If you aren’t drinking California and Washington Syrah yet, you’re missing out on perhaps the best value in domestic red wine.  The French made it popular hundreds of years ago and the Aussies more recently, but for some reason it just hasn’t blown up here… yet.  There are some indications that it’s heading that way, so savvy consumers better hurry and stock up before it goes the way of the Pinot.

The Central Coast is a hot spot, or rather cool spot for California Syrah, producing polished, mineral influenced wines with plenty of backbone.  Novy Family Wines produces a number of single vineyard designated wines, but Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate describes their Santa Lucia Highlands bottling as “equal of most, if not all, the vineyard designates”, but at a lower price.  He awarded it 93 points.

This cool climate Syrah is exceptionally polished, focused and elegant while coming through as broad, rich and muscular on the palate.  Blueberry combined with bright cherry creates an interesting profile that’s huge in flavor but not overly sweet or syrupy.  This is what Syrah is all about.

At $25.95, this is a truly special wine for a price that puts most California Pinot and Cabernet QPRs (Quality Price Ratio) to shame.  It’s a definite re-buy for me.

Buy Here: 2009 Novy Family Wines Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands $25.95

Wine Advocate 93 points

“The 2009 Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands is a beautifully rich, powerful red graced with exquisite finesse and elegance. Sweet dark cherries, flowers, spices and game flow from this large-scaled, sleek Syrah. Varietal black pepper, spice and licorice wrap around the dark, muscular finish. The straight Santa Lucia Highlands bottling is superb. It is the equal of most, if not all, the vineyard designates, and also costs less. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.

Adam and Dianna Lee of Siduri make the Novy wines in partnership with Dianna’s family. Essentially the Lees use the Novy brand for all of their non-Pinot wines. The range is quite broad, and quality generally excellent although a few wines I tasted suggest the Lees may be stretching themselves too thin. After tasting virtually all of their wines, it seems like they might be better off focusing on fewer bottlings, but that is just one person’s opinion. The wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands are consistently much more interesting than the wines made from other appellations in the state.”

Beringer’s 2009 Private Reserve Chardonnay is almost a stupid value.  There are tons of $50 Napa Chardonnays that don’t hold a candle to the Beringer PR.  And this isn’t one of those wines that is an outstanding value this vintage.  It’s this good every vintage.

So how does Beringer do it?  Start with their history: they are one of the oldest wineries in the country, founded in 1875.  Add to that, their massive acreage of vineyard holdings that allow them to pick the very best every year.  A proven winemaking tradition passed down from Ed Sbragia to his mentor Laurie Hook rounds out a winery and a wine that delivers year after year.

Smokey and creamy without being obnoxiously flamboyant, this wine is the definition of Napa opulence with Beringer sophistication.  Its complexity and texture are defining characteristics and so is the price.  $27 for a wine of this caliber is almost shocking.

Awards of 93 points from Parker and Spectator with 91 from stingy Tanzer, confirms my opinion (as if you needed that!).  There is nothing left to say other than buy this up before the 2009 vintage is gone.  Although 2010 will probably be just as good…

Buy Here: 2009 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay $26.95

# 40 on the Wine Spectator Top 100

Wine Spectator 93 points

A very classy wine that combines rich, layered, complex fruit with a sense of delicacy and finesse. Full-bodied but not heavy, with detailed fig, melon, apple and spice. What’s most impressive is the texture and length, with the flavors continuing to develop. Drink now through 2015.” (WS)

Wine Advocate 93 points

“The 2009 Chardonnay Private Reserve, which comes primarily from Napa’s Gamble Ranch site, is a bigger, richer, more nutty-styled Chardonnay revealing tropical fruit, butter, brioche and hazelnut characteristics. They backed off the oak in this cuvee, which results in more fruit, interest and personality.

