do. Mark Vlossak, the founder and winemaker of St. Innocent was decidedly in that last category. His father is a wine distributor in the Milwaukee/Chicagoland area and Mark grew up being exposed to an appreciation for excellent wine. He made his way west and in 1988 began making wine at St. Innocent. It's a good thing he did, too, as few wineries rival the consistent excellence across all varietals that Mark and his team are able to attain... that, and despite the quality, effort, attention to detail, and reputation St. Innocent keeps its wines priced so as to remain within the reach of most of us.

If you look across the winery landscape of the Willamette Valley in Oregon there is an interesting phenomenon. Several of the wineries are owned or wines made by people from the Midwest. Panther Creek Cellars is owned by Ron Kaplan and his wife, originally from Iowa. Mark Vlossak heralds from Wisconsin. Domaine Serene is owned by the Ken and Grace Evenstad of Minnesota. There are other similar stories, but I love that folks from flyover territory head west and make killer wine. In all three of these cases, really killer wine. I believe that Panther Creek actually contracts with Mark Vlossak to make their wines, which is just smart thinking.

Over the years I have been fortunate to enjoy many of St. Innocent's wines. It had been awhile, though, and Cat and I were excited to open up this Shea vineyard Pinot Noir. The Shea vineyard is just outside of Portland, in the Yamhill foothills. As we have discussed here at winecommando previously, this is ground zero for growing and making incredible Pinot Noir. For us, this wine is quintessential St. Innocent, totally classic in style and very sophisticated. We readily admit that it may be premature to open this bottle, but part of the fun of owning and enjoying wine is to experience it as it ages, to chart its changes. We opened and decanted it, pouring just about an ounce each to taste immediately. The first thing we were both struck by is the color. In the center of the glass it is dark, almost a black red with more electric reds around the ring of the glass. The nose, just out of the bottle, presented bright cherry fruit with edges of autumnal scents, like raked leaves... a more distinct earthy quality. The palate was intense, but a little sharp. We let it sit for about three hours or so.

When we came back to it we found the nose to have softened. It was incredibly fragrant, still with that cherry fruit, but richer and deeper now. There was an herbal quality, almost like rosemary, but sweeter. All of this was complimented by a flowery, almost perfume like scent that, though subtle, gave the nose an interesting complexity. We found the earthy/autumnal quality almost unnoticeable. On the palate the wine was deep and intense. The fruit was of cherry and currants, hints of nuts... like chestnuts or walnuts (I have a tough time remembering which tastes like which). The palate was balanced with tannins present, but not out of line. We picked up more of that perfume on the palate, and it was almost like lilac. The finish was nice. This Pinot Noir will only get better, but it was very enjoyable for us now. It is a terrific food wine, and the intensity of the palate and its structure would give it the flexibility allow you to experiment with its food pairing, breaking away from convention. We paired it with seared salmon topped with a sweet Vidalia onion and balsamic vinegar chutney, and a mixed vegetable salad with white balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil.

cost - $37.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9.25

Wine Blogging Wednesday Wrap Up - New World Syrah

Earlier this week Winecast posted the summary of WBW submissions from last Wednesday. The deal with WBW is after a theme is chosen (in this case... New World Syrah) wine bloggers far and wide can submit their reviews. For this last WBW, winecommando submitted its review of the Chilean Montes Alpha Syrah. What's interesting is that another wine blogger, Good Grape, also reviewed this wine and had a somewhat different take on it than ourselves. Check both reviews out, then track this wine down, taste it, and do your own review. If you agree with me, I'll post it here.

Just kidding.

The theme for the next WBW is boxed wine. Not sure if Cat and I will be taking part in that one, though there are actually some decent wines now coming in boxes and other unique containers. Is it a trend? Is it marketing? Not sure, but we are starting to see some funky wine bottles here and there. We picked one up a bit ago and will be reviewing it here shortly. We will also be posting our St. Innocent wines double header review of the Shea vineyards Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris. Both were really, really good.

