I predict that 10 years from now, Syrah will be right up there with Cabernet Sauvignon in terms of popularity in the United States.  Wine writers have been touting U.S. Syrah for a while, but I think they were a little premature with their predictions.  It takes time for growers to figure out the best locations, rootstock, vine trellising and production methods.  I believe that the U.S. has now figured out the grape that the French and Aussies made so popular before us.  American Syrah has arrived.

Richard “Dick” Arrowood started his career in wine in the ’60s and by the ’70s became winemaker at Sonoma icon Chateau Ste. Jean.  There, he created arguably Sonoma County’s most famous red wine, Cinq Cepages.  Arrowood went on to found his namesake winery, which he sold in the 90s when the market was hot.  So what does any true winemaker do now?  He starts another winery of course!

Amapola Creek, founded in 2001, lies on the rugged slopes of the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas mountains.  Sonoma’s cooler climate is perfect for the Syrah grape and Dick Arrowood’s extensive skills and experience shine through in this incredible wine.  It pours an opaque purple/black and has an absolutely incredible nose of reduced maple, smoked meat and blueberry.  On the palate, it’s dense, rich and broad with the blueberry flavors continuing though the incredibly lengthy finish.  I made these notes last night and I’m still thinking about the taste this afternoon.  That’s how I know this was a memorable wine.

The 2007 Amapola Creek Syrah is $45 on the winery’s website and it’s allocated to only 3 bottles per person; likely a function of its 94 point score awarded by Robert Parker.  L.A. Wine Co. has it for $36.95 (no allocation limits), the lowest price online and an incredible value for this monumental wine.  I hope there is still some left next time I’m there because I can see this wine becoming one of those mailing list only cult wines.

Buy Here: 2007 Amapola Creek Syrah $36.95

Robert Parker 94 points

“Arrowood has a long history of making Syrah, and his 2007 Syrah from a mountainside estate vineyard organically farmed has a dense purple color and a big sweet kiss of exotic flowers, blue and black fruits, graphite, and subtle smoke. Full-bodied, opulent, fleshy, intense and layered, this is a brilliant Syrah, still very youthful, and best drunk over the next decade or more.

Having sold the Arrowood winery to Jess Jackson, Richard Arrowood has stayed on as a consultant, but this is his own operation, which involves estate Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as purchased Zinfandel from the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard. These are all impressive newcomers, but that’s to be expected from Dick Arrowood, one of the most experienced and highly talented winemakers of the last four decades.”

Doyenne, sister label of Delille, is one to watch.  They are producing some absolutely top-notch Rhone blends from the state of Washington: AIX, a blend of Cabernet and Syrah, and Metier, a blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah, and this 98% Syrah blended with 2% Viognier.  All of these wines are notably good and honestly, I don’t know which to say I like best.

The 2006 Syrah, rated 93 points by Tanzer and Parker, is anchored by blueberry, smoke and vanilla on the nose with the blueberry continuing on the palate complimented by dense black cherry.  Much like ripe black cherries, it has a mouth coating sweetness kept in check with a bright acidity.  The texture creates a length on the finish that begs you to take another sip.  This is a wine I can get truly excited about.

Since this is a wine value blog, let’s talk about why this is a good deal.  As has happened with many 2006 vintage wines, a great vintage was overshadowed by an incredible one in 2007.  The ’07 Syrah scored one point higher and thus sold out before the also spectacular 2006.  This leaves the ’06 sitting at the winery and distributors and we, the value conscious wine consumers, are the beneficiaries.  I’ve had both vintages and I actually prefer the 2006.

I fully realize that it’s hard to call a $35 Syrah inexpensive but it can be called a great value.  I’m going to be purchasing a few more of these to lay back and break out when I want something truly exciting.

Buy Here: 2006 Delille Cellars Doyenne Syrah $34.95

Robert Parker 93 points

“The 2006 Syrah contains 2% Viognier. Purple-colored with a brooding bouquet of bacon, pomegranate, lavender, and garrigue notes, on the palate this masculine, large-scaled wine is bursting with spicy black fruit and baking spices. Give this intense, lengthy wine 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it through 2021.

