Rhone Rangers Take DC

For the second year in a row, I had the privilege of tasting through a bunch of Rhone Ranger wines at DC’s Longview Gallery.

The Rhone Rangers are an expansive bunch of vintners from all across the country who join together to promote American wines made from Rhone grapes. To qualify as an official Rhone Ranger wine, member wineries must use one or more of the 22 varieties recognized in France’s Rhone Valley, and these grapes must constitute at least 75% of the blend. Red Rhone grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre feature prominently, and white grapes like Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are frequently blended together with other white Rhone varieties.

For more background on the Rhone Rangers movement, and the rising tide of American Rhone wines, check out a great piece in Terroirist by my friend David White: “Embracing the Rhone Rangers.”

I took as many tasting notes as I could, but I didn’t have time to visit all the producers. Oh well, let’s hope they come back next year.


Viña Robles

2013 Viña Robles Viognier Huerhero Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$22
Very floral nose. Creamy and rich on the palate (14.5% alcohol), peachy, floral, nutty, honey, lychee. Bold stuff. (85 points)

2013 Viña Robles Roseum Huerhuero - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$16
A creamy, richer style, lacks acidity. Plenty of fruit (watermelon, strawberry), a chewy, cherry candy element. Lacks non-fruit elements. (83 points)

2012 Viña Robles RED4 Paso Robles - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$17
Tart yet jammy, like fruit-roll-up candy and candied cherries. Soft tannins, nutty, licorice. (82 points)

2011 Viña Robles Petite Sirah Estate - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$29
Chewy, full of plums, ripe but not baked. Earthy, spice, cocoa powder, some nice floral elements. I’m really surprised that this wine has some freshness and a bright approach. (87 points)

2010 Viña Robles Syree - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$39
Bold and chewy, rich and plummy, lots of toast here (60% new oak). Rich, but also quite solid in structure. Smoke, charcoal and earth notes add complexity. One to check up on in a few years. (87 points)


Two Shepherds

2013 Two Shepherds Grenache Blanc Saarloos Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
$25
Floral and bright. Tangy, crisp and salty on the palate, a clean and bright wine with some really interesting seashell, quinine, spiced tea notes. Complex and deserving of much more than the small amount of time I gave to it. (91 points)

2013 Two Shepherds Grenache Gris Blanc Gibson Ranch - California, North Coast, Mendocino
$28
Clean, peachy, tart pears, some honey to mix in with the saline and mineral elements in the wine. Brisk, attractive, cool stuff. From a 105-year-old vineyard in Mendocino. (89 points)

2014 Two Shepherds Grenache Rosé Ceja Farms - California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
$23
Tart and bright, mouthpuckering acid (which I love). Stays gulp-tastic with strawberries and raspberries. Pleasant and easy to enjoy without contemplating, or you could contemplate its complexities, whichever sounds good. Friggin delicious. (91 points)

2012 Two Shepherds Pastoral Rouge - California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
$34
Bright and clean yet chewy, silky. Lovely berry fruit and summer cerries, hints of pepper and spice on a bed of fine tannins. Very pretty blend of 45% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah. (89 points)


Qupé

2013 Qupé Viognier Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
$35
Creamy peaches, pears and apples, lychee, sweet floral elements. Very floral and tropical, but lacking a bit of verve. (85 points)

2013 Qupé Marsanne - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
$20
Rich and nutty, orange marmalade, candied lemon, lacking a bit of acid. I like the mouthfeel and some of the flavors, but I’d like more acid. Includes 25% Roussanne. (85 points)

2011 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
$40
Creamy, nutty, lovely texture, honeyed but moderate acid. Bright and floral, honeycomb and tropical fruits abound. (88 points)

2012 Qupé Grenache Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
$35
Bold but nice, bright fruit, cherries, currants, backed up by sweet herbs. Big but showing precision and interesting earthy notes. (87 points)

2013 Qupé Los Olivos Cuvée - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
$28
Big and burly, richer with dark fruits, laced with pepper, earth, roasted nuts, notes of cola and spice. Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. (87 points)

2012 Qupé Syrah - California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
$30
Gadzooks, the pepper! I dig this wine’s approach: full of savory spice, black pepper, beef bouillon cubes. Impressive structure but approachable, juicy black cherry and currant fruit, fleshy, but liking the savory appeal. (90 points)

