I also admired their 2008 Version, a blend of 58% Roussanne and 42% Grenache Blanc. A bigger, thicker wine than the Viognier, no doubt due to all the honey and waxy notes that the Roussanne grape offers, this wine displays loads of white currant, citrus, and honeysuckle in a dense style with plenty of body and personality. This big wine is not for the faint of heart, but I like the idea of blending the more elegant and acidic Grenache with the fatter, richer Roussanne. It should drink nicely for several years as well. One of the better wineries in Paso Robles, Adelaida continues to turn out high quality wines that remain realistically priced. Kudos to winemaker Terry Culton, who continues to show a fine talent for producing quality wines from Adelaida Cellars.Tel. (800) 676-1232; Fax (805) 239-4671

The 2008 Version is an absolutely delicious, joyous red bursting with fruit. A bright vein of minerality underpins dark cherries, flowers, licorice and sweet spices, all of which come together nicely on a mid-weight frame. It is a relatively floral, red fruited wine considering the prevalence of Mourvedre and Syrah in the blend. The Version is 48% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 13% Grenache and 9% Counoise. It spent 21 months in French oak, 34% new. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. This is a gorgeous set of wines from Adelaida Cellars. Over the last few years the estate has moved to fully focusing on estate grown fruit. These mountain vineyards near the Pacific Ocean, coupled with a non-interventionalist approach in the cellar yield wines of real character that are also very fairly priced.Tel. (800) 676-1232; wines@adelaida.com

With this Mourvedre-dominated wine, Adelaida vies for supremecy in the red Rhone-style competition. The wine is rich in jammy cherry, raspberry and blackberry jam fruit, with smoky oak overtones and lots of exotic spices. The richness is balanced by acidity and firmly sweet, ripe tannins. An impressive wine to drink with Indian food, or a steak with french fried potatoes. ——S.H.(11/1/2011)—— 91