BONNY DOON VINEYARD
Le Cigare Volant
2022
$19.95
About this winery
Founded in 1983 by Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard is located in Santa Cruz, California. Randall is one of the first California winemakers have adopted the Rhone varietals, which earned him the nickname "The Rhone Ranger." Grahm is a leader in biodynamic agriculture. In addressing the issue of abandonment of brands and model of production based traders cellars, he told the New York Times, "We must act in accordance with his own words. Produce wine from purchased grapes is less risky, but you...
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Product notes
As the story unfolds, we learn that with the 2018 vintage there has been a fundamental change in the style of Le Cigare Volant. Not that there is anything at all ‘wrong’ with the first thirty-four vintages that preceded the current one, mind you, but for a number of reasons, it is time to shake things up a bit. With this ‘New Cigare’ there's beeen a seminal adjustment of the encépagement, by which the Mourvèdre has been dropped from the mix and the percentage has been elevated of the (greatly underappreciated and quite brilliant variety) Cinsault, creating a style of wine far more approachable and seductive in its youth.
Tasting notes
2018 was a wonderful vintage, providing us grapes with great natural acidity and real vibrancy of flavor. The color is a deep, vivid violet-red, owing in part to the lower pH of the wine. On the nose, the wine has a haunting kirsch nose, along with associated small red fruit (red and black currant) and perhaps a suggestion of blackberry. My colleague, Nicole Walsh and I toil away at the Cigare blend every year, and while the blend will change, we share an idea of the Platonic form of Cigare, and the ‘17 certainly embodies that form. It goes something like this: Juiciness, fruit, brightness, exuberance, joy, and not least, a sense of savoriness.