Wine of the week: 2005 Syrah "Le Pousseur" (California, $18)

I knew that the 2005 Syrah "Le Pousseur" (California, $18) was going to be a big, fruit treasure from the aromas filling the room once it hit the glass.

I had the wine sitting next to me while dinner was being delivered, and I kept noticing the blueberry pie aromas. In addition, there were great aromas of Cigar box and cloves.

The flavors were very robust with dark jam and cedar flavors nicely framed with the a touch of white pepper. The finish lingered nicely and was very soft. This wine offered alot of flavors in each sip.

We enjoyed the wine with teriyaki-marinated steak and stir fried vegetables. The tanginess of the marinade along with the fresh flavors of the vegetables allowed the fruit to shine with each bite. Another great menu would be wild game, the pepper and cedar flavors in the the wine bring out the unique flavors in the wine.

This winery was started by one of the original Rhone Rangers, Randell Graham, who takes pride in making wines styled after wines from the Rhone Valley in France, using many of the same grapes.

He was an English major in school and feels that the vineyard sites are like another universe with its own laws to make unique wine. If you get a chance to read his Web site or labels you will see his literary style is quite unique.