Vine Robles Red

Wine: Vine Robles Red

Grapes: Petite sirah (51 percent), syrah (43 percent), tannat (4 percent), touriga (2 percent)

Region: Paso Robles, Calif.

Vintage: 2007

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Vina Robles Red wine is a deep purplish-red color with a semi-opaque core going out into a fine violet-red rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: Distinct notes of crushed blueberries, violets and raspberry sorbet hit right away, and then it opens up to reveal layers of black and red fruit, cranberry butter, minty notes, vanilla cream, oak references and peppered fruit-driven minerals.

On the palate: Vina Robles Red has bright, forward crushed red and black fruit with good structure, underlying aniseed and light chewing tobacco with its inherent spice box characteristics. There are some firm tannins that do not overpower the fruit through the midpalate, yet deliver on the finish with some rich decidedly black cherry notes and vague hints of white pepper.

Odds and ends: This is clearly not your everyday blended California wine. You'd never guess it came from this country, if tasted blind. The winery uses rustic and spicy smidgens of tannat grapes, originally from the Cahors region of France, and Touriga Nacional, which is one of the standard-bearers in port wine in Portugal, and it works. It is a good buy at less than $10, and the screw cap is a plus. Vina Robles Red works best with a dramatic meat, such as bison, but mere grilling may not be enough, so spice it up. Drink it now through 2011.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.