Col Solare, located on Red Mountain in Washington State, is a partnership between Marchesi Antinori of Italy and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State. Italian for “shining hill,” Col Solare produces one Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine each year with the goal to reflect the characteristics of both Old World and New World styles. The idea for this project began back in 1992 when Marchese Piero Antinori visited Washington State’s Columbia Valley. He was taken by the emerging wine region and decided to partner with Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington’s oldest winery, to produce a Washington Cabernet-based wine with a European influence. Col Solare’s first release was the 1995 vintage.

Several years later, Antinori and Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, decided to build a winery solely dedicated to this project. In 2005, they purchased 40 acres on Red Mountain to build a winery building and plant an estate vineyard. Construction of the winery was completed in time for the harvest of 2006. The 2006 vintage was the first vintage produced at Col Solare’s state-of-the-art facility, which officially opened in April 2007. In addition, Col Solare planted a 28-acre estate vineyard on the property in 2007. Col Solare produces between 10,000 to 11,000 cases per year of its flagship wine.

“Twenty years from now, we would like to be using all estate fruit from Red Mountain.” –Marcus Notaro, winemaker

Like the partnership, the Col Solare facility itself reflects a mix of Old World and New World. The winery sits high on Red Mountain with an Old World bell tower visible from far away. Inside, though, it boasts a modern cellar and a contemporary, New World décor in the tasting room. The fan-shaped estate vineyard emanates out from the winery building like rays of sunshine, which are illustrated in the Col Solare logo.

Now, residents and visitors of the west side of Washington State can get a taste of Col Solare at their new Bottega (Italian for “shop”) located within Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. Last Wednesday, I attended a tasting with winemaker Marcus Notaro followed by the Grand Opening event. The Bottega is tastefully done and designed to provide guests with a sneak preview of how the tasting room on Red Mountain looks and feels.

The Bottega officially opened to the public on Thursday, September 15th. It will be open by appointment seven days a week. Each 45-minute appointment will include an overview of the Col Solare story and a tasting of three vintages of their flagship Bordeaux-style blend. The Bottega is a beautiful space in which to sample the excellent wines of Col Solare. If you are in Woodinville, I encourage you to visit the Col Solare Bottega. And if you are able, a trip to the winery on Red Mountain is well worth your time as well.

Current Release:

2007 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, and spice. Full-bodied yet elegant with smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $75

Future Releases:

2008 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Syrah. Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with cocoa, black cherry, and pencil lead aromas. Cocoa, espresso, black cherry, and blackcurrant come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: N/A
Where to buy: To be released Fall 2011

2009 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec. Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with earth, chalk, black fruit, and floral notes on the nose. Blackcurrant, cocoa, pencil lead, and earth come through on the palate. Big and bold. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: N/A
Where to buy: To be released Fall 2012

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Washington is the largest Riesling producing state in the United States. And, Washington State’s own Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest Riesling producer in the world. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines, including this Harvest Select Riesling, are made in Woodinville.

“This second vintage of our Harvest Select Riesling is made in a slightly sweeter style than our ‘Columbia Valley Riesling’ but still shows the elements of classic Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling. It offers beautiful crisp Washington Riesling character with rich flavors of ripe peaches and apricot. The fresh fruit and decadent character is balanced with crisp acidity to keep the wine in harmony. This is a perfect patio sipping wine or would be a great match with Thai food. Enjoy!” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Nose is a bit tight at first, and then apple aromas come through. Apple, pear, honey, peach, and apricot come through on the palate. Medium sweet and light to medium-bodied with lively acidity, good mouthfeel, and a long, smooth finish. Residual Sugar: 4.98%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $9; Available elsewhere, $6 to $12

It’s football season! So, time, again, to consider meals for watching our favorite teams on television or for tailgating before attending games. Of course, there is a wide choice of favorite foods for these events. However, hot dogs always seems to be a special favorite—easy to prepare, easy to eat, and quite enjoyable.

