Rhone reds measure up to lofty price

My education about what makes for a great red wine was typically American.

I learned about the virtues of cabernet sauvignon, both young and old. I appreciated great Bordeaux (when I could get them) and loved the breadth and depth of Burgundy and American pinot noir.

I drink a lot of syrah and shiraz, but it's usually just the affordable variety. Australia is producing some outstanding shiraz in the high-end category.

But I never really experienced the pleasure of truly fine Rhone until a friend of mine nicknamed "Rhone Rat" and my daughter finally pushed me toward some French masterpieces. I had been missing out on a lot.

The Rhone Valley is known for producing two great red grapes -- syrah and Grenache, with syrah more prevalent in the northern valley and Grenache in the south.

In one of our better flights, the wine-tasting group compared four northern Rhone Valley wines, with a price difference of as much as $80. But as we discovered in a blind tasting, the decision is not about price but about style and personal preference.

Here is what we found:

- 2001 J.L. Chave Saint Joseph at $49.99. This wine had a meaty aroma like we just walked into a smokehouse. The smells suggested bacon, ham and clove. The wine tasted that way, too, with a hint of oregano. The wine was rich in the mouth. It looked and tasted intense. Tasters thought it would be a great paring with barbecued baby back ribs.

- 1999 Gabriel Meffre Cote Rotie Laurus at $39.99. This wine had a savory aroma with suggestions of dark chocolate, the kind surrounding a peppermint patty. This was a brighter wine than the others, with nice dark fruit. We tasted cinnamon on the palate and clove on the finish.

- 1999 E. Guigal Hermitage at $72.99. E. Guigal makes wine in a wide range of prices, making its name more recognizable than some competitors. This nose was a bit muted, but it reminded us of licorice, fennel and pepper. In the mouth, the wine was very dry -- mouth-stripping. It had a super-clean finish. It needed lamb or a steak, perhaps a medium-rare ribeye, to be at its best.

- 2000 Paul Jaboulet Aine, La Chapelle Hermitage at $119.99. This wine had a spicy aroma with hints of orange peel and carrots. In the mouth, it had a silky texture, elegant and feminine, with tastes of cherries and plums. We found pepper notes on the finish, which was very smooth. Lamb would be great with this wine.

The tasters did not know the wide range of prices among the wines. We had nine tasters, and one wine got three first-place votes while the other three got two votes each. That was close.

The winner? The Gabriel Meffre Cote Rotie Laurus edged out the others, confirming its reputation as a bargain among high-end Rhones. But all of them are great bottles, each worth trying.

$5 chardonnay:

Many wine drinkers are looking for that wine they can afford to drink every day and still get some taste, fruit and structure in the process.

A suggestion from me: 2002 Amberhill Chardonnay at $4.99.

Wine drinkers determined to not spend much money will not find many values better than the Amberhill. It had a surprising amount of fruit and structure for a wine in this price range. It would be worth more than twice this price.

I have written in the past about such values for chardonnays $10 and under, including San Martin and Yellow Tail. At this price, the Amberhill is a comparable bargain.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2001 Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon at $30. A dark wine, this cab tasted of black cherries, black currants, cherries and bitter chocolate with wood undertones

- 2001 St. Clement Oroppas at $50. This red blend was 81 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent merlot and 4 percent cabernet franc. It had a floral aroma mixed with black fruit and plums. The plums carried over onto the palate with notes of coffee, oak and eucalyptus. It had a lush texture and long finish.

- 2000 Sartori Amarone della Valpolicella Classico at $32.50. This Italian classic blend offered ripe berries and chocolate in a dense, intense silky texture.

- 2001 Morgan Double L Vineyard Pinot Noir at $42, 2001 Morgan Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir at $35 and 2001 Morgan Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir at $35. The Double L was made from organically grown grapes and was clearly the best of three, with good balance, dark fruit and round mouth feel.

The Rosella's needed some aging (or a rare steak) because the tannins were so big. The blackberry fruit was still hidden in the tightly wound wine. In two years, it should be delightful. Gary's Vineyard was ready-to-drink, with soft tannins, cherries and spice.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.