Wine of the Week

 

2004 Box Car Syrah


Red Car Wine Company, in its short life, has quickly attained cult status. Specializing in Pinot Noir and Syrah varietals, its least expensive offering, Some Like It Red, retails for $30 on up. Most Red Car releases are in the $60 to $80 range.

But Red Car has a secret, in the form of a second label, Box Car. Though there is no reference to its parent (or would it be sibling?) on the label, Box Car is decidedly Red Car, capturing the same intensity, complexity and richness that characterizes the California coastal fruit from which it's made. It just happens to accomplish all of this at a lower price point.

At under $20 a bottle, the Box Car Syrah is a huge bargain, especially if purchased at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, which has probably the best overall wine prices in Southern California. There, it's a mere $14.95 a bottle. Elsewhere (John & Pete's, Wine House) it can be found for between $17 and $20. Stock up, this goes fast.