Yes, those are actual Syrah grapes up there in the photo.

winecommando Goes West (but is back now)

Just got back from a business trip to the land of wine, silicon and internet bajillionaires. It was an excellent trip, and not least of all due to some of my dining and wine experiences. Here's the cool thing... I hit the wine and food blog vinography for some recommendations and was not disappointed. Last night we dined at Range in the Mission and had a terrific time. Small, intimate restaurant owned by a couple that are clearly passionate about food, wine and value. They basically built the place with their own hands to save money, and they did a terrific job.

The food was solid and the wine list well thought out. We had the Elk Cove Pinot Gris ($37... I think) and the Domaine Serene Yamhill Pinot Noir ($66), both from Oregon and I reviewed the Domaine Serene here earlier. The Pinot Gris paired exceptionally well with our appetizers, the standout of which was the Tombo tuna tartare. The Pinot Noir matched well with main courses that included lamb, shortribs (delish!) and a vegetarian option that I cannot remember, but looked really good. Honestly, though, the thing that blew me away the most was their prices. Entrees were $17-$22 and the wine list was incredibly reasonably priced. Totally terrific value. The pricing felt more like 1993 than 2007. Contrast this with our dinner at Jeffery Chodorow's Asia de Cuba (not on vinography's recommendation, just convenient), the hotel restaurant at The Clift, where entree prices were in the $29-$45 range and not nearly as inspired.

We also enjoyed Enoteca Viansa, the San Francisco wine bar of Viansa Winery. Not only was the service outstanding, the wines we tried were phenomenal. I had the 2003 Thalia Sangiovese and found it to be full of raspberry and cherry fruit. It had a spicy, peppery nose which made the fruit on the palate that much more rich and velvetty. It was a great sipping wine, but it made me crave some slow roasted lamb or pork with garlic, rosemary and oven-roasted fingerling potatoes. That's pretty specific, but what can I say... I have very detailed food fantasies.

2003 Domaine Lafage Cote Grenache Noir, Roussillon, France

I think that a lot of you will agree that there is something especially exciting about finding a great wine that is also a great deal. Cat and I try wines across a fairly tight price range, typically in the $10-$40/bottle, as this fits our budget best. That, and this range is full of tremendous wine of all varietals and styles. It is when we get close to that $10 mark and find a wine that compares with those that are much more expensive that we feel we have discovered something.

Sometimes you are just in the mood to try something different. I was walking around a local wine shop known for its excellently diverse selection, and happened upon this one. We love Grenache, the wines of Gigondas being among my favorites. On the back label Eric Solomon is listed as the importer. What I know of Eric Solomon is that he is incredibly picky about what wines he will import, and having his name on the back is an enormous stamp of approval. Then there is the price... $12.99. I bought it.

By way of background, the Grenache grape is a major contributor to the blends of southern Rhone wines. I mentioned Gigondas, and we reviewed the E. Guigal earlier, and in the Kaesler Avignon review we discussed the beauty of GSM's, like Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache not only adds a velvetty and dark fruit quality to blends like these, it makes a terrific stand-alone varietal for winemaking. The Domain Lafage is made by the husband and wife team led by Jean-Marc Lafage. They also make wines for wineries in Spain and South America, working with the importer mentioned above, Eric Solomon. Their homebase is in Cotes de Roussillon in the south of France. The Lafage style is to sometimes disregard convention, and in the case of this wine they chose to vint it without oak and to bottle it unfiltered. The results are a smooth, approachable medium bodied wine. There is plum and dark cherry in the nose, with a little bit of pepper and spice. On the palate the wine has great structure and is incredibly versatile, able to pair with a variety of foods. The flavors in the mouth are more plum, cranberry and a little earthy truffle-like quality. Very balanced with soft tannins and a longish finish. We found this wine to be a pleasant surprise and quite delicious. This is another example of a very well priced house wine, something that you could drink often with dinner without breaking the bank.

cost - $12.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.75

2002 Kaesler Avignon, Barossa Valley, Australia

This wine presents another great immigrant wine story. Sadly, though, this immigrant story begins with a wayward German (that's not really sad, just my bias). No Italians make up the players in Kaesler's history, thus ruining my standing theory on all great wines coming from wineries/vineyards originally founded by Italian immigrants. But I digress.

