2008 Mauritson Syrah Rockpile Madrone Spring Vineyard

It's entirely possible that I bought this bottle of wine because it is from Rockpile. What a fantastic name for a wine appellation! Is it evocative of what it really looks like? Don't know, never been there. But I did buy the wine at the Mauritson flagship vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. (I'm really raiding my Sonoma stash these days!)

The wine is inky violet in the glass, deep enough to be called opaque. The aromas are dominated by oak, manifesting as vanilla and milk chocolate. I'm not getting much fruit beyond blueberry pie. Not that I'm complaining. In the mouth, there's a lot more fruit - stewed blackberry, more blueberry, and sweetened black currants. And there's a lot of oak, but in balance with the fruit, the acidity, and the slightly scratchy tannins. The only thing out of whack here is the alcohol (I sense a pattern here amongst the recent California wines I've tasted - shocking). It's got to be at least 14.5% pecent. I've had ports that burned my lips less. But, just like doing squats and lunges hurts like hell, it's a good kind of hurt. I really like this wine.

Vintage: 2008
Region: Rockpile, Sonoma
Grape: Syrah
Price: $38

2010 Charles & Charles Rosé Columbia Valley

It's 4 bzillion degrees out, I have no air conditioning, and I hereby proclaim it officially rosé weather. I will be drinking nothing else (including water) until the temperature goes below 85 degrees. This could be dangerous, but luckily for me, I won't care.

This Washington state rosé is made from 100% syrah, which is pretty much a recipe for happiness for me. The color is a fairly deep pink with hints of copper, though not nearly as deep as some Southern Rhone syrah rosés I've seen. You couldn't mistake this one for a pinot noir, let's put it that way. The aromas are heavenly, which is good because I spent a lot of time inhaling its aromas while mopping a glass of it off the floor. The Kong got away from the dog and disaster ensued. But now my glass is refilled, and I'm ready to see if these honeydew, lilac, and raspberry perfumes carry over to the palate.

Oh, yes. Raspberries and cream on the palate, with the floral aromas carrying through the finish. The texture is smooth, with just a whisper of tannin. The alcohol and acidity are balanced and in control. The only somewhat unpleasant element is a growing bitterness on the finish, that threatens to overpower the fruit. But all in all, a great wine to sip when the temperature outside - or inside, in my case - is unbearable. It'll cool you off, and you'll enjoy the process.

Vintage: 2010
Grape: Syrah
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Price: $13

2009 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé

I hereby proclaim it officially Spring! Yes, it snowed only 2 days ago, and there is still some of the nefarious white stuff on the ground, but the sun was warm today and I'm breaking out the rosé. This was my rosé of choice last summer - it's inexpensive, delicious, and ubiquitous. There were 10,000 cases imported into the United States, so chances are you can find it just about anywhere.

Something like 80% of the wine made in the Côtes de Provence are rosé; something about the climate and the cuisine in Provence demand this sort of refreshing, food-friendly wine. A variety of grapes are allowed for rosé blends in this region; in this bottle we have a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. It makes for a delightful, light copper-salmon color in the glass, and aromas of fresh strawberries, orange blossom, green apple, and green grass waft from the glass. It smells like last summer.

The flavors on the palate are fresh and vibrant, and absolutely summery. Strawberry predominates, but I also get some orange rind and more green apple. The acid is there, and a hint of tannin. My only complaint is a fairly high level of bitterness, which I don't remember being a feature of this wine last time I tasted it. But paired with some food, it takes the edge off and makes for a tasty, fresh wine. Welcome back, Spring!

Vintage: 2009
Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Côtes de Provence, France
Price: $10

2005 L'Oca Ciuca Toscana "The Drunken Goose"

I'll have to rely on someone who knows more Italian than "Grazie" and "Bongiorno" to tell me if L'Oca Ciuca actually means "The Drunken Goose," but either way it was good enough to get me to buy this bottle of Italian red. Not that I generally require that much persuasion. This is one of the so-called "Supertuscans" who operate outside the Italian wine laws by adding such grapes as cabernet sauvignon and merlot to their sangiovese. The horror! This particular blend is of sangiovese, merlot, and syrah.

It's an opaque garnet in the glass, with just a hint of browning towards the rim. The aromas are dense with dark fruits - blueberries and plums, mostly - and some palpable cocoa as well. The deliciousness extends to the palate. It's not at all sweet, but the fruits are juicy, the acid in perfect balance with the fine tannins and alcohol. Despite it's modest price, I suspect this wine could actually age a few more years and still evolve. The finish is a little sour, but overall the wine is very pleasant. I can see why the goose got drunk.

Vintage: 2005
Grape: Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah
Region: Tuscany
Price: $12

2002 St-Cosme Cote-Rotie

2002 was a disastrously bad year in France's Rhone Valley. It was cool and rainy, making for unripe, water-logged grapes. The wines tend to be herbal and rustic, and not very tasty. For that reason, I was able to buy a wine for $30 that would probably be going for $60 or more. I love saving money! The trade-off, of course, it that the wine could be disgusting.

It's a dark crimson at the core, lightening to brown and orange towards the rim of the glass. This is to be expected for an 8-year-old wine, as red wines tend to get lighter and more brown with age. The aromas do put me in mind of some herby green things, most particularly tobacco and green pepper, but more than that I get earthiness, molasses, and even some red cherry.

In the mouth...hoooooooooo, that's sour! Holy. Moses. It's like sucking on a cherry-flavored lemon. Given that I have been known to suck on lemons, this is not necessarily a bad thing for me, but I expect the general populace wouldn't agree. The tannins are more refined than I was expecting, and there is some smoke and cherry (make that sour cherry) flavor, but the wine is thin in texture and acid really does overwhelm everything. The finish is surprisingly long and pleasant, with evolving earth and smoke, which makes me want to take another sip even though I know what is in store.

All in all, I have to agree with the estimation that 2002 Rhone wines are not to be sought out, and are probably past their drinking peak at this time. More time in the bottle probably isn't going to help this sucker. But it wasn't awful, and I expect that I would really like a more favorable vintage of this wine. You know, if I could afford one. 82.