2007 Venteux Vineyards Mourvedre (90 points)

Got this bottle at the winery's tasting room a couple of years ago for $29 and drank with individual rack-of-lamb chops seasoned with freshly cracked black pepper, Kosher salt, and ground cumin.

This is the second Venteux wine we've tried within the last couple of weeks. We visited their tasting room in Paso in September of 2009 and bought three bottles (this bottle, a 2007 Grenache, and a 2007 Petite Sirah). I gave the Grenache 91 points a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it. I really like this wine also and CANNOT wait to try the 2007 P.S. later this year (I made a note on my wine inventory to "sit on this for a couple of years; it'll be FANTASTIC in 2011 to 2015"). If I had an ounce of self restraint, we would open the Petite Sirah in 2012 to 2015, but we all know how that's going to play-out...........

Complete, honest, up-front disclosure: this is the first 100% Mourvedre we've ever had. We have a 2006 Tablas Creek Mourvedre that we cannot wait to try, but according to TC's vintage chart, it's not quite at peak maturity (meaning: we'll sit on it for another one or two or three years until it's at (or near) peak maturity). I've had at least two or three dozen red blends that contained Mourvedre, but this is our first 100% Mourvedre bottle. It was worth the wait!

The bouquet on this wine is really interesting; there's plenty of red fruit (especially tart cherries), along with a chalky, oaky, minerally essence. This wine almost smells like a Barolo or Sangiovese!

This is a fabulous, rich, creamy, delicious Southern Rhone red. Up front, there's an abundance of red and black fruit (plums, black cherries, and blackberries), the PERFECT amount of oak (along with its contribution of vanilla), a truck-load of cream, barrels of spices (especially black pepper and savory herbs like sage and rosemary), and a mountain of terrior (the soils at Venteux's 10-acre estate are evidently very chalky). Based on how rich and fruity the wine is, I guessed that the wine was rather high in alcohol, and I was correct (15.3 %). However, this is not your typical Paso Fruit Bomb; despite the rather high alcohol level, because the wine is so well-made, the wine's depth, complexity, and structure carry its alcohol level VERY, VERY well.

We wanted to visit Venteux a couple of years ago because they're in the southern-most region of Paso Robles and we wanted to try a winery that we had never visited before. Boy-oh-boy, are we lucky we gave them a try! We were so impressed that we bought three bottles (see above). Based on the two wines that we've opened and THOROUGHLY enjoyed, we will absolutely re-visit them again soon. Heck, we might even become wine club members if their 2007 Grenache and 2007 Mourvedre are any indication of just how good their wines are!!!!

2010 Lynmar Pinot Noir Rosé (90 points)

Got this bottle from the winery's wine club for $22.50 and drank with a HUGE Scottish salmon steak with freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper, along with Herbs de Provence.

The bouquet is beautifully creamy, floral, minerally, and fruity (especially vanilla, cream, and strawberry).

This is the best rose we've had all year! It is wonderfully well-balanced and delicious despite clocking-in at 14.3% alcohol.

Up front, the red fruit is most pronounced, especially strawberries and raspberries. There is a very French essence to this rose (perhaps the Herbs de Provence on the salmon swayed my palate?), meaning the mid-palate is earthy, herbally/spicy (especially white pepper and savory herbs), and minerally. There is such a stony, granite-like quality to this wine that I'm going to have to do some research on the soils of the Russian River Valley. When I think of stones and minerals, I think of Chateauneuf de Pape and Syrahs/Grenaches, not Pinots from Champagne. This also just might be the creamiest rose I've ever had. The finish is very smooth (as silk) and very elegant.

We REALLY enjoyed this rose. It went PERFECTLY with the salmon and although our summer in Southern California has been untypically much-cooler-than-usual (other than Psychos, who could complain about a nice, cool, mild summer?!?!), this would be a fantastic wine to enjoy on a hot, muggy summer evening. Don't know how Lynmar did it, but if you're looking for a French rose made in California, I cannot imagine any winery doing a better job of putting the essence of France in a bottle any better than Lynmar did with this rose. Highly recommended!