Intense garnet with solid garnet edges.  Really somewhat closed-in after the wonderful Mourvedre of theirs I drank a few weeks ago.  Dense, buttery nose of AL and some toe-jammy funk… artichokes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and seriously rare, aged beef.  Ripe and mouth-filling, and alongside the sharp acidity comes a dusky, chalky, slightly-polished electrical fire with backbones of Comstock Cherry Pie Filling and raisin.  The tannin slowly erode at the fruit and burn sharply FAR into the finish LONG after your mouth has processed the juice.  I want to be really harsh on this wine, but OMG it is 9$ at Old Town Market in Old Orcutt (Santa Maria for those of you unfamiliar with the STARK difference between the 93454 and the 93455).  The alcoholic nose is the only thing holding me back from raving about this wine.  Bang-for-the-buck it deserves an solid  ♦♦  but I try hard not to factor cost, so the  ♦  resides.  From the Chalone AVA.  Google it.  Very interesting country, due East of Greenfield and The 101 in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County.  I just can not say enough good stuff about the amazing wines from these little postage-stamp appellations scattered through the East Salinas Valley.  Educate yourself.  This is Syrah, Grenache, and Viogner, no indication if blended or co-fermented, but I would guess the latter.  14-6