As always, Beringer sells all their single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons that make up the blend for the Private Reserve to their VIP customers at the winery or through their mailing list. Interestingly, each year when I taste through these wines, the sum of the individual parts is always the best wine. In short, the Private Reserve always seems to outscore and show more complexity than most of the single vineyard Cabernets. Nevertheless, it is an exercise in single vineyard terroirs and is an interesting process. Usually there are around 250 cases of each of these single vineyard offerings. The single vineyard offerings are all noteworthy, and analytically, they are more similar than dissimilar. The alcohols range from a low of 14.5% to 14.9%. Not surprisingly, one of my favorites, the Bancroft Ranch, was the largest component part of the Private Reserve.”

International Wine Cellar 91 points

“(14.9% alcohol; 95% from Gamble Ranch fruit; aged in 76% new oak for nine months): Bright, pale, green-tinged yellow. Precise aromas of stone fruits and wild herbs lifted by floral and rocky naunces. Broad, rich and nicely dry, with a hint of leesy complexity to the stone fruit flavors. Captivating minerality gives finesse to this attractive, plump wine.”

L’Aventure’s 2008 Estate Cuvee would be it.  I’ve been telling anyone who will listen to buy this wine and with the price now down to $59.95, it makes a perfect gift for a friend or yourself!  Most retailers are charging over $70 for the 2008 vintage and the recently released 2009 vintage, which received the same score, is going for $85-90.  You can read up on what makes L’Aventure’s Cabernet/Syrah blend so awesome in one of my previous posts here.

Paso Robles is heating up and I predict that this wine will be mailing list only soon.  It certainly won’t be available for under $60.  This is an incredibly unique, rich,and mind blowing (but sophisticated) wine that I personally find unrivaled. Just look at how the reviewers rave about it.  Do a friend, or better yet, yourself a favor and buy some!

Buy Here: L’Aventure Estate Cuvee 2008 $59.95

Wine Advocate 94 points

“The finest 2008 I tasted is the 2008 Estate Cuvee, a blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot. Mocha, fudge, blackberry, graphite, cassis, and smoky barbecue scents jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2008. Full-bodied, rich, textured, and layered, this terrific effort is surprisingly soft and accessible. Drink it over the next decade.

Consistently brilliant wines are produced by former St.-Emilion native, Stephan Asseo, who is now ensconced in the wine world of Paso Robles. These distinctively styled wines offer the power and exuberance of the fruit grown in this region along with a structured, delineated style (no doubt part of Asseo’s French DNA). These are all big wines, with the reds fashioned from innovative blends and displaying significant aging potential. The 2008 red wines are strong efforts, but they do not measure up to the brilliant 2007s Asseo produced. The two late-released 2007s I reviewed last year are certainly living up to my hype.”

International Wine Cellar 94 points

“($85; 50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I’d never have guessed it.”

Which Napa winery releases their Cabernet almost a full year before most other high end producers?  Caymus. Why?  Because every single vintage sells out before the next is ready to be released.  Somehow Chuck Wagner manages to produce an incredibly consistent Cabernet regardless of the vintage, and his loyal fans recognize this.

Wanger put out a well produced informative video about how he makes Caymus wines.  If you are interested in the process, you would enjoy this video.  View the video on YouTube here.

Caymus’s consistency comes down to vineyard management and after watching the video, I was surprised to learn that Caymus harvests by machine- something that most high-end wineries would not admit to.  It obviously works for them, and I appreciate that Wagner isn’t interested in posturing.  The true secret to their consistency is the range of vineyards they have to choose from when producing each year’s wines.  In addition to their home Rutherford Vineyard, Caymus sources from vineyards throughout Napa allowing them to choose from each vintage’s best microclimates to produce their wine.

As expected, this is a very ripe, dark and rich Cabernet made in the typical Caymus style.  The nose is blueberry and vanilla with a palate dominated by dark chocolate and coffee.  This is a sweet wine, but balanced on the finish, with a nice acid that seems to be more prevalent in the 2009 vintage.  If you sometimes find Caymus too sweet, this vintage might be one to try.

This is my third vintage to write up on this blog and I can tell you confidently that 2009 is another winner from Caymus.  I can’t wait to see how Wagner works his magic with the difficult 2010 vintage.

For the lowest price on every vintage, LA Wine Co is the place to shop!