Doyenne is the sister label of DeLille Cellars and is used for Rhone varieties.” (WA)

International Wine Cellar 93 points

“($49; with 2% viognier) Blackberry, smoked meat and sexy floral lift on the very ripe nose. Sweet, pure dark berry flavors are complemented by a tarry nuance and lifted by lavender and brown spices. Sexy and spicy but not at all an oaky style. This very classy syrah finishes with superb cut, fine-grained tannins and excellent length.”

If you’re not on board the U.S. Rhone Ranger train, start running, because it’s leaving the station!  By “leaving the station”, I mean that the prices are about to go up as this moves from the fringe to the mainstream.  Delille’s sister label, Doyenne, is reserved exclusively for Rhone varietals and every one of their reds that I’ve tasted is absolutely awesome.  Below are my impressions of the Doyenne wines I’ve tasted so far.  These wines can be shipped across the country and the prices are way low.  Look for more as I try the rest of their lineup.

Doyenne Aix Proprietary Red 2007 – $23.95 (ST92, WA92, WS90)
The wine that got me hooked on Doyenne is called AIX, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Mourvedre.  I thought AIX was a spectacular value when I wrote it up at $27.  This 92 pointer is now down to $24, making it an even better value.  It’s the very definition of why blending makes great wine.  Complex flavors complemented by rich oak, make for an all around killer package.

Doyenne Metier Red 2008 – $29.95 (ST92)
All I can say is BUY THIS WINE.  It’s 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah and if you threw a Chateauneuf-du-Pape label on this wine, it would sell for $60.  Plain and simple.  Impeccable balance makes this a standout amongst some truly fantastic wines.  In addition to the balance, it’s deeply concentrated and complex.  Wow.  Absolutely incredible.

Doyenne Syrah 2007 375ml – $19.95 (RP94, WE93, WS90)
Concentrated but without the overripe flavors of some warmer climate Syrah, this polished wine is black in color with firm tannins built for aging.  Chocolate and bacon combine for a rich, mouth coating palate.  This wine pretty much summarizes the reason why wine writers have been singing the praises of the Syrah grape for years.  The floral, lengthy finish rounds out a world class package.

To give you an idea of how serious I am about Doyenne wines, I’ve already purchased 4 bottles of the 2008 AIX without any scores.  These are top notch wines at exceptionally fair prices.

Tobin James is known for their Zinfandel, Syrah and their “country party” themed tasting room in the heart of the Central Coast’s Paso Robles wine region.  If you’re ever in the area, it’s worth checking out their tasting saloon and picking up one of their signature star patches for the memory book.  Their wines are well reviewed, popular and range in price from $12 to $150.

Producers like Tobin James are often contracted to make wines for “private label” applications at grocery stores or restaurants.  Rumor has it, Tobin James created the Titan Hills label for one of those private label projects, but somehow the deal fell through, so we the consumer are left with an incredible value they call “Fiasco”.  Maybe the name hints at how this wine made it to the market?

This weekend, I drank a bottle of Orin Swift’s $35 “The Prisoner” – a wine I really enjoy – and would call Titan Hills “Fiasco” very comparable.  That’s high praise for a wine 1/5 the price.  It’s not listed anywhere, but my understanding (and taste) suggests that this is a Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah blend.  This wine has a sweet, alluring nose and bright, juicy, full bodied taste with a spicy finish.   It’s without fault, and a perfect daily drinking complement to Trader Joe’s turkey bolognese, as I discovered tonight.

In a world with so many sucky $10 wines, it’s great to find a case worthy value that beats that magic $10 mark handily.  Titan Hills might be a generic name, but what’s inside the bottle is anything but.

Buy Here: Tobin James 2008 Titan Hills “Fiasco” Red Blend $6.99

If you aren’t on the lookout for Rhone Ranger blends from California, you are missing out on an up-and-coming segment that is providing some great values.  The same grapes that made Sine Que Non an impossible to find cult wine, have remained under the radar for some reason.  Grenache and Syrah blends, and to a certain extent Mourvedre, blend to create interesting, elegant and fun to drink wines.

