Temecula Valley is vastly underrated as a wine producing region because most of the production is sold out the winery door in ever more elaborate tasting rooms. The area, 60 miles north of San Diego, is a natural for the Rhone grape varieties, which do well in the warm, dry conditions. The nearby Rainbow Gap opens to the Pacific and sucks in a marine layer and fog that cools the region by night. This 2008 Rhone-style blend shows freshness and firm structure despite its age, with mature aromas of earth and minerality beginning to contribute additional complexity. This is a wine still very much on its way up.