Buy Here: 2009 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon $59.95

Wine Spectator 91 points

“Supple and creamy-textured, with mocha, ripe plum and cherry flavors that show touches of tobacco, espresso and underbrush. Full-bodied, gaining tannic traction on the finish, elegant and readily approachable. Drink now through 2018.”

I just got back from a vacation in St. Thomas where everything, including wine, is obscenely expensive.  As I was standing in the  aisle of the local supermarket, Food Center, the wine I picked without hesitation was a Columbia Crest Chardonnay.  Sure, it was 150% the cost of the same wine here in the U.S. but even at that price it was still absolutely a great value.

Such is the case with nearly all of Columbia Crest’s wines and year after year the Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Heaven Hills, labeled “H3″ is a standout among standouts.  Napa needs to watch its back because a trojan horse (or rabbit), called Washington’s Columbia Valley, is making wines that are every bit as good, though different, and much less expensive.

The 2009 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet is one of those incredible values and at $9.95 it’s a strong contender for wine value of the year.  A compelling nose of blackberry, French oak (40% new), and earth leads to a beautifully structured wine with a notably silky texture and a palate of balanced fruit and acid.  The lengthy finish completes a wine that is easily worth 3x its single digit price tag.

LA Wine Co. has managed to keep the price below $10 despite the 90 point Wine Spectator score.  At that (or even St. Thomas’) price, it’s a case-worthy value.

Buy Here: Columbia Crest “H3″ Cabernet Sauvignon $9.95

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Focused, refined and appealing for its open-weave texture around a generous core of plum and currant fruit, finishing with hints of coffee and dark chocolate. Drink now through 2014. 69,000 cases made.”

The 2007 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Castello di Nipozzano Riserva (now that’s a mouthfull!), came in at #1 on Wine Enthusiast’s Wine of the Year list, and #65 on the same list for Wine Spectator.  Would you believe it only costs $17.95?

Those are pretty impressive credentials for any wine, let alone one that costs less than $20.  Think of it this way: four glasses of this chianti cost less than four Starbucks carmel macchiatos!  Tastes better too, and I would much rather have a case of this in my cellar than 12 cups of soy latte.

Chianti lovers will not find a better value for under $20.  Plain and simple.  Despite it’s origins in the cooler Rufina region of Tuscany, this Chianti is ripe, though it maintains the telltale Sangiovese acidity and minerality.  Though a little tight on day one, by day two it had opened up into a beautiful rich wine with dense chocolate flavors complemented by bright cherry tones.

Nothing more needs to be said about this incredible value.  It’s a Chianti, so naturally it will last for quite a few years, making a strong arguement for picking up a case.  At least.

Buy Here: 2007 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Castello di Nipozzano Riserva $17.95

Wine Enthusiast Top 100 #1 (93 points)

“From Frescobaldi’s gorgeous Nipozzano estate, this Riserva Sangiovese (with small percentages of Malvasia Nera, Cabernet and Merlot for extra density and intensity) opens with impressive generosity and personality. It offers lingering flavors of cherry, chocolate and dark spice. ”

Wine Spectator Top 100 #65 (91 points)

“A burly Rufina, offering dried dark fruits and chewy tannins, with an aftertaste of dark chocolate and mineral. Full and satisfying, with fresh acidity on the back palate. A go-to Chianti. Drink now. 121,000 cases made”

International Wine Cellar 91 points

“($22; 90% sangiovese, the rest colorino, malvasia nera, cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Deep violet-ruby. Fresh, fruity aromas of red cherry, blueberry and blackberry, with hints of underbrush and minerals; much less spicy, tarry and dark than some other recent vintages of this wine. Then bright and fresh in the mouth, with red cherry, plum and mineral flavors. Finishes smoothly tannic, polite and persistent. One of the better young Nipozzano vintages I recall: this really does remind you of the higher-altitude, cooler Rufina zone.” (IWC)

I drink a lot of different wines, from different countries and regions, but I collect only a few, and the wines of Chateauneuf du Pape in France’s Southern Rhone Valley are a favorite. Paul Autard is one of the premier winemakers in the Rhone region in part because, unlike many of France’s winemakers, he’s using modern techniques like new oak aging. Still, his wines end up staying true to tradition with fruit focused favors that made the region famous.

