TN: 3 Bonny Doon Cigares

Recently, Kim and I tasted three of four from the Bonny Doon “Cigare” lineup, inspired by the wines of the southern Rhone.

2008 Bonny Doon California Vin Gris De Cigare “Rose‚ Wine of the Earth,” 58% Grenache, 18% Cinsault, 10% Roussanne, 7% Mourvedre, 4% Syrah, 3% Grenache Blanc, 13.6% alc., $15: Pale peach pink in color, with flavors and aromas reminiscent of dusty under-ripe strawberry, watermelon and mineral. Medium bodied, with good intensity, ample acidity and a nice finish, where the minerality lingers. This is solid, tasty dry rose‚ in the southern French style, and that’s just fine by us. The red varieties are bled off in modest volumes from freshly processed grapes destined for Le Cigare Volant and Central Coast Syrah.

2007 Bonny Doon Arroyo Seco Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard, 64% Roussanne, 34% Grenache Blanc, 14.6% alc., $22: Pale straw color, with white tree fruit and mineral on the nose, fleshing out in the mouth to take on elements of white peach and pear, along with hints of banana, lanolin and beeswax. Medium to medium full bodied, with excellent cut; rich round, well balanced and very appealing, with great presence.

Last time we had one of Bonny Doon’s flagship red Le Cigare Volant, it was much more in the new world style than old. Happily, that has changed with the latest vintage.

2005 Bonny Doon California Le Cigare Volant “Red Wine of the Earth,” 50% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah, 3% Carignane, 1% Cinsault, 13.5% alc., $32 (September 2009 release): Clean dark garnet in color, and very southern
Rhone-ish in style, with earthy forest floor, beet root, black plum and blackberry character shaded with hints of coffee, cola nut and more and more briar bramble as it opens. Full bodied, with a solid tannin and acid backbone that bodes well for at least five to eight years in the cellar. Had I tasted this blind, I daresay I would have thought this to be from the southern Rhone or the Languedoc. Very nice indeed, this provided some very fine Red Wings & Red Rhones mojo.

6 New Wines from Bonny Doon

Reporting from Day-twah,

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