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Château du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2005

Is it a contradiction to catch the Foo Fighters playing Austin City Limits? Not at all. The juxtaposition of quiet and loud, black and gray, soft and hard, all play.

Lilkewise, Château du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2005 is a bottle of harmonious oxymoronic pleasure. One second you're feeling hard rock against the edge of your tongue, and next there's a soft landing of vanilla penetrating your brain. The sensibilities are definitely all shades of black, but there are nuances there, playing off each other. It's the gustatory equivalent of Jessy Greene's violin (a real find!) set against Taylor Hawkins energetic drum play, or Dave Grohl's acoustic set against Chris Shiflett's electric, or even Dave Grohl's primal screaming set against his own under breath utterances. The Foo Fighters seem to be one of those rare musical projects that get better with age, the way a good Bordeaux is supposed to.

Bordeaux is one of the last places on earth where vintage matters, and 2005 was a very good year. There are finds out there under $20, even well under $15. Château du Gazin is from a small hillside vineyard. Just to the west of Pomerol, Canon-Fronsac overlooks the point where the Dordogne and the Isle rivers meet.

Château du Gazin is blend of mostly Merlot (90%), with just 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. This is a sturdy Merlot! Think black and brooding, with notes of black fruit and black berries, accented with vanilla. Think gravel and dust reverberating on the palate. It's quiet and loud, acoustic and electric, folk and rock, young and old, straight and gay, night and day. We aren't looking for formulaic in a Bordeaux, and we don't get it here.

Price: $15 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Napa Zinfandel is Affordable and Classic: Z-52 Wines Truchard Vineyard 2005 and Wall Cellars 2006

Zinfandel has roots in Napa, only fewer of them now. You think Cabernet when you think Napa. Fortunately, there are Zin growers in this, California's highest priced appellation. Fortunate I say, because Zin grown here has the potential to yield a different glass of wine than Zin grown anywhere else. Some would say it's more "claret-like", as Alan Goldfarb put it, in his 2007 Appellation America article, Zinfandel in Napa.

Zinfandel being my favorite wine grape, I appreciate the differences in personality between say, Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Amador, Lodi and Lake County. They're all powerful, but Napa's Zin power is the most classic and elegant, the least defined by jammy fruit or overtly high alcohol levels. Compare that to Paso Robles' decadence, Lodi's "smokin' hot", port-like nature, Sonoma's bold intricacies, Lake County's natural punch, and Amador's concentrated robustness.

Z-52 Truchard Vineyard 2005 is deep purple ruby in color. The aromas include dominant black cherry, plus bourbon spice and vanilla, ash, pipe tobacco and a somewhat raisin-y dried fruit character. On the palate, expect more black cherry and mixed pepper spice plus ground mace display over a dusty, dry, firm frame. An addictive and timeless glass of Napa, this is.

Price: $16 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.3%.

Wall Cellars 2006 is bright purple ruby in color, candy apple red at the edges. Raspberry dominates the aromas, with supporting tones of cedar spice, cut hay, oregano, and menthol tobacco. Raspberry on the tongue combines with baking spice, white pepper and dusty fine tannins. The fruit is nicely restrained and the finish very dry, making this about as elegant as a Zinfandel gets, especially at its humble price.

Wall Cellars is the second label for Twenty Rows.

Price: $14 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.8%.