Outside of Bordeaux, Chateauneuf du Pape is arguably France’s most prestigious wine regions and that fact isn’t lost on the importers and wholesalers, which is to say, these wines aren’t cheap. Anything rated 90 points or above starts at $30 and goes all the way past the $500 mark. So when a potential 94 point CdP from a highly collectible label comes along for under $40, I pay attention.

Though Autard’s techniques are modern, his wines are classic CdP.  Oak only subtly influences the overall flavor which is dark and brooding, likely due to the 50% Syrah component – a higher percentage than most wines of this region.  Still the Grenache brightness, which focuses through the lengthy finish, adds lift to this age-worthy wine.

If you enjoy the wines of Southern Rhone, I would highly recommend this one.  Paul Autard’s wines are proven classics and at a price that’s nearly $5 lower than the next lowest price in the country (according to Wine Searcher), the deal is literally unbeatable!

Buy Here: 2009 Domaine Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde $39.95

Robert Parker 93 points

“Autard’s quasi-modern-styled offering is the dense plum/purple-colored 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde, a blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah from relatively old vines (60 plus years) that sees some new oak barrels. However, the 2009 shows only subtle evidence of vanillin and toast. It is a seductive, full-bodied, opulent effort displaying notes of caramelized red and black fruits, herbs, licorice and a hint of ink. This full-bodied, rich 2009 is ideal for drinking over the next 12+ years.

The 2010s all reveal deeper colors, higher acids, and more focus and precision.”

Wine Spectator 93 points

“This is beautifully rendered, with sleek, polished layers of black- berry, cassis and boysenberry fruit inlaid with toasty spice and sweet anise notes. The long, ganache-coated finish glides along despite its heft, with a great roasted mesquite note that lingers on and on. Drink now through 2013.”

Readers have probably noticed that less Napa Cabernet appears on this blog than it once did.  Why is that?  Two reasons: 1) I’ve gotten more picky about what I write up and 2) the marginal lift in the economy has made bargain Napa Cabernet harder to come by.  Sure, there are more cheap cabs in the market than ever but cheap does not equal value.  The problem with most of these value priced Napa Cabs is they all taste the same and that taste is… unnatural.

Much like Ferris Bueller on his “Day Off”, Buehler Vineyards takes their own approach to high production (15,000 case!!!) Cabernet.  What make wine enjoyable is that no two are the same, and the best are downright unique.  Buehler Vineyard’s Napa Cabernet tastes like a Cabernet, but it is identifiable and unique, and to my palate, highly enjoyable.

The color is dark ruby (not purple) like a traditional, dare I say, old school Cabernet.  The nose stresses red berries over black with cedar undertones.  On the palate it has a medium-full body and a juicy, bright taste.  Tannins build on the finish, suggesting the wine will age well for a decade.

This wine reminded me of something from the moment I pulled the cork and poured it in the decanter, and I finally thought of what it is.  It reminds me of a hypothetical second wine from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Reserve Cabernet.  It’s not a stretch, as Buehler is located around the corner in Conn Valley – where 30% of this fruit comes from.

If you are a fan of traditional, refined Napa Cabernet, pick up a case of this wine that Robert Parker calls “a real steal and one of the greatest sleepers I have tasted from Napa”.  Parker got his review right, though he got the production wrong.  Buehler deserves acknowledgment for making 15,o00 cases of this wine (vs. the 1,800 that Parker thought), available to the masses.  The only thing not available to the masses is LA Wine Co’s sub $17 price.

Buy Here: Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $16.95

Robert Parker 90 points

The wines of Southern Rhone’s Chateauneuf du Pape region are possibly the purest expression of fruit the wine world has to offer.  Mostly uninfluenced by oak, these wines are all about the soil in which they are grown and the vines that produce the grapes.

