A California Cotes du Rhone look-alike is the 2008 Charbono Tofanelli Vineyard. It exhibits plenty of earthy blue and red fruits intertwined with gamy, smoky notes, rustic tannins, and lots of spice and herbs. It is a wine to enjoy with a good pizza or at an Italian trattoria over the next 1-2 years.
As I have said many times, the most underrated varietal (especially if you are a connoisseur or collector wanting to age California wines for 10-20 years) is Petite Sirah, which ages just as well as the finest Cabernet Sauvignons. In fact, it ages more slowly, and in 2009, well-cellared examples from the late 1960s and early 1970s continue to be remarkable wines. All of the following wines are noteworthy, and I am sure they will still be drinking beautifully in 25, 35, perhaps even 40 or more years. They need plenty of time to age, and because they have never been fashionable, their prices tend to be realistic. That said, you have to be a masochist to drink these wines young as they are massive, inky/blue/black, super-concentrated offerings that need at least 8-10 years of bottle age.
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