Smoking Loon Syrah, 2003 vintage
price: $12-$13
suggested food pairings: wood grilled meats and vegetables, medium sharp and/or creamy cheeses, pizza, chili

The Loon has done it again: great juice in the bottle for relatively little money. Don Sebastiani and Sons’ Smoking Loon label is showing up everywhere in our market with no fewer than seven varietals featured under this label. The marketing is tailored to an individualist type personality, but I must say that the wines are crafted in a way that is appealing to everyone. I’ve enjoyed five of the seven wines to date, and all have been deliciously round and supple in a way that guarantees each will be a crowd pleaser. If you consider yourself an individualist, yet spend a lot of social time with people of varying backgrounds and tastes, these are the wines you should bring to the next gathering.

Syrah is a grape made famous in France’s Rhône valley and made popular under the Shiraz name, which was coined in Australia. This California wine resembles its down-under cousins much more than its French grandparents—it’s fruity, round and silky to the point where you just can’t imagine anyone disliking it.

Purple as the skin of a black plum, it shows concentrated aromas of cassis, blueberries and a dash of spice on the nose. The stuff looks like a glass of Welch’s grape juice, but is so much better given its nearly 14 percent alcohol content. The blueberry aroma translates into the same flavor on the tongue with a burst of raspberries and plum injecting themselves mid-palate. A mature tannin structure lies beneath the giant fruit profile, and keeps the wine from being completely over the top. This would be a great choice for trying a new red varietal for those of you married to merlot.

Craig Pierce can be reached  at craig_l_pierce[at]hotmail[dot]com.