547339 Sun Aug 10 13:17:08 -0700 2008 0 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3945194 The 2004 Patrick Jasmin “La Chevaliere” is on close-out at the Kermit Lynch shop in Berkeley, marked down by 50% to $9.95. The producer being one of my favorites, I noticed the sign in the sale corner and picked up a bottle to try. The salesman described it as “young vines, declassified Cote-Rotie, 100% Syrah.” This red wine’s appellation is “Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes”. In _The Wines of the Northern Rhône_, John Livingstone-Learmonth says “Along with other top names like Jamet and Ogier, Patrick Jasmin also makes a very good Syrah vin de pays, called ‘La Chevaliere’ when he has Cote-Rotie vines that have not reached their fourth leaf. This is a mix of half a hectare of vines dating from the early to mid-1990s on the plain beside the N86 road and any young Cote-Rotie vines: around 2,000 bottles can be made.” Pulling the cork, the aroma of high-toned red fruits immediately popped out. Santa Rosa plums, raspberries, smoked meat, and some ashy minerality in the nose and palate, zingy acidity of youth, and silky tannins in a light-bodied frame. No obvious oak tones but maturation in wood showed in the good integration, round mid-palate and fanning finish. Rather lean-fruited and uncomplicated in personality, the most prominent feature was the bright acidity even after a couple hours of aeration in the glass (Riedel Vinum Syrah). Initially I felt it was too light to have much of a future, but decided to replace the cork and leave it overnight at room temperature. The next day I was surprised to find that it was still quite fresh and showed a deeper personality with a little toast showing through and a black truffle earthiness, as well as some wood tannins. Retasted again on Day 3, it was much the same and the acidity was just as piercing. So, while it is ready to drink now, with good storage it might be more interesting in a year or two. This wine is very well-crafted in an elegant, terroir-driven style with nary a hair out of place, making the most of the material from juvenile vines. With 12% ABV and elevated acidity, it’s a great food wine. My only hesitation in recommending it is the high acidity. Its expression is more akin to red Chinon or Barbera than overripe, black-fruited Syrahs that are the current fashion. You have to be an acid-head to appreciate this one. Would I pay $20 for this wine? Nope. But at $9.95, absolutely. I can’t think of another $10 red that I would rather drink. This would be a lovely accompaniment to grilled meats this summer: red meat, poultry or fish. It was still available at the store yesterday (Saturday, August 9). Sun Aug 10 13:17:24 -0700 2008 10039 Melanie Wong