It was a German shoemaker, Gottfried Kaesler, who arrived in South Australia in 1845 and set in motion the events that would put this wine on our table 162 years later. Gottfried landed in Australia and fulfilled his dream of becoming a farmer. He chose his land carefully, and built his farm in the Barossa Valley which would become one of Australia's preeminent wine producing areas. Back then, Gottfried and his sons were not sure which vines would survive the Australian climate, so they planted many different grape varietals as an initial trial-and-error to see which might survive, and eventually thrive.

They found that the Rhone varietals of Syrah (Shiraz in Australia) and Grenache were especially suited for the rigors of the sun and weather of the southern hemisphere. It was on these grapes, and the Southern Rhone style of winemaking, that the Kaesler family began to focus and over the years hone with each successive vintage.

This wine is named "Avignon" because it is a blend that matches that from Chateauneuf-du-Pape in Southern France, Avignon being the cultural capital of Provence. The blend is what is affectionately referred to as "GSM," an acronym for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. In this wine it is 58%G, 31%S and 9%M. It is also blended with 2% Viognier, so I guess that makes this one a GSMV.

We decanted this wine for two hours before tasting, and it was good thing we did. When we tasted we could tell that the wine was still in the process of opening up. It was massive. We let it sit while we made dinner and when we came back to it we both exclaimed out loud that it kicked ass. The nose is amazing. We smelled toffee and vanilla, rich roasted vegetables, and something akin to the smell of baking bread. This wine had us, before we even tasted. The palate was full of cherry, more toffee but with a slight burnt edge to it... almost like the burnt sugar on top of a creme-brule. There was a consistent earthy, vegetal quality behind everything that carried through to the finish. This wine was not so much elegant as it was just really damn interesting. And delicious. We would classify it as heavier bodied, but balanced with a long finish. It is a FANTASTIC food wine (at less than half the price of good Chateauneuf-du-Pape) and I could see pairing it with anything from a great piece of beef seared on the grill to hearty stews. It made me crave rustic food with lots of herbs. I would love to have this wine with cassoulet and really crusty warm bread. I'm starving.

cost - $23.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9.25

2002 Jade Mountain Syrah, Napa Valley, California

The year is 1991. You have the chance to buy some vineyard property. You look, you hunt, and you wait patiently for just the right opportunity to become available. Your perseverance pays off and 42 acres of PRIME vineyard land on Mt. Veeder, vineyards that produce especially excellent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for several reserve wines, hits the market. You are Jim Paras, a San Francisco attorney with a passion for wine that runs very, very deep. You buy the 42 acres on Mt. Veeder and what do you do next? Do you get into the Cabernet Sauvignon business?

No.

You rip out all of the vines on the property and replant Syrah. The actions of a man who has gone insane. Or, perhaps, we are the ones who are insane.

Jim Paras had a vision and he wanted to make top notch Syrah. He joined forces with Doug Danielak, a known Syrah master who had trained in the crucible of the Rhone Valley. You see, they both knew that the land Jim had purchased on Mt. Veeder, with its cool temps and soil type was primo Syrah growing territory, and anybody can grow good Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. They executed their plan with extreme prejudice.

Cat and I had not had any wines from Jade Mountain before, but given our lucky streak with New World Syrahs, and given that today is Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) and the theme of the day is "New World Syrah" we concluded it is a great time to review this wine. I submitted our review of the Chilean Montes Alpha Syrah to WBW being hosted at Winecast, a wine blog worth checking out.

