Late yesterday, I received a press release about the big blind tasting of 12 high-end California Cabernets that took place in Bordeaux on Oct. 19. You might recall I went to the local version of this tasting, organized by the Vintners Club, in September. I’ve been anticipating these results.

The vintners from the States included winemakers Chuck Wagner of Caymus, Amelia Ceja from Ceja Vineyards, and Ravenswood founders Jim and Julia Wisner. They used a 20-point scale. All wines were from the 2002 vintage.

Tasters from Bordeaux included top producers such as Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus, Christian Seely of AXA Millesimes, Liliane Barton of Leoville Barton, Kees Van Leeuwen of Chateau Cheval-Blanc, Eric d’Aramon of Chateau Figeac and May-Eliane de Lencquesaing of Chateau Pichon-Lalande.

The impetus for the tasting came when Bordeaux producers expressed a desire to taste some of our best blind. Never has such a tasting of California wines taken place in Bordeaux, which I find a bit strange.

And here’s an even bigger surprise: Karl Wente’s The Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon ranked 4th. I’ve tried this wine and recall finding it a bit hot for a Cabernet, but perhaps it was straight out of the bottle and probably could’ve used some aeration.

Meanwhile, Ridge’s Monte Bello, which won the Judgment reenactment last year, finished 11th. It also finished low in our local tasting back in September. Here’s the complete list, in order of ranking by the group:

1. Rocca Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville, Napa Valley (Release SRP $55)
2. Caymus Vineyards, Special Selection, Napa Valley (Release SRP $136)
3. L’Aventure, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles (Release SRP $60)
4. Wente Vineyards The Nth Degree, Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley (Release SRP $50)
5. O’Shaughnessy Estate, Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (Release SRP $65)
6. Ramey Wine Cellars, Jericho Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Blend, Napa Valley (Release SRP $90)
7. Robert Craig Wine Cellars, Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (Release SRP $60)
8. Flora Springs, Rutherford Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (Release SRP $100)
9. ZD Wines, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (Release SRP $115)
10. Palmaz Vineyards “Gaston,” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (Release SRP $100)
11. Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains (Release SRP $120)
12. Justin Vineyards, Isosceles Reserve, Paso Robles (Release SRP $85)

A quote from the proud Karl Wente:

“The Livermore Valley is truly one of the premier wine regions of the world,” Wente said in the press release. “When we developed our small-lot winery to create The Nth Degree wines, our goal was to prove that our estate can produce wines that are among the best in the world. This tasting is one of many validations of the estate fruit. To earn a place among some of California’s greatest, most iconic Cabernets is very rewarding.”

What do you think of these results? Do you have a favorite wine among this list? Caymus and Justin are among my favorites, and of course the Monte Bello, but I have noticed that that wine is less consistent than the Justin and Caymus.

I want to hear your feedback, and your favorite Cabernet, whether it’s on this list or not. Let me know!

I opened up this Zinfandel-based blend with a Trader Joe’s Roasted Vegetable pizza last night, and it was a winning combination.

The 2005 Pleasant Hill Zinfandel Cuvee, made by Larson Family Winery for Pleasant Hill Wine Merchants, is not a jammy bomb. It’s actually got a lot black pepper and herb on the palate. And the fruits don’t taste like cooked strawberries. Rather, they are dark, like baked bing cherries. My kind of Zin.

I’m sure the 12 percent Petit Sirah in the blend and the 13.9 percent alcohol (relatively low for a California Zinfandel) helped balance the wine. Also, the pizza was cheese less, so it didn’t weigh down the wine with fat and allowed the caramelized onions and smoky, roasted veggies to sing in Zinny harmony.

Find it for around $12 (a steal) at Pleasant Hill Wine Merchants in Pleasant Hill.

I’m working on a story about comfort food wines that’s running on Nov. 7, and had to share a great resource I stumbled upon in my research.

Build a Better Burger offers delectable wine pairings for nutty burgers, mushroom burgers, even Chinese burgers. What a better pairing than a bunch of protein with a big tannic wine (tannins are proteins too — amino acids, actually — so they are quite complementary.

Likewise, salmon and turkey burgers dressed with lemony mayonnaise or fruity salsas pair quite nicely with lean, citrusy whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. It’s a Sutter Home sponsored site, but you don’t have to drink their wines with the burgers. Just be inspired by the recipes.

My favorites are the Beijing Burgers (beef seasoned with Chinese five-spice powder, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame and soy) with Gewurztraminer and Chipotle-Honey BBQ Bacon Burgers with Gorgonzola Cheese with a Shiraz. YUM. Have at it!

As you’ve probably figured, my winery au moment is JC Cellars, makers of hand-crafted, single vineyard wines in Oakland. Well, the corky geekdom continues.

As the winery wraps up harvest, they will celebrate with a blow-out party from 1 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 4. Tickets at the door are $20 per person, or $30 for a pair in advance online. The winery is located at 55 4th St. Their number is 510-465-5900.

