Storyline and photos by califusa,
Left Coast Correspondent

Rhone Ranger Tasting 2000

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INDEX TO WINES

Bayard Fox

1997 Grenache Napa Valley (grown off of Larkmead Lane) - lighter color - pretty sweet cherry pop aromas - bright and fresh on the palate with pleasing acidity and it just goes down really easy. I ran into Richard Leland here at the tasting and I very much agree with his assessment of Greg Brown's wines: they are "user friendly."

A few steps away are the folks from Truchard, and I sampled their 1998 Syrah - this is the real deal with Rhonish Syrah fruit aromatics and a touch of meat in the nose - no doubt at all about what this wine is. Nice intensity of fruit on the palate - still a hint of smooth but unresolved tannins in the mid-palate - it's a classy wine. And their 1996 Syrah tasted from magnum - similar aromatic profile, perhaps a touch more evolved - a hint of volatility - a bit weightier in the mouth and really quite delicious - this 96 is still a "bruiser" of a wine. It certainly has not evolved as rapidly in the magnum as one might expect it has in the 750s. It is still a well-balanced and well-structured wine, and I would love to taste this one again in five years or so.

It was great to see Bayard Fox again - he is the owner and wine maker of Renard. We first met him last year at Hospice du Rhone.
We tasted his 1997 Syrah from the Arroyo Vineyards - Napa Valley last year, and as I recall it was quite a monster - very pretty aromas of black plum and smoked bacon - this wine has almost learned how to behave itself - the tannins and somewhat firm acids still predominate - hopefully the ample fruit will last long enough for this wine to come into balance - it's still going to need a bit of time, but it shows great promise.

1997 Syrah Timbervine from magnum - it's dense and rich with lovely extraction and depth of flavor - the tannins are still fairly forward and don't allow full enjoyment of the wine, but there is unmistakable good structure and potential here.

The next stop is Andrew Murray - Andrew is not here today - he is off on an East Coast marketing trip at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning. 1999 Viognier from Santa Barbara County - already in bottle - lovely perfume of wildflowers and honeysuckle - refreshing and bone dry on the palate with light peach and apricot flavors - exactly what I like a Viognier to be.

1999 Marsanne - very pretty light golden color - deeper floral notes in the nose with light apricot and honeydew nuances - surprisingly more full in the mouth than one might expect - medium weight white stone fruit flavors with a very dry and pleasingly astringent finish. A big " thumbs up" to these two white wines.

Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre make up the 1998 Lesperance. Very Rhonish aromatics with tarry black stone fruits, bacon fat, and roasted rocks - very successful in the mouth, with sweet fruit flavors that follow the aromatics -great structure and a mouth coating palate profile - a very interesting and enjoyable wine. 

The 1998 Syrah - absolutely fascinating perfume is the first thing that hits the nose, but quickly subsides, then shows very muted notes of Syrah fruit - very restrained - medium weight purple and black plum fruit with smooth tannins and overall good structure -the wine is very young and is shutdown a bit, but that first hit of perfume gives me high hopes for the aromatics that this wine may develop. 

And, a dessert wine - Mon Amour - this is a non-vintage, late harvest Rousanne that was allowed to hang until just before Thanksgiving, then was frozen and crushed - sweet honeysuckle in the nose - and actually very well-balanced - the sugar is definitely there, but there is enough acid and fruit to carry it - this may turn out to be very successful wine. I do not think it has the structure to age terribly well, but for immediate enjoyment this could be the real thing.