This wine, by world-renowned Domaine Pierre Usseglio, is defined by the finish, something oak barrels can’t produce.  A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault, it’s fantastically long with strong tannins that will likely integrate over the next few years to create a wine of spectacular balance and finesse.  This is a 2009 and, as such, is showing a little of its youth.  But after three hours of air, the wine started to blossom with the initially thin mid-palate filling out nicely and the nose blooming into a superb combination of strawberry and earth aromas. 2009 has been touted as a great year in Southern Rhone, and based on this wine I have no reason to doubt that statement.

The more wine I drink, the more I’m starting to believe that Rhone varietals, especially Grenache, are the best grapes in the world.  Spain, the U.S., Australia and of course France, excel at Rhone style wines and their versatility and value are, in my opinion, unmatched.  Rhone varietal wines can range from light to incredibly dense and work well with or without oak.  Most importantly, these wines are great with food.  My cellar is getting more and more of these wines every day.

Buy Here: 2009 Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape $41.95

Robert Parker 90-92 points

“The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault) is another top-notch effort. The wine is aged in tank (60%), foudre (30%) and 1- to 4-year-old small barrels (10%). Sweet raspberry, black currant, and cherry fruit intermixed with licorice, lavender and tobacco leaf jump from the glass of this perfumed 2009. With outstanding ripeness, a plush, evolved mouthfeel and sweet tannins, this beauty is already complex and delicious. It should age well for 7-8 years.

One of my favorite stops on my trips to the southern Rhone is at Domaine Pierre Usseglio where brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio have accomplished special things. A new state-of-the-art tasting room has been added, somewhat unusual in Chateauneuf du Pape where little has changed in the three decades I have been tasting there. However, the small, discrete Usseglio tasting room would never be compared with tasting rooms that exist in Bordeaux and California.”

International Wine Cellar 89 points

“Ruby-red. Subdued aromas of blackberry, cherry and licorice accented by white pepper. Sweet and round on entry, displaying dark fruit flavors given definition by firm acidity and complicated by slowly emerging suggestions of bitter cherry and candied anise. The firmly tannic finish features enticing floral lift and echoes the licorice note. Showing a serious side right now.”

Crikey!  This Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz is good.  Really good.  Bottle this wine as a Southern Rhone and the wine media would describe it as rich, opulent and hedonistic.  As an Aussie Shiraz, that translates as focused, velvety and smooth.  I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.

Whatever your perspective, this is a very well made wine.  It pours a deep black/ruby color that foreshadows its concentration, but it has a slightly translucent quality that suggests polish.  French oak aging, versus the American oak many of the more over-the-top Aussies use, gives this wine a Rhone or Washington feel, but the spiciness gives it away as Australian.

I haven’t been drinking a lot of Australian wine lately, but I might just start buying more.  This experience confirms something I’ve said before, but tend to forget: Good wine is good.  It doesn’t matter where the grapes were grown or what grape it’s made from.  No need to take it from me.  The Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz was scored a solid 93 by Wine Advocate, 92 by IWC , and 91 by Wine Spectator.  Add the fact that this is the lowest price I can find by $8 and it has all the makings of an incredible value.

Day 2 update: the spiciness fades into the background and this wine gains even more elegance.  Very impressive.

Buy Here: 2006 Oliverhill Jimmy Section Shiraz $21.95

Wine Advocate 93 points

“The 2006 Shiraz “Jimmy Section” is slightly muted aromatically but with coaxing aromas of pain grille, tar, blueberry, and blackberry emerge. This leads to a full-bodied wine with gobs of spicy black fruits, ripe flavors, and for a wine of this size, surprising elegance. Give it 4-6 years in the cellar and drink it through 2027.”

International Wine Cellar 92 points

“Inky ruby. Strikingly aromatic nose displays alluring ripe dark berry and spice elements, along with fresh flowers and minerals. Lush, deeply concentrated blackberry and mulberry flavors offer compelling sweetness and a suave, velvety texture. Where are the tannins? Finishes with very impressive palate-staining persistence.”

Wine Spectator 91 points

“This is a wine of real personality. Smooth and velvety, with a winning reticence to the polished blueberry and plum flavors, delicately shaded with loamy, leafy notes. The finish keeps sailing on. Shiraz. Best from 2009 through 2016. 2,900 cases made.”