Holidays : WINE : The Right Red for the Roast

Beef and red wine are so symbiotic that even those who know little about wine know that when a steak is served, some form of red wine is the essential accompaniment.

When the main dish is steak or lamb, Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux are excellent matches; hearty stews and garlic-laden lamb are Zinfandel foods; when the meat is rustic, such as from a grill, a Syrah or a Rhone works well.

But what happens when you have lean, rare, thinly sliced roast beef served au jus with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding?

This so-called English cut of Prime rib would be overwhelmed by rich, weighty red wines. The British long ago identified Burgundy as the perfect match for roast beef, mainly because of its texture. At its best, this Pinot Noir-based wine is silky and elegant, lighter in weight--but not in flavor--than most red wines.

Yet because of the grape variety’s nasty habit of spitting in the face of even the best growers, only a tiny amount of great wine is made; only a little more is good wine. The remainder is blah stuff that wouldn’t pass muster as mouthwash.

This is a most erratic and frustrating grape. From the great vineyards of Burgundy, only tiny amounts of very expensive wine are made.

The grape grows in California and Oregon too, but it adheres to the rules that apply elsewhere. Its ratty nature, combined with winemakers’ failure to truly understand it, meant that until recently it simply was not a likely candidate for star status here.

Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have given U.S.-made Pinot Noir a chance. Yet without much warning, Pinot Noir has hit its stride recently, though the only people who know about this covert development are wine collectors.

Today the good news is that there are many excellent Pinot Noirs, but the appeal of the variety is still limited to the intelligentsia.

This means it’s possible to buy very good Pinot Noir, and much of it is reasonably priced, especially when compared with Burgundy.

I have staged twice-annual blind tastings of Pinot Noirs from California and Oregon for the last four years. My most recent, of 50 wines, was the most rewarding yet. There were more good wines than ever, but the major differences were in style, not in quality.

The following 10 wines were the best of the group. Some that are not widely available may be found at a few upscale restaurants.

* 1992 Williams & Selyem Winery ($24)--Spiced red currant, trace of jam and cinnamon. More oak than the wine needs, but a great experience. Other W&S; wines, including the amazing “Rochioli” ($50) and the richer, more powerful “Olivet Lane” ($28), are similarly difficult to find, but worth looking for.

* 1990 Rex Hill ($30)--This wine from the Dundee Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is loaded with cherry and pumpkin spice aromas, a trace of mint and clove, and a berryish finish.

* 1991 Cuvaison Vineyards ($18)--From Napa-Carneros, a wine with tobacco leaf and fresh spinach wrapped around a core of dense fruit. Needs time. The ’92 Cuvaison isn’t quite as good.

* 1993 Napa Ridge ($7)--A lighter-styled wine with more oak than it needs, but the flavors are pure Pinot, with clove, red currant and fresh berry scents. The texture is like silk. Occasionally discounted to $5.99 or so. Bargain Pinot Noir of the year.

* 1992 Babcock Vineyards “Sanford and Benedict Vineyard” ($25)--Rich cherry fruit, deeply complex and flavorful. Needs time. I also liked Babcock’s slightly harder 1992 “Estate Grown” ($25), which has more floral notes.

* 1992 Morgan Vineyards “Monterey Reserve” ($20)--Earthy/tobacco aroma with sweet fruit, toast and rich finish. Morgan’s less-expensive version, without the Reserve designation, is not recommended.

* 1991 Byron Vineyards “Reserve” ($22.50)--Spiced tobacco, young and cherryish. A juicy, tart wine that will develop nicely in a year. The 1992 Byron isn’t recommended.

* 1992 Dehlinger Vineyards ($18)--Attractive herbal, cherry and beet-y notes with good depth on the palate. Needs a year to blend flavors. The 1992 Dehlinger “Reserve” ($25) is deeper and richer, but not many of the 500 cases produced came to Southern California.

* 1992 Moshin Vineyards ($15)--A stylishly fruity cherry, cranberry and clove aroma and attractive delicate texture. A pleasing, fruity wine, excellent with lighter foods.

* 1991 Chateau Souverain “Winemaker’s Reserve, Carneros”($15)--Generous cherry aroma with notes of spinach, tobacco and clove/nutmeg; sweet on the tongue. A trace tannic; should be better in a year.

* 1992 Kendall-Jackson Winery “Proprietor’s Grand Reserve”($24)--Mint and oak notes over a decent layer of fruit. Not as fruity as I like, but excellent flavors.

The following wines are controversial and not recommended except as a gamble:

* 1991 Robert Mondavi Winery “Reserve” ($24)--Odd barnyard-y, compost-y aroma and a thin, gritty finish.

* 1990 Beaulieu Vineyard “Los Carneros” ($20)--Tomato juice and jam. Not very pleasant.

* 1990 Robert Stemmler Vineyards ($18)--Oxidized fruit and already tired flavors.

* 1992 Iron Horse Vineyards ($24)--Much darker than past efforts, but a faint, dull aroma and a lean, hard taste. Not up to past vintages.

Ask Dan Berger

* Talk Cabs and Zins with Times wine writer Dan Berger on the Wining & Dining bulletin board on TimesLink, The Times’ online service. For information on TimesLink, call (800) 792-LINK, ext. 274.