For this month’s challenging wine pairing, I decided to prepare hot dogs and some complementary side dishes beyond the usual choices of chips and baked beans. We enjoyed a meal of hot dogs with mustard and relish condiments, green bean salad, hominy salad, and almond crunch bars for dessert. It was delicious, if I may say so myself!

I truly believe that there is a wine to pair with every food, even hot dogs. And, my trusty guide for pairing food and wine, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, came through once again with recommendations. We selected the 2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Blue Slate and the 2010 Conde de Valdemar Rosado. Both wines were very good; however, the Riesling was the consensus favorite both for sipping and with the meal. However, the rosé paired really well with the dessert; it really brought out the toasty and salty notes in the almond crunch bars. On a side note, if you like chili on your hot dogs, you might consider a red wine such as Zinfandel.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Kabinett Blue Slate (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany): Pale to medium greenish yellow. Aromatic with minerality, pear, and white peach on the nose. White peach, Granny Smith apple, and mandarin orange come through on the palate. Off-dry to medium sweet and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with good mouthfeel and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99; Available elsewhere, $15 to $25

2010 Bodegas Valdemar Conde de Valdemar Rosado (Rioja, Spain): 85% Garnacha and 15% Tempranillo. Hot pink in color. Nice nose with cherry, raspberry, and strawberry aromas. Reminds me of Ocean Spray cran-raspberry on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish. Gets better the longer its open.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $5 to $13

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is blanc de noirs.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Blanc de noirs, French for ‘white of blacks’, describes a white wine made from dark-skinned grapes by pressing them very gently and running the pale juice off the skins as early as possible. Many such still wines have a slightly pink tinge. The term has a specific meaning in the Champagne region, where it is used to describe a champagne made exclusively from pinot noir and meunier grapes. It is a specialty of the Aube in Champagne.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Blanc de noirs sparkling wine, which has a pink tinge, is made from red grapes, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

Gilbert Cellars is a family-owned winery located near Wiley City in the Ahtanum Valley west of Yakima, Washington. The Gilberts are veterans when it comes to producing high-quality fruit. The Gilbert family has been in the tree-fruit business since 1897. The majority of the grapes used in their wines come from their Doc Stewart Estate Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA near Mattawa, which they purchased in 2002. This vineyard has proven to be an excellent place to ripen the great red varieties of Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley of France. They also source grapes from 24K Vineyard in Mattawa, Sunrise Vineyard in Yakima, and Chukar Vineyard near Kennewick.

We first met Sean Gilbert, one of the founders of Gilbert Cellars, in 2008 at a tasting at Esquin Wine Merchants in Seattle. Sean was the driving force behind getting the Gilbert family into the wine business. We have been impressed with their wines since that first tasting and have followed their subsequent releases closely.

Recently, we had the opportunity to enjoy vertical tastings of three Gilbert Cellars’ wines, their Syrah, Allobroges (a Rhone-style red blend), and Cabernet Sauvignon. We had tasted each of these wines upon release but were glad to have the opportunity to taste each vintage that Gilbert Cellars has produced side by side. While our tastings are usually blind, we decided not to taste these blind. We simply wanted to enjoy the wines and taste them in a logical order. We tasted each vertical separately, and Mom (LaGayle) prepared a meal to pair with each variety/style. In each tasting, we started with the oldest wine and worked our way to the youngest.

Overall, we were very impressed with the quality of their wines across the board in these vertical tastings. While their first vintages are holding up well, I believe that their wines are getting better with each vintage. Head winemaker Justin Neufeld joined Gilbert Cellars in 2007, and he seems to have taken their wines to the next level.

Gilbert Cellars has a fabulous tasting room in downtown Yakima that opened in 2008. In addition to offering tastings, they offer their wines for purchase by the bottle or the glass as well as lighter fare to enjoy in their beautifully appointed wine bar and lounge atmosphere. They also offer live music on some nights. It is a popular spot in Yakima, for tourists and locals alike. If you are in Yakima, be sure to stop by the Gilbert Cellars tasting room to sample their wines or to enjoy a glass with a friend. And regardless of whether you are able to visit or not, be sure to try some Gilbert wines.

