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All Roads Lead To Rhône (February, 2007):

Two letters away from Rome and one away from Rhine, the Rhône region of France and its namesake river aren’t overly familiar to your typical geographobic American. Unless, of course, that atlas-averse Yankee also digs a tipple of the grapestuff – Rhône vines have been squirting out world-renowned (or should that be world-Rhônowned?) wine since 600 BC, and if you don’t know that, you probably don’t know which end of the bottle to drink from.

While this quartet of wines hails from Wellington Vineyards in Sonoma County, California, they cold kick it Rhône-style, straight up, no chaser, yo. We know how the French jealously guard their oh-so-special wine status, so we’ll say it again, fort et clair: These wines are not actually from the Rhône region. They’re from California, U. S. of A. Comprenez-vous?

But what matters nationality to wine artists like Winemaker Peter Wellington and Assistant Winemaker Lynda Hanson? Between them, they boast forty years of winemaking experience and graduate work in enology at UC-Davis. Grown sustainably in dry-farmed blocks with no insecticides or synthetic fungicides, Wellington grapes are then worked over with what Peter calls a “non-formulaic" approach, tailoring his winemaking technique to enhance the unique character of each small lot of grapes. Whites are whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented, for a harmonious complexity akin to a symphony; reds are barrel-aged, rack-clarified, and filtered minimally or not at all. Oak is used with care, to support the wine but not to dominate it. After all, if you want to drink something that tastes like wood, you can always throw some twigs in a juicer.

OK, enough with the backstage tour – let’s start the show, huh? This fruity Wellington 2005 Marsanne smells of orange, tangerine, and apricot, judiciously spiced with almond and pepper. On the tongue, it enters moderately rich before going full and viscous with more orange and tangerine, finishing off with a hint of tannin. Patience will be rewarded, as the 2005 Marsanne will only get more aromatic and honeyed over the next few years. But if you’re thirsty right now, by all means, pop that mug.

Cheapo mass-market jug wines tainted Grenache’s rep once upon a time, but this venerable varietal shines in the Wellington 2004 Grenache. Blended with a sprinkling of Mourvedre and Tempranillo to keep it nice and pretty, this Grenache emits wafts of fresh cherry, raspberry, licorice, cocoa, pepper and allspice that will make your nose think it’s died and gone to nose heaven. Medium- to full-bodied and slightly chewy like a Now & Later, you can drink the 2004 Grenache now or save it for later.

Once considered the best white wine in France, Roussanne pwn3d the Northern Rhône for centuries before mildew and grape rot kicked over its throne. Wellington saw the beauty lying dormant in this once-great varietal, and rushed right over to Saralee’s Vineyard in the Russian River Valley to gather the grapes for this 100% Roussanne. the result: floral aromas and exquisitely-balanced flavors of honeysuckle and pear blossom, citrus peel and lanolin, fresh baked bread. Wrap it up with a finish as clean and smooth as a newly-mopped hospital floor – but much more appetizing – and you’ve got a Roussanne that’s perfect for drinking from fine crystal at the table or drinking from a paper bag at the streetcorner. Just ask the customers at the famed Sonoma eatery The Girl and The Fig, who’ve made the Roussanne that restaurant’s best-selling wine.

Just to show you what they can do with a varietal you’ve heard of, Wellington threw in their 2003 Syrah, Cuvee "R". (The R stands for rincredibly relicious.) Five different Syrah clones, a splash of Viognier, and a lot of Wellington magic add up to a unique, complex red that’s almost black. As muscular and racy as an R-rated gladiator movie, this Syrah carries bushelfuls of cherry and wild berry on its nose, with notes of stone fruit and smoked bacon. It’ll be even better in a year, or two, or ten – better buy a few bottles, in case you want to drink one young.

Sure, a trip to the Rhône valley would be the best way to experience Rhône varietals. But if you can’t afford the ticket, or if certain legal complications prevent you from crossing international borders, or if you’re one of the diehards still clinging to that Fox News boycott of France, all aboard the Wellington Vineyards Rhône-style quartet.

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