Tablas Creek Patelin Rouge 2010 | Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah 2010 |  Brunel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009

Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009 (Buy a Trio of Brunel Chateauneuf-du-Pape) Maybe the first time you heard of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was when it was name-checked in a song by the Beastie Boys. But now that you've moved on from hearing about this legendary wine of France's Southern Rhone to drinking it, the 2009 Andre Brunel is the perfect introduction to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This Grenache-dominated blend (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault, the grapes permitted in the region) from an excellent vintage will bring out the Francophile in you. Not only is the wine impressive, rich and complex. The most distinct feature of the vineyards of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape are the stones that blanket the region. Not only do the stones provide for a dramatic landscape, they also function to reflect heat during the day and store it at night. So every time you pull a cork on a bottle of this gorgeous Chateauneuf-du-Pape, raise your glass for a moment to the hard-working stones that helped make this wine possible. 90 pt Wine Spectator

Tablas Creek Patelin Rouge 2010 A partnership in Paso Robles between the Perrin family from the legendary Chateauneuf du Pape winery Chateau Beaucastel and the founder of wine importer Vineyard Brands, Robert Haas, Tablas Creek is creating Rhone-style wines in California by way of France. They even brought the vines over from France and, after a three-year waiting and testing period, were allowed to begin planting the vineyard. When you taste a wine like the Patlin Rouge, you can understand how it was worth the wait. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise from Tablas Creek’s vineyards and other prestigious sites in Paso Robles, it’s a red wine with a little meatiness lended by the Mourvedre to go along with the bright Grenache and brooding Syrah. Certainly a wine that would pair nicely with lamb, as well as being from a winery with a great story behind it. -- 86 Wine Enthusiast SH

Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah 2010 set the Washington State wine world on fire with his "House Wine" and continues that tradition with the explosive Boom Boom Syrah. As the name would suggest, this is no shrinking violet of a wine. (Though you might detect some violets on the nose of the wine.) If you like your wine unabashedly bold and a bit in-your-face, the 2010 Boom Boom Syrah is just the ticket. If you are interested in seeing what Washington can achieve with Syrah at a modest price, the Boom Boom is a wine to pick up by the case. It's nice to have a go-to wine that is going to give you exactly what you are looking for. And though the Boom Boom may have a brash personality on the outside and in the glass, it can certainly be tamed by some bold flavors, like a slow-cooked pot roast or any braised meat that's been sitting in a crock pot all day, just waiting for you to get home and pour yourself a glass.