Many Roads Lead From Rhone

The Rhone revolution in California hasn’t developed much structure, and the reason is the disorganized nature of the proponents.

The wines in question are generally red and are usually either varietals based around grapes from France’s Rhone Valley (Syrah being dominant) or blends made up of many of those same grapes. The revolution began about 1985, when a dozen wineries, most of them small and underfunded, began to release wines from the Rhone grapes.

Foremost among them were Edmunds St. John, Qupe, Kent Rasmussen and Cline. Some enterprising soul whose identity is in doubt began calling these disparate producers the Rhone Rangers. And because of his wry sense of humor and the clever names of his Rhone-ish wines, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon was dubbed the champion of this formless group.

Of course, there are no formal Rhone Rangers, and with no sense of direction, the producers go on their merry ways, making Rhone-type wines with no uniform designations that might help the consumer know what their proprietary wines are like.

Cline’s “Cotes d’Oakley” is, one may assume, akin to the French Cotes du Rhone, and the wine does in fact taste similar. It is a lighter-styled, tasty little wine without a lot of pretense and a price ($8) that makes it affordable.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards’ marvelous “Le Mistral” ($14), on the other hand, carries no indication of a style. Is it more like Chateauneuf-du-Pape than Hermitage? There is no guideline here.

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Making matters worse is the fact that the potential strength of the Rangers has been divided by a dispute between those producers who believe that the Syrah grape is king and those who favor Petite Sirah.

True Syrah, planted in small amounts in California (fewer than 600 acres), is the esteemed blackberry-scented grape of the northern Rhone that makes a dark, concentrated wine. Petite Sirah, still widely planted in California (2,700 acres), is now definitely known to be really the lightly regarded Durif, a coarse blending grape of the Rhone.

So perturbed are some Syrah makers that they make disparaging remarks about Petite Sirah producers. Too bad, because Petite Sirah grows better here than in France, and many of those wines are splendid examples of Rhone winemaking.

It’s true that Petite Sirah can make a coarse wine that, when young, is rough and astringent on the tongue. But it’s been my experience that with ample time, many of them age gorgeously, while the track record of true Syrah in California is spotty at best.

To test the two varieties, I staged a couple of blind tastings of Syrahs and Petite Sirahs. The wines were served in mixed order--I didn’t know which was which. In a few cases, I could guess, but overall the tasting proved that it made little difference which grape was in the bottle. More important was whether the producer knew what he was doing. The first four I found particularly outstanding.

1991 Hop Kiln Winery Petite Sirah ($12)--Definitive Petite Sirah pepper and earth notes, traces of green leaves; coarse but still very stylish. A wine that will work with hearty stews and take the chill out of the night air. It should age nicely.

1990 Preston Vineyards Syrah ($12)--This longtime Sonoma County grower has a great track record with both Syrah and Petite Sirah, and this wine has good blackberry fruit and a concentrated taste. It is less tannic than most of the Petite Sirahs, yet still needs a few years to smooth out.

1988 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet/Shiraz ($18)--Lovers of powerful, richly scented wine will want some of this Australian ink in their cellars. The wine is more complex than most of those we sampled (the Cabernet adds depth). There is a potent, richly fruity aroma and a deep, complex taste that is pretty tannic and coarse, but the wine is wearable. The black fruit taste remains for days after the bottle is opened.

1990 McDowell Valley Vineyards “Le Tresor” ($13)--Fairly simple, grapey aroma, but there is an attractive orange peel note to the black cherry and earth notes. A deep finish makes it quite satisfying.

1990 La Vieille Ferme “Reserve” (France) ($7)--Complex berry and sandalwood aroma and spice. The wine lacks a bit of fruit, but it has a wonderful texture, soft and approachable, and is a bargain. A note of caution here, however. We sampled two bottlings of this wine; the one to buy has red lettering on its label. An identically named wine with black lettering on its label was skunky and undrinkable. A third La Vieille Ferme bottling designated “Cotes du Ventoux” is likewise spoiled by rotten egg smells; avoid.

1990 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Syrah ($12)--An attractive green herb component and lean fruit is given added depth with a note of oak and earth. Not as interesting as Phelps’ “Le Mistral Rouge,” but a good, substantial wine worthy of pairing with game.

1990 Christopher Creek Vineyards Petite Sirah ($8)--Complex aroma of coffee and black cherry with ample fruit in the mouth. Despite a slug of tannin, the wine is still very enjoyable with rich, oily foods.

1991 Zaca Mesa Winery Syrah ($12)--A lighter-styled wine with good fruit and a tart, lean finish that still works well with a wide range of foods. Attractive flavors for near-term drinking.

1990 Alderbrook Vineyards Petite Sirah ($9)--This first red wine from a previously all-white wine winery is slightly jammy and not as fruity in aroma as I would have liked, but there is a lot of fruit in the mouth and great texture. A wine that should smooth out in time.

1990 Cline Cellars Syrah ($12)--Grapey and simple aroma, but with good fruit in the mouth and not very tannic. Nicely made and with good aftertaste with lighter foods.

1989 Benziger Family Winery Petite Sirah “Imagery” ($13)--Dill and oak, earth and blackberry fruit; quite Rhone-like, but with a bit too much coarseness in the finish.

1989 Ridge Vineyards Petite Sirah “York Creek” ($14)--Interesting nuances of cumin, cinnamon, black pepper and blackberry fruit. A wine that defines American Petite Sirah, but with a bit too much tannin. Should age very well; past vintages have.

1991 Foppiano Vineyards Petite Sirah ($8)--Lighter aroma of black cherry and a fairly approachable texture. Not as deep as past vintages, but good with foods.

1990 Granite Springs Petite Sirah ($8)--This Sierra foothills producer always makes good Petite Sirah, and this one is darker and deeper than most but lacks finesse. It’s a big, earthy, chewy kind of wine that may appeal to those who don’t mind potency over grace.

Wine of the Week

1992 McDowell Valley Vineyards “Bistro Syrah” ($8) --McDowell Valley’s winemaker John Buechsenstein makes Syrah in two styles. One is heavier and built to age a few years; the other, labeled “Bistro Syrah,” is excellent for drinking now. Not unlike a good Cotes du Rhone, the aroma is rather like Beaujolais, with generous cherry-like fruit and a soft, approachable texture. This is a truly tasty, lighter-styled red wine with loads of fruit and no pretense. Often discounted to below $7 and at that a real competitor for a best-buy red wine.