SYRAH

2005 Gilbert Cellars Syrah (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Dark, dense purple, almost black. Aromatic with strawberry, blackberry, leather, earth, and cinnamon on the nose. Black plum, leather, licorice, and blueberry come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish. Drink now.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $26

2006 Gilbert Cellars Syrah (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with eucalyptus, black plum, black pepper, and cinnamon aromas. Blackberry, black plum, cinnamon, and earth on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $26

2007 Gilbert Cellars Estate Syrah (Doc Stewart Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Aromatic with black fruit, earth, and mint on the nose. Fruit-forward with black cherry, blackberry, black plum, and cinnamon on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $24

2008 Gilbert Cellars Syrah (Doc Stewart Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with aromas of black plum, cinnamon, game, and hay. Black plum, blackberry, cinnamon, game, and earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $24

ALLOBROGES

2006 Gilbert Cellars Allobroges (Columbia Valley, Washington): 60% Syrah, 22% Grenache, and 18% Mourvedre. Deep, dark purple. Aromatic with smoke, black cherry, and red cherry on the nose. More smoke, black and red cherry, and a hint of beef jerky come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium tannins and a medium to long finish. Drink now.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $24

2007 Gilbert Cellars Allobroges (Columbia Valley, Washington): 55% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre, and 14% Grenache. Deep purplish red. Nice nose with black and red cherry and spice aromas. Black and red cherry, spice, and a hint of cocoa come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $20

2008 Gilbert Cellars Allobroges (Columbia Valley, Washington): 62% Syrah, 23% Mourvedre, and 15% Grenache. Deep, dark purple. Aromatic with Red Vines and floral notes on the nose. More Red Vines and floral notes as well as black and red cherry come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $22

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2005 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark garnet red. Nice nose with chocolate, black cherry, and game aromas. Black cherry, licorice, and coffee on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium tannins and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $26

2006 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep red. Black cherry and spice on the nose; black cherry, spice, and black plum on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $26

2007 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purplish red. Very aromatic with black cherry, blackberry, and floral notes on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, pencil lead, and licorice come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with high, dry tannins. Well-balanced and good complexity with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $28

2008 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black cherry, spice, and floral notes on the nose. Jammy red and black fruits and beef jerky come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, winery release $28

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Boomtown Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Boomtown is the entry-level value brand produced by Dusted Valley Vintners. Dusted Valley Vintners, located in Walla Walla, Washington, was founded in 2003 by brothers-in-law Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel who are co-owners and co-winemakers. Both Chad and Corey are originally from Wisconsin and are proud cheese-heads. In fact, they bring a bit of Wisconsin to Dusted Valley by using barrels made from Wisconsin oak to age their wines. They also have a tasting room in Woodinville near the Hollywood Schoolhouse for those on the west side of the mountains who cannot make frequent trips to Walla Walla.

“You’ve heard ‘Cab is King!’ and with this wine we ‘followed suit.’ This wine delivers loads of cabernet charisma, a sense of place and worldly balance.” –Boomtown

2009 Boomtown Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with black currant, black cherry, oak, smoke, and licorice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with medium, dry tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: QFC (Seattle, Washington), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $13 to $15

Chris Camarda made his first wines in the basement of his mother’s house on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. After spending 20 years in the restaurant industry, Chris had developed a good palate and decided to try his hand at winemaking. He founded Andrew Will Winery in 1989 and named it for his son Will and nephew Andrew. At first, the winery was located in an industrial space in Seattle. Chris knew the basics of winemaking, he knew a few winemakers whom he called upon for guidance, and he visited California to learn even more about the industry. In 1994, Chris and his wife Annie moved to Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. On five acres of property, they built their home and the Andrew Will Winery facilities. Sadly, Annie Camarda lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005.

In the early days, Andrew Will specialized in single varietal wines. Even though he received high praise for his wines, especially his Merlot, Chris ultimately decided that he could express more with blends and transitioned to producing single-vineyard blends in 2000. Today, Andrew Will sources fruit primarily from three vineyards: Two Blondes Vineyard, their estate vineyard in the Yakima Valley; Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, in which they are a part owner along with Paul and Judy Champoux and three other wineries, Woodward Canyon, Powers, and Quilceda Creek; and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain.