Paso Robles and Santa Barbara county are producing some of the best, but Grey Stack’s Greywacke Vineyard “The Folly” is from Russian River Valley, of all places.  This Syrah and Grenache blend is an absolute stand out value at $20 and a must try for anyone looking for a departure from the norm of California Cabernet.  I like Syrah, but believe that when blended with Grenache, it really “kicks it up another notch” in the words of that annoying guy from the Food Network.

This blend is aromatic with rose petal notes on the nose.  On the palate, the Syrah contributes smoke and white pepper, while the Grenache rounds things out with rock candy and raspberry flavors.  This is a very polished wine, although Grey Stack’s own website would have you believe otherwise, saying:

“Grey Stack Cellars makes distinctive,
food friendly wines
from unique sites in Bennett Valley.
Honestly, and without a lot of BS.

Grey Stack does not make:
Intellectual wines, grown in obsessively farmed vineyards
each berry polished by a virgin using a shammy
made from sustainably farmed baby seal skins.”

The fact that they have a sense of humor makes a great wine even better.  Even better still, LA Wine Co is once again the lowest price in the country according to Google Shopping.  Another notch: this wine was the February 10th Wine of the Week from the LA Times.

Buy Here: 2009 Grey Stack “The Folly” Greywacke Vineyard $19.95

Have you discovered Washington wine yet?  If not, you are missing out on the United States’ second largest and, arguably highest value wine region.  Cabernet seems to be firmly planted as the premier grape but Syrah is not far behind in terms of quality, if not popularity.  Doyenne, the Rhone blend label of Delille Cellars, has created a wine that’s the best of both worlds, blending 35% Cabernet with 61% Syrah and a splash of Mourvèdre.

Vineyards rule in Washington as winegrowers have chosen to focus on building the reputation of the places the grapes are grown almost more than the brand of the wine.  Over half of the grapes in Doyenne’s Aix Proprietary Red come from the famed Ciel du Cheval vineyard in Washington’s Red Mountain AVA.  That pedigree certainly comes through as this wine pours a dense deep red, almost black color in the glass.  Syrah and Cabernet lovers alike will enjoy this one, with the Cabernet contributing elegance and focus and the Syrah, broad, rich textures and flavors.  Alluring aromas of mocha and smoky beef come through on the nose with the  plush palate featuring dark fruit and nice mineral flavors, so often a trait of Washington wines.

This is a spectacular value at $27 and a wine I will seek out in subsequent vintages.  I’m already seeing the benefits of point one of my New Years Resolutions – more variety.  If you weren’t already drinking Washington wine, I would encourage you to do the same.

Buy Here: 2007 Delille Cellars Doyenne Aix Proprietary Red $26.95

Robert Parker 92 points

“The 2007 Aix is made up of 61% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Mourvedre sourced entirely from the Red Mountain AVA. It gives up a splendid, slightly exotic nose of smoke, spice box, lavender, grilled meat, black currant, and plum. Forward, plush, and spicy, this full-flavored, pleasure-bent offering can be enjoyed now and over the next 6-8 years.

Doyenne is the sister label of DeLille Cellars and is used for Rhone varieties. This year only 4 wines were presented (along with a repeat of the 2006 Grand Ciel Vineyard Syrah which was as good as I remembered it).”

Robert Parker called the 2007 vintage in Southern Rhone “the greatest vintage I have tasted in my 30 years working in that region… Moreover, the vintage is remarkably consistent from top to bottom”.  That quality and consistency might be perfectly expressed in the 2007 Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone-Villages Notre Passion Signor, which is the best Rhone value I’ve tasted all year.  This wine would probably be good in an average vintage, but in an historic vintage like 2007, it’s incredible.  This $11 Cotes-du-Rhone Villages tastes like a pretty good Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  That’s really saying something.

Everything about this wine is well put together, fresh and elegant.  Like most wines of this style, it’s not influenced by a lot of oak, though half of it does see some time in barrels.  The bouquet of strawberry and honey leads into a firm attack that has a perfect balance of fruit and mineral flavors on the palate.  I literally can’t understand how someone can grow, ferment, blend, bottle and ship a wine of this quality for $11, but I’m really glad they did.

