If you exclude bulk wine production, roughly 93% of Northern California’s vineyards are planted to just eight grape varieties: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah, and Syrah. But of course California’s viticultural history is much richer than that, and if you’re someone in search of new sensations at reasonable prices, it pays to venture outside your comfort zone and try something like Valdiguié, or Mourvèdre, or, in this case, Cinsault—a bit player in a wide array of Southern French wines, most notably Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Sherman Thacher gives this somewhat obscure “blending grape” a showcase on its own, and this ’21 is the lightweight, fragrant, “chillable” red we’re craving at this time of year. It really does pay to turn over a few rocks to find unusual wines like this; we never tire of it, that’s for sure.