TASTING NOTES

1990 Preston Vineyards Faux-Castel Rouge ($9)--Grape grower Lou Preston’s ranch in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County has grown grapes for excellent wines made by his own winery--and neighboring wineries. This wine is one of Preston’s best. A blend of Carignane (66%), Zinfandel (21%) and Mourvedre (13%), it has smells of blueberries and black cherries, a mouthful of flavor and not much tannin. I love the wine, but I like even more Preston’s press release about it: “At the imaginary confluence of Dry Creek and the Rhone River lies Faux-Castel, a metaphoric crossroads of the Mediterranean and early California wine traditions.” The name sounds awfully much like one of the Rhone’s most esteemed properties, Chateau de Beaucastel of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. ( Faux is French for “false.”)

1990 Blanc de Lynch-Bages ($29)--One of the most striking French white wines I have tasted recently, and another example of why Jean-Michel Cazes of Chateau Lynch-Bages (and a half dozen other properties) is probably the most dynamic wine man in France today. This wine is a blend of 40% each Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with 20% Muscadelle, so it uses all three of the classic grapes of Graves. But since the wine comes from Paulliac, where these varieties are not permitted, the bottle cannot carry the Paulliac designation; it simply says Bordeaux on its back label. The wine, utterly sublime, is a bargain considering the prices that Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc and Chateau Laville Haut-Brion are now fetching. There is an intriguing flowery aroma that hints at lemons, melons, vanilla and hay. The taste is lush and the finish is creamy and rich. There are few wines anywhere made like this one. A few years more in the bottle could prove rewarding too.

1990 Zaca Mesa Winery Syrah ($12)--California’s Central Coast (Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties especially) is gaining a reputation for great Syrah, and this wine shows why: a powerful aroma of deep fruit and herbs such as tarragon and thyme, and complex notes of berries and toast from new-oak aging. The wine is a little rough, but it has ample stuffing to age for years. A stylish wine with a long future.

1988 L de La Louviere ($9)--This is the second label of Chateau La Louviere, made from grapes of younger vines and lesser barrels. In a vintage as successful as 1988, many second labels represent excellent values, and this wine is just that. There is a strong Cabernet Sauvignon--almost meaty--aroma and a note of green herbs and smoke. The fruit is generous enough that it might be appreciated now, but the wine should age nicely too. A lot of character for the price.

1991 Cline Cellars Angel Rose ($6.50)--There are so few dry rose wines on the market, and serendipitously this one comes along just as the hot weather hits. Nearly dry, this blend of 70% Carignane and 30% Mourvedre is loaded with strawberry and cranberry scents and has a ton of fruit in the mouth, yet is dry enough to match with a wide variety of foods--a wine that truly does go with almost anything. Serve chilled or toss an ice cube into it. If more roses like this one were made, White Zinfandel would be a fast-dying category.