The 2008 White (Roussanne/Viognier) emerges from the glass with apricots, peaches and floral honey. It is a rich, textured wine made in a completely different, more conventional, style than the 2009. The 2008 was also aged in a combination of cement and barrel, but it saw less skin contact and therefore has a more translucent color. Both are beautiful though. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. Eric Jensen left behind a successful career as a concert promoter for a simpler life in Paso Robles, and the wine world is much richer for it. Jensen and his wife Lisa originally bought their property with the intent of growing and selling fruit but quickly caught the bug to make their own wines, which they did starting in 2005. Booker Vineyard is a fascinating property with a number of steep hillside exposures. The Jensens have had some of the best mentors one could hope for, including Justin Smith and Stephan Asseo. I tasted a wide number of wines during my visit, including a handful of the late-release ‘24’ series, which as the name implies, spent 24 months in barrel rather than the more customary 18. Winemaking is quite stripped down to the basics. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts then go into barrel with their gross lees. Malo is done naturally. The blends are finished post-malo and the wines are bottled with no fining or filtration.Tel. (805) 237-7367; www.bookerwines.com

The only white wine offering, the 2008 Roussanne/Viognier (65% and 35% respectively), is the least impressive effort in this portfolio. While it is a flowery, orange marmalade, and nectarine-scented and flavored blend, it reveals an oily, somewhat heavy style that could use more uplift and freshness. Nevertheless, there is a lot of intensity to this wine. Moreover, it would work well paired with an intense poultry or darker, more oily fish dish. Drink it over the next several years. Booker Vineyard has quickly established itself as one of the top sites in the Paso Robles region for Rhone varietals. This 40-acre vineyard is planted in limestone soils, just west of Highway 101, and every wine I have tasted since their debut 2005 vintage has been unapologetically Californian in flavor, exuberance, personality, and soul. The current and upcoming releases continue Booker’s Midas touch with these varietals. The red wines are nearly off the chart in terms of their aromatic complexity with stacked and packed personalities as well as brilliant balance.Tel. (805) 237-7367; Fax (805) 237-7368