In addition to their current releases (listed below), they’ll be pouring futures and serving appetizers. DJ Brett Pinkin will be spinning. Oh, and definitely bring the kids: Alana Dill of Alameda will be painting faces and there will also be an arts and crafts area. Maybe we’ll get to paint a barrel!

I’ll be there, pouring the bottles of nectar, so please come by and say hi. I can’t promise you’ll get a sample of the wild Pourquoi Pas Syrah, the unheated and thereby lovely Zinfandel, and all of winemaker Jeff Cohn’s silky Rhone-style whites. I may just hoard them all to myself.

I guarantee you’ll have a good time with Cohn as your host. The guy always said he’d dye his hair if one of his wines ever scored a 95 or higher. Well, he did it when Parker gave his 2004 Philary Syrah a 96. See you on the 4th…

Current Releases:

2003 Pourquoi Pas Syrah
2004 A La Cave Syrah
2004 California Cuvée Syrah
2004 Rockpile Vineyard Syrah Haley’s Reserve
2004 Ventana Vineyards Syrah
2005 Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard Zinfandel
2005 California Cuvée Syrah
2005 Fess Parker’s Vineyard Syrah
2005 Frediani Vineyard Petite Syrah
2005 Iron Hill Vineyard Zinfandel
2005 Preston Vineyard Marsanne
2005 Ripken Late Harvest Viognier
2005 The Impostor

If you’re starting to think bubbles for the holidays, let me suggest two sparkling wines from Healdsburg’s J Vineyards. They’re different in style and will thus satisfy any roomful of guests — and their affinity for California or French bubbles.

As for me, I used to prefer the fun, fruity, easy style of California sparkling wines (think flavored Calistoga) but am definitely going to the other side. I still like that style from time to time, but I now crave complexity, baked croissants and more time on the yeast.

Many American producers, like J and Domain Chandon, are answering the call for me by offering a range in their portfolios, sort of a colors of the sparkling rainbow, if you will. (Will you? That sounded a bit flowery). Anyway, I attended a J Vineyards winemaker’s dinner at Jardiniere last night, and tasted their current releases with small plates that dazzled the senses.

You’ll have to check back for insider details, like winemaker George Bursick’s stories about the French and his mad-scientist penchant for yeast fermentations from the 1930s, but I can tell you two of these sparklings are fabulous, affordable and you should have them at your parties this season. Here goes:

J Cuvee 20 Brut NV: At $32, this is a sophisticated display of the best of cool-climate, Russian River Valley fruit-forward sparkling. The aromas are quite lemony and give way to apples and grapefruit on the palate, and maybe a touch of nuts. The acidity held up nicely to an array of appetizers, including ahi tuna tartare. The wine’s a great way to start the night.

1999 J Vintage Brut: This is totally where I’m at in my sparkling evolution — creamy yet crisp, three quarters of the way between California and Champagne. At $50, it’s an excellent example of what six years of aging in the bottle will do to Russian River fruit. The nose is all toasted almonds and baked brioche and spices but the palate is awash in apples and pears and citrus fruits. We sipped this number with a cauliflower panna cotta!! It was probably one of the best examples of using texture in a pairing that I’ve ever experienced — it was like I was spreading the creaminess of the panna cotta on the bread in the glass. You know what I mean?

Stay tuned: I promise to dish soon on 2005 and 2006 barrel samples we tried of J Vineyards Pinot Noir. They won’t be released until May, but I have two words for you: Noony’s Vineyard! Yowza.

I found the wine I’m serving for Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, I wrote a Bible on turkey wines, interviewing top chefs doing prix fixe dinners, and in the end, it turned out that you can serve just about anything with enough fruit or acidity to stand up to all those side dishes.

Ya dig? The wine pairing has nothing to do with the dull bird. It’s the buttery yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole that the wine has to cut through. Hence, the usual suspects are sparkling reds, crisp whites or Beaujolais, which packs more fruit than Hawaiian punch.

This year, I’m definitely going with J. Lohr Estates 2006 Wildflower Valdiguie. The grapes are grown on Chualar loam soil in the cold, windy Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. They were originally thought to be the Gamay Noir grape (Beaujolais), but UC Davis scientists have since identified it as the grape Valdiguié, probably from an area in the southwest of France. Only the wine gods know how it got there, or when.

But anyhoo, it’s quite reminiscent of Crus Beaujolais like Morgon but with slightly more purple in the glass, and dark boysenberry complexity. Last night, over more Tivo catch-up (”Friday Night Lights” this time), my roommate tested it out with a huge plate of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. I swigged my glass with baked salmon.

While we nearly finished the bottle, a point that I missed: it would’ve been much more vibrant chilled! So stick it in the fridge an hour before your guests arrive. Order it now and you’ll be in great shape for the holidays.

The other night, my roommate and I popped open a bottle of 2005 Vinum Cellars’ Red Dirt Red, a blend of the Rhone varietals Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. The weather was nippy, we were catching up on Tivo, and needed a good Wednesday night blend.

