In the storied love/hate relationship between the winemaking
industries in California and France, there is one local group that
comes down rather emphatically on the love side. Founded in the
1980s and loudly championed since then by Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon
Vineyards, the Rhone Rangers are a group of California winemakers
focused on making and publicizing French-style wines — often
blends — from the grape varietals that France’s Rhône River
Valley is famous for.
I’ll admit that I felt dubious about what I might find at the
group’s 11th Annual Grand Tasting in San Francisco last week. It’s not
that I don’t love fragrant, fruity Viognier; lush, drinkable Grenache;
and rich, smoky Syrah — I most certainly do. It’s just that in
the past year, I’ve encountered so many delightful and inexpensive
actual Côte du Rhônes that I wondered whether
focusing on a lower price point in a room brimming with California
Francophiles selling their wares for as much as $100 a bottle would
leave me craving the genuine article.
Surprisingly, there were many more value reds than whites at the
tasting, with the lone white under $13 being Cline Cellars’ 2007
Viognier ($11). The Viognier held its own with a sweet, floral
aroma and surprisingly dry mouthfeel, and I preferred it to Cline’s
2007 Sonoma County Syrah ($9), which had very little aroma and
tasted of dried fruit.
More pleasing Syrahs were on offer from Alameda’s R&B Cellars
and Washington state’s Snoqualmie Winery. R&B Cellars 2006 North
Coast “Saxy Syrah” ($12) had a subtle aroma that gave way to berry
and spice on the palate and a big finish, while the 2006 Snoqualmie
Columbia Valley Syrah ($10) was quite full-bodied, with spicy notes
and a rich finish that called for an equally rich meal. But the wine of
the day — for me at least — was the 2005 Brownstone
Winery Syrah ($9). The cheapest red in the room, this big Syrah
courtesy of Walnut Creek-based Blue Moon Wines had a lovely berry aroma
and was truly a joy to sip.
Value rosés are never hard to come by, and they’re a great
way to experiment with Rhône varietals in restaurants where other
by-the-glass options are eye-rollingly exorbitant. I enjoyed Bogle’s
2007 Petite Syrah Rosé ($8), which had a strawberry aroma
and a touch of sweetness to the taste. Still sweeter was the
Concannon Vineyards 2007 Rosé ($12), which tasted like
cookies, despite an aroma of geraniums.
I had high expectations for the only budget-friendly offering from
Bonny Doon Vineyards: their 2008 “Vin Gris de Cigare” Rosé
($13). Eau du bubble gum, which stayed with me through the finish,
made this slightly sweet wine overwhelming. Given a proud history of
innovation in areas like packaging (Grahm was an early proponent of
screwcaps) and sustainable practices, we beg of you Bonny Doon —
give Rhône-curious Wineaux something to drink!