This wine, blended with 3% Viognier, was very nice. We decanted for one hour prior to tasting. When we poured our glasses we found the nose full of lilac and blackberry. We loved the lilac. There were hints of smokiness, and even some rosemary. Initially, there was an odd scent to the nose... almost like green olives, I think, but it dissipated quickly. The palate was incredibly well balanced and tasted of more blackberry with dark chocolate and earthiness. The flavors were round and full, and the finish was long. Tannin was present, but not sharp and was softened the longer it was in the glass. This wine made me want to eat roasted duck, it would have paired really, really well.

cost - $27.99 on sale from $29.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2003 Comtesse Thibier Graves Blanc, Bordeaux, France

As I stood there looking at this bottle at the local wine shop my instincts were telling me not to buy it. There's the grandma's upholstery look to the label, there's the back label... and I quote:

"At the turn of the century, I began riding my bicycle through the Bordeaux countryside getting to know the grapes that makes premium wines. Today my family continues the tradition of carefully selecting the best grapes. Our aim is perfection."

Despite that little piece of poetic heaven on the back of the bottle I bought it and brought it home. We've hit a bit of a dry patch with Graves, as of late, and just have not had that classic gravelly, lemony Bordeaux blanc experience. Maybe this one will be different. Maybe this one will live down the floral drapery.

As you can guess, we did not find it to really work out all that well. This wine had a light, almost non-existent nose. There was a little pine, some citrus, but so faint as to make you strain to pick it up. The palate was also light, and weak missing both the traditional mineral qualities and the clean, refreshing fruit indicative of these wines. The finish was non-existent. So... I feel mean here but I am being absolutely honest. This wine did not deliver on the Graves blanc promise.

cost - $9.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 2

2005 Erath Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Pretty nice wine for the price. We liked it despite the screwtop, and that says a lot. It's not that we have an aversion to screwtops and nice wine, but we have an aversion to screwtops and nice wine... if you get my drift. In so many ways, and much like the Faiveley Bourgogne that we reviewed a few weeks ago, this would be a terrific house Pinot Noir, a terrific house wine. Not expensive, good quality, and the screwtop makes for easy access when every second between bottle, glass, and mouth counts.

Seriously, though, Erath has a solid reputation and IS making wine in what is perhaps the most "perfect" place to grow and vint Pinot Noir... the Willamette Valley. Erath is in the northern part of the Willamette Valley, in the Dundee Hills, which is akin to being in the best place in the best place for growing and making great Pinots. Really, most Pinot Noirs from this area are typically that great mix of wonderfully opulent fruit, great winemakers, and Burgundian "influence" to the winemaking style. Works well for Cat and I.

We found this Pinot Noir immediately accessible. It smells bright with just a little sharpness to the fruit. There are hints of raspberry and strawberry, a little bubblegum (which is cool to us), and subtle Pinot Noir earthiness. The palate delivers soft, round strawberry fruit and is surprisingly balanced and elegant for a wine at this price point. The palate did not offer up much sophistication, though, beyond the fruit and some hints of vanilla. The finish was shortish, with some pepper and spiciness. We wanted more depth in the palate and a slightly longer finish. Still, though, it's solid and for a daily wine with dinner it is hard to beat a one with this flexibility at this price point. Between this, the Faiveley Bourgogne, and the Joseph Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir (which we will review shortly) you could put together a very cost efficient base to your cellar. Sort of the bond fund of your wine portfolio. I can't believe I just said that out loud.

cost - $14.99 on sale from $17.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 7.75

1999 Kent Rasmussen Petite Syrah, Napa Valley, California

We posted a review of a Kent Rasmussen Carneros Pinot Noir a couple of weeks ago. We liked that wine a lot and enjoyed learning about this highly regarded winery. I saw this Petite Syrah by Kent Rasmussen and thought it would be an interesting wine, especially given its vintage of 1999.

Petite Syrah (Sirah) is an interesting grape varietal. Many people assume that it is a version of Syrah, and they are not incorrect, but Petite Sirah is a distant, distant hybrid cousin of Syrah and has its history intertwined with winemaking in California in the late 1800's.

In the 1880's a French doctor specializing in the wine producing grapes of southern France began experimenting with hybrids and clones. His name was Dr. Francois Durif, and he created a new grape based on the seed of an ancient varietal, Peloursin, and the pollen of a grape he assumed to be Syrah, which through genetic testing we now know to be the source. He named this new varietal after himself, Durif, which was not especially catchy.

