I saw that Cakebread just released their new vintage (2011?) of the Rubaiyat, a blend of pinot and syrah (I think usually something like 2/1 ratio), sometimes with other varieties included in the blend varying from vintage to vintage. I’ve liked this wine in the past, and the QPR at around $30 is good, if not exceptional. I even had a magnum once that was maybe 5 years after release, and it had aged pretty well for that period of time.
Domaine Alfred (now called Chamisal Estate) used to sell an inexpensive pinot/syrah blend called DA Red, I think for less than $15. It was a perfectly decent inexpensive guzzler, but nothing exciting either.