🕵️‍♂️ 92pt Côte-Rôtie doppelgänger - except for the price!

Rtie is indeed Cte-Rtie-like. Jeb Dunnuck

Per the San Francisco Chronicle, Keller Estate is Petalumas best-kept secret.

And they are BACK today with a top Rhne doppelgnger.

But theres one key difference. It comes at a price that you cant even find a half bottle of Cte-Rtie for.

Hint: Like Guigals 2019 La La Cte-Rtie bottlings cost $500+++ these days!

The Keller family story is a bit of an American Dream fairytale. Back in 2004, Wine Spectator penned that Keller Estate Races to Success in Sonoma: Arturo Kellers competing interests are on display at his sprawling Sonoma County ranch, southeast of Petaluma. The remote hillside, with a panoramic view of the Petaluma River winding its way into the Carneros district, is ideally suited for grapes, but for Keller, a successful automotive entrepreneur from Mexico, cars came first.

Continuing The wines reflect Ana Kellers respect for terroir. She credits their consulting winemaker, Ted Lemon of Littorai for setting them on the right path. In a sense, she says, they are approaching wine with the same enthusiasm the elder Keller reserves for his cars. Ive been brought up in a family where giving your best is the norm, she says. Her father considers wine a long-haul business and figures it will take decades to establish the kind of Old-World reputation he desires Ana Keller sees her fathers car collection and the winery connected by a glorious attempt by man to blend art with science. She expects that one day the wines will not only rival the auto showroom, they will surpass it.

When The Press Democrat picked it as a Wine of the Week a few years back they wrote With the Rtie, the style Keller is shooting for is a food-savvy Syrah. We make wines that are meant to be shared around a table, Keller explained In particular, our Rtie has a lovely acid backbone, which makes it juicy and mouthwatering. The Rtie is a tribute to the wines of the Rhne Valley called Cte-Rtie. There winemakers harvest and co-ferment Syrah with Viognier. We do the wine in this same style, it created a beautiful cool-climate Syrah, with some lovely aromatics from the viognier and an excellent tannin structure. the vintner explained.

Indeed, its a superb red that delivers a punch with elegance and grace. With our best-ever price on this boutique beauty, drink with abandon this grill season. Too bad there wasnt much left

92 Points Jeb Dunnuck

A nod to the Northern Rhne, the 2019 Rtie Red is Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier. It offers beautiful aromas of black pepper, crushed violets, olive tapenade, and pure blackberry fruit. The palate is firmly structured with black tea, black plum skin, and dried apricot. Drink 2024-2028.