During the 1870's the Syrah varietal had been introduced into California with much success. Among the Syrah vines were many that produced very low-yielding but concentrated fruit. These came to be known as Petite Syrah and began to be cultivated in their own right separated from what vineyard owners took to be traditional Syrah. In the mid-1880's the Durif varietal from Dr. Durif was brought over to California and vineyard owners began planting vineyard lots to experiment with diversifying their vineyard holdings. The Durif grape in California came to be known as "Petite Sirah." During the 1890's Phylloxera destroyed almost all of the Syrah vines of California and as the Durif/Petite Sirah vines were thriving and seemed resistant to Phylloxera many vineyards were replanted with Petite Sirah brought over from France or from cuttings from the existing vines. Though Petite Sirah is distantly related to Syrah, in several vineyards the name came to mean Syrah, Petite Syrah, Petite Sirah and Durif. It was not until the 1990's that it was conclusively established that Petite Sirah is genetically related to the noble old-world Syrah of the Rhone, the same grape that makes up Hermitage and Cote-Rotie.

Kent Rasmussen makes wines from several different varietals, but as mentioned before it is Pinot Noir that the winery is most known for. Petite Sirah, though, is a favorite and the winery has consistently produced excellent vintages of this varietal. Interestingly, the 1999 vintage was the last vintage that the winery referred to the wine as "Petite Syrah" and in 2000 they began labeling it "Petite Sirah," which is technically more accurate.

We decanted this wine and let sit for about 45 minutes before tasting. When we poured we were very surprised by the nose. It was full of terrific blueberry fruit, round and almost sweet smelling. This was balanced by a little bit of coffee and a very distinct quality that was hard for me to place. At first I thought it was almost like the sweetness of kerosene, with a tinge of sulfur or tar. All in all, the nose was complex and very interesting. The palate delivered soft blueberry and blackberry balanced by nice tannins, totally reined in, and an earthy finish with the same tar-like quality that was in the nose. It was very balanced and the structure would lend itself very well to pairing with a variety of foods. We found this wine enjoyable and an excellent value given its excellent quality.

cost - $22.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.75

2004 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reissier, Burgundy, France

White Burgundy means classic French style Chardonnay. At least it means that most of the time. The French style of Chardonnay is so right, in my opinion, and is differentiated by its bastard relatives in Napa and Somoma by favoring crisp, citrus qualities balanced by creaminess and structure. I'm generalizing slightly here, but given the choice I would choose Burgundian Chardonnay over just about any Chardonnay from California... though there are several great California Chardonnays that are vinted in a French style. I have to concede that.

Getting to the point. The area of Pouilly-Fuisse in Burgundy produces wonderfully classic French style chardonnay. Pouilly-Fuisse is an area made up of four villages that collectively make their wine under the Pouilly-Fuisse moniker. The soils of the area are very chalky and has a high clay content. Just from that you can guess what this wine is going to taste like.

This wine sees no oak and is fermented in stainless steel. That can be a good thing as the results are a clean, crisp, bright wine that is a perfect apertif or refresher on a hot day, which we are not currently having around here (-12 degrees F outside at this very moment). The nose of this Chardonnay was full of citrus and green apple, balanced by a flinty scent. On the palate it tasted of pear and lemon with a short but elegant finish. Really, a very straightforward white wine that is totally unpretentious. Very bright, great with lighter food or before dinner, and an excellent palate cleanser - like the lemon sorbet of wine. Very enjoyable for the price.

cost - $15.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8

2000 E. Guigal Gigondas, Cotes-du-Rhone, France

The Cotes du Rhone region in southern France is incredibly diverse when it comes to wine, with much more flexibility in the wines that can be produced throughout the area... as compared to the regions of Bordeaux or Burgundy. The Rhone stretches from south of Lyon, France all the way to the Mediterranean and the wines that come out of the area range from big, full-bodied Chateauneuf du Pape and Cote Rotie in the north to lighter, more fruit forward wines like Crozes Hermitage in the south. Gigondas is located in the south, and the wines from here are a favorite as Gigondas rouge presents many qualities that make it not only great with food, but very flexible with what will work well with it.

