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According to Patrick J Comiskey’s book American Rhône, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Rhône varietal bottling of the modern era in the US – a Santa Clara Valley Grenache by David Bruce in 1969. In just five decades, Californian wines based on classic Rhône varieties, or ‘Rhône Rangers’ as they’re known, have gone through an evolution that’s as rapid as it is dramatic. Scroll down for Matt Walls' top 20 Californian Rhône reds Though they’ve occasionally impressed, I’ve always gravitated back to the Rhône: its wines have a consistency, balance and finesse that Californian Rhône styles have – until recently – often lacked. But a new generation has struck gold. Over the past decade, more and more wines have been emerging that combine drinkability with uniqueness of expression. [subscriber-content]I blind tasted 35 Californian Rhône-style reds, with 15 genuine Rhône ringers thrown in, partly to remove any unconscious bias but also to see what it revealed about these two very different regions.I wasn’t simply looking for Rhône lookalikes; first and foremost, I was looking for quality. One thing that the best wines from California had in common is that they couldn’t be mistaken for French. The tasting showed that Californian interpretations of Rhône reds are more varied than in France, where a rigid appellation system combined with ancient traditions have led to a tighter stylistic bandwidth. This freedom of expression is a huge plus.The Rhône Rangers tended to have more zest, vibrancy and impact. The real Rhônes revealed themselves through natural volume, tannic finesse and an easier sense of balance. The new oak, unbridled alcohol and overbearing flamboyance that dogged some Rhône Rangers in the past has been on the wane for some time. That said, the Californian wines do still tend to be a little freer with barrels and alcoholic potency, especially the Syrahs . I wondered whether I might find some Californian wines that swung too far in the opposite direction, into a skinny and unripe style, but I didn’t. Whole-bunch fermentation has proved to be something of a philosophers’ stone for the Rhône Rangers. When used well, retaining stalks in ferments has many benefits: giving texture and structure, aromatic complexity and freshness, and reducing alcohol levels. It’s highly complementary for Californian Syrah and transformative for its Grenache . In less practised hands, however, it leads to harsh tannins and overly green, herbaceous flavours. I do wonder if, with some distance, the next generation will look upon stalk use in the same way that the current generation thinks of new oak. The fashion for whole-bunch fermentation has provided a refreshing new direction, but excessive dependency on stalks can be distracting. I’d take excessive stalks over excessive new oak any day, however – they don’t veil terroir to quite the same extent. Future promise Most of the time it was easy to spot which wines were French and which American. The most similar in style to Châteauneuf-du-Pape was the Tablas Creek Vineyard, Esprit de Tablas 2016. Big Basin Vineyards’ Gabilan Mountains GSM 2013 also had me wondering. The Qupé, Reserve Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Syrah 2016 and Storm, Slide Hill Syrah from the cooler 2014 vintage both had a certain savoury northern Rhône edge. On the basis of this tasting, if I had to back one of these two grapes for future promise, it would be Syrah. One frequent complaint is that value is hard to find in Californian wine. This hasn’t changed: you still get more for your money in the Rhône. But the best Rhône Rangers taste nothing like French wines, and I suspect the Rhône couldn’t replicate them if they tried. Increasingly proficient at reflecting terroir, this may be a style defined by reference to another region, but it’s a style apart. [breakout] Rhône originals: The verdict Two Châteauneuf-du-Papes scored highly in the tasting, stylistically different but both unmistakably Châteauneuf. Domaine de la Janasse Vieilles Vignes 2017 (95pts) had natural power and concentration with an inner tension that was rare among the Californian Grenache- based wines. Domaine Les Cailloux 2016 (93pts) had a harmony, ease, and tannic refinement that shouted Châteauneuf. Similarly, Domaine Maby Bel Canto 2016 (90pts) was archetypal Lirac: cool, silky and stylish. I included Domaine des Bernardins, Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge 2017 (94pts) to see how it would compare, as the producer doesn’t destem. It did well; the stems weren’t the main focus of the wine, just adding texture and floral lift. It was the best-value wine of the tasting (€13.50 at Leclerc in France). The Fontaine du Clos, Reflets de l’Ame, Vacqueyras 2016 (92pts) was a bold, ripe style from a powerful vintage – perhaps why it didn’t immediately jump out as Rhône. A scrawny Crozes-Hermitage 2014, a difficult year, was immediately identifiable – thinner in fruit than any Californian Syrah. Two wines in the line-up showed brettanomyces. I assumed they were both French, but only one was. Despite reputations, no region has a monopoly on faults! [/breakout] Matt Walls is a contributing editor to Decanter and the DWWA Regional Chair for the Rhône. [/subscriber-content] See Matt Walls' top 20 Californian Rhône reds [wine-collection] You may also like Rhône 2017: Full en primeur report Getting to know red Hermitage What are the best Shiraz wines from Australia? Premium California wines to buy

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Californian premium Rhône-style reds

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top 20 Californian Rhône reds

See Matt Walls’ top 20 Californian Rhône reds

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