2010 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate - California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
$40
Lovely texture, firm yet fresh, with black cherries, cola, earth, peppered steak, charcoal, coffee, sweet spice. Long and complex, lots of fruit but the most attractive elements are the non-fruit ones. Would love to open a bottle in three years or so. (91 points) 

2011 Qupé Syrah The Good Nacido Bien Nacido Vineyard Block X - California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
$100
Chewy and rich but not overdone, quite balanced with acid. Savory, bold spices, black pepper, earth, violets. A structured, whole-cluster-fermented wine, this is ageworthy but also showing some attractive freshness and minerality. (92 points)


Hearst Ranch

2014 Hearst Ranch Winery Three Sisters Cuvée - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$22
Super floral, lots of orange blossom, white peaches, kiwi, honeycomb, fun but a bit too tropical and floral at the expense of other elements. (86 points)

2012 Hearst Ranch Winery Three Sisters Cuvée - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$22
Pepper, cola, sweet red licorice on the nose. Chewy, fleshy, bright raspberries and black cherries. A bit hot and toasty but a lot of tasty flavors. 52% Grenache, 43% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre aged in a mix of new French, Minnesota and Appalachian oak. (85 points)

2013 Hearst Ranch Winery Petite Sirah The Pergola - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$28
Huge and chewy, plums and baked cherry pie, add in coffee, mocha, sweet saucy elements. Fun, but close to the goopy, Port-like end of the spectrum. (85 points)


Horton

N.V. Horton Vineyards Viognier Sparkling - Virginia, Central Region, Orange County
$25
Peachy, very floral, simple, fun, a bit yeasty but mostly driven by fruit and floral elements. Cava-like but more tropical and floral. (85 points)

2014 Horton Vineyards Viognier - Virginia, Central Region, Orange County
$20
Creamy texture. Fresh acid, super floral with kiwi, peach nectar. So very floral, like a puree of a dozen different blossoms. (86 points)

2013 Horton Vineyards Roussanne Private Reserve - Virginia, Central Region, Orange County
$25
Crisp and tangy, which is surprising and pleasant. Peaches, pears, honey, slight bit of mineral and sea salt notes. Clean and bright despite the honeyed elements. (87 points)

2012 Horton Vineyards Côtes d'Orange - Virginia, Central Region, Orange County
$15
Cherries, red flowers, spiced coffee, pepper, yet clean and tart approach. Uncomplicated, but fun and crow-friendly. 68% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah, and 10% Tannat. (85 points)

2012 Horton Vineyards Syrah Private Reserve - Virginia, Central Region, Orange County
$25
Velvety, silky smooth, with red and black cherries, some cola, hints of coffee and tea. Approachable but showing interesting and tasty non-fruit complexity. (87 points)


Tablas Creek

2013 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$20
Floral, bright pears, clean acid, orange peels, lychee. Fun, simple. 54% Grenache Blanc, 25% Viognier, 13% Roussanne, 8% Marsanne. (85 points)

2013 Tablas Creek Roussanne - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$35
Creamy, floral, orange peels, honey, sweet peaches, notes of tea, nougat. Flowers for days. (86 points)

2013 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas Blanc - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$45
Nose orange blossoms, peaches, honeysuckle. Love the acid, peaches, honeydew, flowers, also some salted lime and chalk. Quite complex. A blend of 71% Roussanne, 21% Grenache Blanc, 8% Picpoul Blanc. (88 points)

2014 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Rosé - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$20
So pale. Bright strawberries, white cherries, clean and salty and floral. Roses and daisies. Tasty stuff. A blend of 80% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise. (86 points)

2013 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$20
Bright yet jammy, chewy texture, plums, blackberries, roses. Simple yet pleasant. 45% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre, 4% Counoise. (85 points)

2013 Tablas Creek Mourvedre - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$40
Nose of peppery goodness. Silky yet bold structure, packed with flavors: red apple peel and dark berries, violets, loam, chestnut, black pepper. Very pretty stuff that would be interesting to cellar for four or five years. (90 points)

2012 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
$55
Lovely silky texture but structured tannins. Red cherries, black cherries, loamy, dusty, earthy, some tobacco, roses. Love the mouthfeel, firm but smooth. Complex briar and leafy finish. 40% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 9% Counoise. (90 points)