Far more interesting is Grahm’s 2007 Syrah Bien Nacido. Attractive bacon/lard notes intermixed with creme de cassis and tapenade, are present in this dark ruby/purple-tinged wine. Built with more power, intensity, and muscle, yet at the same time retaining its elegance, this is a wine that should drink nicely for up to a decade. It’s good to see the highly commercial Randall Grahm finally get more serious about wine quality. Of course, he long ago laughed his way to the bank, selling hundreds of thousands of cases, promoting “terroir” while making massive quantities of commercial wines that had little evidence of any serious terroir or character. However, he seems to have found religion over the last few years. Graham has decided to offer his Cigare Volant, a California take on France’s Chateauneuf du Pape, in three formats – his regular cuvee, one aged in large, presumably old wood foudres, and one aged in smaller demi-muids (which are still bigger than conventional barrels). All three are worth buying and drinking. Each is a blend of 60% Grenache, 32% Syrah, and the rest Mourvedre and Cinsault.Tel. (888) 819-6789

Much better is the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, which reveals classic graphite, tapenade, tar, and black cherry and currant notes. Although relatively lean in style, it possesses good depth, tannin, and purity. It should open over the next year, and drink well for 5-6 years.Bonny Doon's charismatic proprietor, Randall Grahm, has sold some of his larger production assets in order to refocus on the quality of his wines (which were so promising in the mid-1980s, before he turned his winery into an industrial-sized fruit plant). It is too early to tell whether this will result in higher quality wines. The current releases were made while Grahm was turning out mega-quantities of other wines.Tel. (831) 425-4518