Boz Scaggs hits high notes with soulful reds, rosé

DISCOVER - March 10, 2011

By Courtney Cochran

Rocker Boz Scaggs is a hard guy not to envy. Not only is he supremely sweet in person, he boasts a slick classic rock pedigree (he topped the charts in the '70s with the hit "Lido Shuffle," among others, and has rocked with the likes of Steve Miller), is a founding partner in legendary San Francisco nightclub Slim's, and - in his latest endeavor - is the proprietor of a gorgeous organic vineyard high in the hills above Napa, where he nurtures his vinous passion crafting hearty Rhône-style wines that compare to some of southern France's best.

Like we said, enviable.

Harvest Tales
Take a sip of Scaggs' supremely quaffable wine, however, and you'll soften towards him immediately. You might even laugh when you hear that his vineyard started as a happy accident, the result of a local farmer convincing the rocker and his wife that some leftover Syrah cuttings would likely flourish on their (also enviable) Mt. Veeder parcel.

Along with his oenologist, Scaggs now crafts a scant 350 cases a year from those vines comprising a delicious red blend called Montage (made up of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Counoise grapes) and a Grenache Rosé. All vines - along with the property's fruit and olive orchards - have been certified organic since 2005 and are raised with a sustainable ethos.

Proof In the Bottle
A recent tasting pitting the wines against similar offerings from France (a Domaine Tempier Bandol was a particularly soulful complement to Scaggs' Rosé) proved the wines can stand up to the finest in the Rhône field. It also shows there's no doubt, whether on stage or in the vineyard, the guy's got talent.

Something we can all drink to.

Courtney Cochran is a San Francisco based sommelier and author often seen spitting her wine with laser-like precision into spittoons the Bay Area over.