North Carolina embraces the vine, again

TASTING NOTES
Several types of grapes are heralded as North Carolina's Next Big Thing, from viognier to syrah. It's too early to make a firm prediction, so here's a sampling of wines worth seeking out. Though they can be tough to find in wine shops, most vineyards will ship to states that legally allow it.

Shelton 2005 riesling Yadkin Valley ($12): Riesling can be uneven in North Carolina, but Shelton's most recent vintage is a winner. Clean, soft peach flavors mix with stony mineral. A straightforward style, with a sweet finish; more similar to Finger Lakes riesling than West Coast versions.

Raffaldini 2005 vermentino Yadkin Valley ($13): Probably the closest of the domestic vermentinos to the traditional Sardinian version. An apple note amid the citrus, with a softer opening and harder finish than you might expect, but pleasantly tart and refreshing.

RayLen 2004 viognier Yadkin Valley ($13): In its native Rhone Valley, viognier has a big floral nose but isn't weighty. Many domestic incarnations go too far on the oak, but here they get it just right. Great clarity of the honeysuckle and nectar flavors, with a tightly wound, forceful finish.

Rockhouse 2004 chardonnay “Native Yeast” ($20): Lee Griffin and Marsha Cassedy first planted this vineyard in Tryon, near the South Carolina border, in 1991. This chardonnay's name gives away its special trait (no added yeasts are used in fermentation). Pungently flinty, almost meaty, and yet edgy and bright, it has the depth of a good white Burgundy. Tart apple, dense tree fruit and a focused, deep ending.

RayLen 2004 chardonnay Yadkin Valley ($12): Reminiscent of excellent stainless-steel West Coast chardonnays like Morgan's Metallico or Chehalem's Inox. A slightly honeyed nose, with a crisp, fine ending. RayLen's riesling, with a faintly oily texture and bright tree-fruit aromas, is refreshing, too.

Shelton 2005 cabernet franc Yadkin Valley ($15): Cabernet franc has shown promise in New York vineyards, and it shows well here too. Strong scents of pencil shavings and bright red fruit, with a fine-grained finish. Light, but well-focused, not unlike a good Chinon from France's Loire.

Raffaldini 2005 sangiovese Yadkin Valley ($14): Sangiovese has proved a mixed bag on these shores, but this one — made from six different clones grown over six acres — captures much of the pleasant dustiness that so typifies the grape of Chianti. Aged in neutral oak, it's well-balanced, with a punch of sweet red berries, and a bit of toasty char at the end. If the state's proposed new Swan Creek appellation makes its name on wines like this, all the better.

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