I can’t think of a better daily drinker red than this awesome Rhone.  Buy a case of this and the 2007 Sean Minor “Four Bears” Cabernet we wrote up in July, and you will have 24 evenings of daily drinking pleasure.  I can’t overstate the value of either of these wines.  I taste hundreds of different wines a year, and these are at the top of the heap in terms of value.

Buy Here: 2007 Font du Vent Cotes du Rhone-Villages Notre Passion Signor

Wine Spectator 88 points

“A nice pure beam of raspberry and red cherry fruit is supported by cocoa powder and graphite notes. The fresh, stylish finish has good underlying grip. Drink now through 2010. 3,100 cases made.”

I opened this wine on Tuesday night and it was thoroughly enjoyable.  This sat on the counter for two days while I made  a trip from LA to Chicago and back, which made the second half of the bottle twice as good.  This is easily the best Syrah value I’ve tasted all year and a top 5  overall wine value.   And remember: every wine I write about is a value!  If you buy one Syrah all year, buy the Zaca Mesa 2006 Santa Ynez Valley.  I can’t say enough about the value here.

2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah $15.95

I have not had a better domestic Syrah this year.  The $15.95 Zaca Mesa Syrah is that good.  I knew it as I was pouring because the aromas absolutely jumped out of the glass.  As a point of reference, Shafer’s legendary “Relentless” Syrah got 90 points from Wine Spectator for the 2006 vintage and it’s $60.  I’m not saying the Shafer isn’t worth $60, just that the Zaca Mesa is that good!

Tonight I made a truffled Shiitake mushroom and chicken pizza and the earthiness of the mushrooms and truffle oil were a perfect compliment to this Syrah.  Yes, I said the food was a compliment to the wine, not the opposite.  The wine was the star today.

This Syrah comes from Zaca Mesa’s estate vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County.  The estate label means that the grapes are from Zaca Mesa’s own vineyards and they never leave their property until after the wine is bottled.

Everything about the nose on this wine screams Syrah.  It’s not overblown or hot like some domestic Syrah.  Scents of  sweet blackberry and a hint of white pepper lead into an awesome round flavor of dark cherries with a hint of smoky bacon.  Speaking of bacon, the texture is like they mixed in a little bit of bacon fat- mouth coating and smooth.  Everything about this wine- the nose, mouthfeel, taste and finish- is perfectly integrated, which addresses my main complaint about domestic Syrah.  So good.

The 2006 vintage is almost sold out so get it while you can.  Values like this don’t come along very often.   It will last for 10 or more years so don’t be shy!

Buy Here: 2006 Zaca Mesa Syrah $15.95

Wine Spectator 93 points

“Offering wonderful floral, grapey plum and wild berry aromas, this is rich, smooth and supple on the palate, with tiers of dark berry, mocha, mineral and spice flavors that glide along. Drink now through 2015. 12,325 cases made. “

With the hyped 2007 vintage still on the shelves, the 2008 Rhone vintage is starting to hit the market and, in a less hyped vintage, there are often some serious values to be had.  The latest vintage of Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue might just prove to be the best value of the vintage. There’s just a special pleasure about drinking a great tasting wine for under $10.  In some respects it can be more fun than drinking a $100 bottle because it’s all pleasure with no pain.  That is unless someone else is paying for that $100 bottle of course.

The 2008 Domaine Paul Autard is juicy, smooth and delicious.  The 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Counoise blend has a nose of rock candy followed up by the signature Rhone pepper.  It tastes juicy with nice cherry flavors and a surprisingly lengthy, focused finish.  This wine is aged in vats rather than barrels, so there is no oak to distract from the pure fruit.

Vintner Jean-Paul Autard (how’s that for a French name?) makes an $85 Chateauneuf-du-Pape and, while this might not be of that pedigree, the winemaking skill shows through.  Until further notice, this will be my house Rhone- guilt free!

Buy Here: Domaine Paul Autard Cotes-du-Rhone Rogue $9.95

Wine Spectator- 88 points

“This has good ripeness for the vintage, with juicy plum and blackberry fruit laced with mesquite and graphite notes. Fine length. Drink now. 4,000 cases made.” (WS)