On a recent visit to Vashon Island, we toured the winery, visited with Chris, and tasted through the current releases of his primary “white label” single-vineyard blends. Andrew Will also produces “black label” wines, which are typically varietally-labeled and offered at a lower price point. Chris makes a few other wines as well, including an “Annie Camarda” label in memory of his late wife.

During our visit, Chris commented that he believes that the wine culture in the United States is changing. He is happy to see more and more people drinking wine and has even noticed more wine drinking on television. After all, wine is a beverage to be enjoyed, preferably with food and in the company of friends.

Of the current Andrew Will releases we tasted, my favorite is the 2008 Sorella. Sorella means “sister” in Italian, and this wine honors the memory of Chris’s sister who passed away in the mid-1990’s. Sorella is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Champoux Vineyard.

Andrew Will Winery currently produces about 5,000 cases per year, which is exactly the size Chris Camarda wants his winery to be. As he did when he first started the winery, Chris still views winemaking as an artisanal endeavor. Chris was recognized as the Honorary Vintner for 2011 during the recent Auction of Washington Wines for his contributions to the Washington wine industry.

Andrew Will wines are sold though their mailing list and select restaurants and retail shops. Andrew Will Winery is not open to the public but hosts an annual party each fall for their mailing list members.

2008 Andrew Will Sorella (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. Deep, dark red. Gorgeous nose with black fruit, pencil lead, and floral aromas. More black fruit, floral notes, and a hint of leather come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, and medium to high, velvety tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $63; Available elsewhere, $60 to $85

2008 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep, purplish red in color. Nice nose with smoked meat, black fruit, and leather aromas. Black cherry, black currant, leather, earth, game, and a hint of cocoa come through on the palate. Full-bodied with good acidity, and medium to high, velvety tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $52.50; Available elsewhere, $50 to $62

2008 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 36% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 32% Cabernet Franc. Deep, ruby red. Aromatic with plum, pencil lead, licorice, and herbal notes on the nose. Black cherry, plum, and leather on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long, elegant finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $52.50; Available elsewhere, $48 to $60

2008 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard (Two Blondes Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 42% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Malbec. Deep, ruby red. Beautiful nose with smoked meat, game, and black fruit aromas. More smoked meat, black cherry, and plum come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long, elegant finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $48 to $60

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is blanc de blancs.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Blanc de blancs, French for ‘white of whites’, may justifiably be used to describe white wines made from pale-skinned grapes, as the great majority of them are. The term has real significance, however, only when used for white sparkling wines, in the production of which dark-skinned grapes often predominate. A blanc de blancs champagne, for example, is, unusually, made exclusively from chardonnay grapes.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Blanc de blancs sparkling wine is made from Chardonnay grapes.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz from the famed Barossa Valley of Australia.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Peter Lehmann has become affectionately known as the “Baron of the Barossa.” Prior to founding Peter Lehmann Wines, he was winemaker and general manager for another winery. With an overproduction of grapes in the late 1970s, the winery he worked for asked him to go back on his word to some of the local growers from whom he had promised to purchase grapes. A man of integrity, Peter Lehmann would not do it. Instead, he put together some financial partners and purchased the grapes himself. His actions saved many of the grape growers from financial ruin and earned Peter Lehmann tremendous respect in the community. Ultimately, he went completely out on his own and found investment partners to form Peter Lehmann Wines. While it was initially founded to produce wine from purchased grapes, today Peter Lehmann Wines owns some of its own vineyards as well as continues to support numerous local growers.

“A wine of great depth of color reflecting the splendid 2008 red wine vintage. The bouquet has tantalizing aromas of dark plums and black fruits with just a hint of oak in the background. It is a seamless wine with an excellent structure, its rich fruit reined in by firm tannins. A beautiful expression of Barossa Shiraz, it will continue to develop in the bottle for five plus years.” –Andrew Wigan, Chief Winemaker

2008 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit, oak, licorice, and black pepper on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $11 to $21