Wild West wine

SHOPPING GUIDE

Under $20

Lucas & Lewellen “Queen of Hearts” 2002 (Santa Barbara County; $10). Powerful — almost masculine — with notes of dried leaves and grenadine. Delivers for the price, and calls for meat (beef stew).
Meridian 2003 (Central Coast, CA; $11). Thanksgiving wine on a budget. Its raspberry tea, dark cherries, and spice would match the whole meal (even the root vegetables).
Pedroncelli Winery — F. Johnson Vineyard 2003 (Sonoma County; $15). Cherry pie and strawberry jam framed with wonderful acidity. Lush and long.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2004 (Central Coast; $11). Fresh and clean; a pleasant balance of cherry fruit with earth and spice.
Saint Gregory 2002 (Mendocino; $16). Lush cranberry and cherry fruit with a touch of spicy oak. Rich enough for duck with cherry sauce.
Sebastiani 2003 (Sonoma Coast; $15). Toasty oak balanced with black cherries and plums. Duck is your dish.

$20 to $35

Acacia 2003 (Carneros; $25). Well structured, with bright strawberries and cherries and hints of rose petals.
Alderbrook 2002 (Russian River Valley; $24). A crowd-pleaser that would satisfy connoisseurs as well, with dark, ripe fruit; a texture of silk over bark; and pairing potential from pasta Bolognese to short ribs.
Argyle Reserve 2003 (Willamette Valley; $30). Interesting aromas of dried cherries, cloves, cedar, and violets lead into bright red fruit — especially raspberries.
Clos LaChance 2002 (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA; $25). A lightly smoky Pinot full of strawberries and cranberries baked with fall spices. Pour with salmon, turkey, or roast chicken.
Deerfield Ranch 2001 (Carneros; $25). They threw the spice rack into this one. The allspice, mushroom nose is followed by plush raspberries, cherries, and root beer.
Domaine Carneros 2003 (Carneros; $28). Most of this winery’s Pinot gets turned into bubbles. In this still version, interesting spices lurk under bright strawberry fruit, and a rich texture calls for wild salmon.
Everett Ridge 2002 (Russian River Valley; $32). An amazing wine (look for Miles to have a heyday with this one in Sideways II). Soy sauce, cola, cherries, dried cranberries, dried leaves, and old library books crowd the nose. Flavors of all of the above — plus grenadine and Turkish spices — follow.
Gloria Ferrer 2002 (Carneros; $26). Soft oak on the nose, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper, followed by juicy cherry, berry, and yellow peach flavors. A toasty, smoky Pinot; try with barbecued ribs.
Husch 2003 (Anderson Valley; $21). A leaner-style wine, with plum, cherries, and cranberries. Pair with roast salmon or lamb chops.
Lincourt 2003 (Santa Barbara County; $22). Bright and briary, with cherries, spice, and a dash of lemon. A Pinot with focused food cravings — for chipotle-crusted pork roast or a Reuben sandwich.
Masut Redwood Valley 2003 (Mendocino; $32). Deep, long flavors — plum, cranberry, and berry fruit with vanilla and exotic spices. They would pair well with a gamut of rich cheeses, duck, or a lamb tagine.
Navarro “Méthode à l’Ancienne” 2001 (Anderson Valley; $24). Earthy (a little smoky bacon), with cherries, plums, and spice.
Navillus Birney 2003 (Sonoma Coast; $30). Earthy cedar and forest-floor aromas, with plums, Chinese five spice, and herbs. An elegant, Burgundian Pinot with a long, silky finish.
Roederer Estate 2003 (Anderson Valley; $22). A still wine from a sparkling house. This Pinot would please a Cab drinker, with jammy fruit, dried cherries, chocolate, vanilla, and spices. A beef bourguignon wine.
Sanford 2002 (Santa Rita Hills; $26). A tightly structured wine (give it two to four years), with layers of cola flavors, raspberries and black cherries, and spice.
Sokol Blosser 2002 (Dundee Hills, OR; $25). Fresh and clean, with cherry, cola, and spice notes and a long, silky, toasty finish.
Summerland Chamisal Vineyard 2003 (Edna Valley, CA; $33). This wine delivers on the promise of its interesting nose, with cinnamon, coriander, and berries in Burgundian balance. It calls to mind pasta with wild mushrooms.
Williams Selyem 2003 (Central Coast, CA; $29). A poem of a Pinot Noir — why people pay a gazillion bucks for a bottle (although this one costs slightly less). It’s a seamless package of cranberry and cherry fruit with chocolate, vanilla, and potpourri.

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