To me, Gigondas is a terrific alternative to the much more expensive wines of Chateauneuf du Pape. Both offer complex, bigger style wines, but the wines of Gigondas usually go overlooked next to more famous and recognized Rhone neighbors. Vineyards and wineries in Gigondas date back to Roman times a it was the Romans who saw the potential to grow intense, concentrated grapes that take advantage of the abundant Mediterranean sun and the rich alluvial clays that make up the soil. Great combination. The grapes that thrive in this area and that comprise Gigondas are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - all grapes that tend to like the sun and warmer weather. This wine is made up of a blend that is 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvedre.

We opened this bottle and decanted for about 45 minutes. When we poured our glasses we both noticed how deeply purple the wine is, but not as dark and inky as some of the 100% Syrah's that we have had recently. The nose was really interesting, with hints of dried apricots, anise and green peppers. There is a distinct vegetal quality to the nose that we really like. Smelling again later, after a couple sips, I picked up a really subtle sweetness to the nose that was behind apricot and green peppers and I can only describe it as the smell of canned fruit right after you open the can. The palate was rich, velvety and full-bodied. We tasted green peppers more intensely than in the nose, balanced by cassis and brighter raspberry flavors. The finish is long with tastes of chocolate and cedar. This wine was good, but it had sharper edges to it that we know will mellow with age. I think that the 2000 is drinking well now, we enjoyed it, but this would be a vintage to investigate again in five to ten years. My guess is those sharp edges will have softened and will be replaced by more richness and depth.

cost - $29.99

winecommado rating (1-10) - 7.5

2004 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California

You deserve better photography, and perhaps we should take the label shots before we drink the wine. Please be patient with us.

A couple weeks ago we tried the Ridge Syrah, a limited production wine from a winery that is highly respected for its Zinfandels. That Syrah rocked our world, and winecommando gave it a solid 10 rating. I am going to buy a case of it for the small basement room that we call the "cellar."

It's the Zinfandels, though, that everyone talks about from Ridge. I've had several from them including the Lytton Springs, Geyserville and Pagani Ranch. They are all consistently excellent. We had not tried the Three Valleys Zinfandel, though, and were excited to give it a taste.

The name "Three Valleys" for this wine is to signify that it is blended from multiple vineyards. The wine itself is a mix of 68% Zinfandel, 11% Carignane, 10% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, and 4% Grenache. You can bet that a tremendous amount of effort and tasting went into figuring that blend out. The grapes that Ridge chooses for this wine are from the more accessible of the lots from their single vineyards. This wine is made from grapes grown in the vineyards of Lytton Springs, Dry Creek, Geyserville, Mazzoni, Stone Valley Ranch, and Pagani Ranch. It was fermented in classic Ridge style, meaning with the natural yeasts and minimal intervention.

We opened and decanted the wine without tasting right away. It's a Zin, I figured we shouldn't rush it. After about 30 minutes we poured a couple glasses. The first thing that struck us was the color. Deep, dark red. So dark that it is almost black towards the center of the glass. The nose was full of grape jelly, a tinge of sharper raspberry, and a scent I can only classify as wet hay or wet grass. The nose was wonderful. I also picked up a little black pepper. We had read a review of this wine earlier and it said something about "briar" in the nose. I have no idea what briar smells like and can't tell you that we picked that one up. What the hell does briar smell like? I want to know.

The palate was exactly what we thought it would be, given the nose. It was concentrated and rich, though the wine was surprisingly medium bodied. You think Zinfandel and you conclude, typically, big and heavy bodied wines. Not so here. Dare I say, this Zinfandel is ELEGANT? Must be the blend. Anyway, the palate had round jammy strawberry and chocolate, if you smoke cigars you might recognize just the slightest tobacco type taste. I don't really smoke cigars, but we have these friends who always foist them on me when we get together and I tend to oblige, much to Cat's chagrin.

The finish on this wine is long, and overall it was especially pleasing. It is not incredibly sophisticated, nor is it exceptional. It is solid and for the price delivers an excellent experience. It would be terrific with grilled beef, chili, or even tacos.

cost - $22.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8