Caleb Taft, the sales manager over at Vinum Cellars, had advised me to give the wine a lot of air, alerting me that it was a “bigg un.” I followed his recommendation, decanting the purplish wine (with unmistakable brown undertones) and letting it sit for a good 20 minutes while Gav fried his brain on an episode of “Las Vegas.”

“This is my US Weekly,” he said. Fair enough.

I poured us each a glass, swirled the sucker and took a sip. Despite having less than 15 percent alcohol, the wine slightly singed my nose hairs, and I was disappointed in its viscosity. Big? Where? I shrugged and checked email for another 20 minutes.

By the time “The Office” came on, I cuddled up on the couch and took another swig. There it was! Aromas of black and even red crushed pepper on the nose and layers of bacon-wrapped blackberries on the palate. Gav concurred — much better. We polished off the decanter, pleased with ourselves for drinking a $30, low-production (766 cases six-bottle cases) wine that puts a Cali twist on Chateauneuf du Pape.

Per today’s column on my existential crisis surrounding wines that are and aren’t true to varietal, here are some details on the Petit Sirahs discussed. Enjoy!

- Concannon Heritage Livermore Valley 2004 ($54): This wine finished eighth overall in the Vintners Club blind tasting, but it was my No. 2 for its true-to-style black fruit, slight pepper and big yet supple age-worthy tannins.

If you’re looking for a lighter style of Petite Sirah, try these:

- Silkwood Wines, Stanislaus County 2004 ($42): This wine finished fifth out of 10 for its lovely balance of fruit and tannins. A pretty thing; try this wine slapped against herbed flank steak.

- Clayhouse Estate, Paso Robles 2005 ($26): This wine finished third for its strawberry jam nose and chocolate-covered cherry palate. Drink it alone or with barbecued chicken.

It’s been a while since a biodynamic wine really moved me. I was on quite the organic kick last year, obsessed with Felton Road and Ceago Vinegarden, but mellowed out after I had a few wines that tasted like cranberry tree water.

But, last night, two small-production gems from Benziger brought me back to biodynamic. You can only taste these wines in the winery, but it’s worth a stop if you’re in Glen Ellen. While you’re there, ask about the winery’s Vineyard Tram Tour, where you can learn the details about making wine by the light of the moon.

2006 Sauvignon Blanc Shone Farm, Russian River Valley ($29). A perfectly clean and crisp wine with a lot of floral aromas and grapefruit on the palate. A perfect example of brisk acidity that would make a fish lover out of anyone. I rarely pay this much for an SB (in fact, I think Cloudy Bay’s the only one I have paid more than $25) but this, this is worth it. Note: the grapes were grown by sustainable farming methods and are in the process of becoming certified organic. 836 cases.

2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Obsidian Point, Sonoma Mountain ($55): This wine comes entirely from one block of their Sonoma Mountain Estate, where high concentrations of obsidian, a volcanic rock, are present. That’s what contributes to its amazing complexity, with everything from currant to roasted anise flavors on the palate and a marathon-like finish. This wine, which is certified biodynamic, was just bottled in July. Hard to believe, as it has the suppleness and carefree strength of a sexy 40-year-old in a room of 20-somethings. Drink this with a New York strip steak or a grilled Portabello mushroom burger. 560 cases.

Today, I’m participating in a group blog. One Wednesday a month, wine bloggers around the globe pick a subject, grape or type of wine, and share their thoughts. Bloggers from Dr. Vino to Vinography participate, and today I’m joining in.

Catavino, the online source for Iberian wine 411, is the host. So it’s fitting that the theme is Portuguese table wines. Thankfully, we were asked to step away from Ports, and the Douro (the most well-known region, thanks again to those Ports). I’m a huge fan of Portuguese table wines, especially those from the Alentejo region in southern Portugal.

They are affordable, highly-drinkable and plummy, like Zinfandel without all the heat - and hype.

I’m going to chat about a wine I’ve blogged about before because I love it so much and opened up a second bottle recently. It’s Esquila Wines’ 2003 Dignitas Reserva, a single vintage blend of Aragonez (50 percent), Trincadeira (30 percent) and Alicante Bouschet (20 percent).

Here’s what I said back in April:
“Wow. This is the same blend as Esquila’s Nomisma 2002 minus the Cab. I think it lets the rich Mediterranean soil and soul of the indigenous Portuguese varietals really stand out, and showcase what the Alentejo is really capable of: Deep red color and dark plummy fruit. Plus, it has less alcohol (14 percent) than the Nomisma and rich tobacco, coffee and oak. What a beautiful wine.”

Now, after opening up a second bottle this past weekend, let me continue to go off because it’s even better now! The body is silky, the nose is wider and more complex, with smoke galore. Even the fruit seems dense — in a good, non-jammy way. The French oak is really coming through, too. I whipped up a quick, all-sausage paella and took this baby to town.