Gorgeous Grenache: Tasting 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

I kept coming back to the word ‘pretty.’

It is no secret that the 2007 vintage is an extraordinary one for the Southern Rhone Valley of France. The establishment wine press has been bestowing glowing reviews and copious point totals to 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes and Cotes-du-Rhones for some time now. The only question was ‘how great are they?’

I had tasted a large number of 2007 Cotes-du-Rhones and consistently been impressed. More than that. These were the best CDRs, I’d ever tasted. It was with more than a little excitement that I opened the bottles for today’s wine tasting at Walt Churchill’s Market.

What I found were the finest young Chateauneufs I’d ever had and the purest Grenache flavors I’d ever experienced. You could taste the red fruits and pretty (there I said it again) freshness. Grenache wasn’t the only thing to like about these wines. They were obviously going to dramatically improve with ageing and yet they showed superbly.

But let’s get into the wines.

Bosquet des Pape 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $42.99 OH Retail.
75% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah & others.

Super sexy Grenache with red fruit. Beautiful and elegant for the size. Very accessible. If I was drinking one of these wines tonight, this would be the wine. It is also a good wine for the brand new Chateauneuf-du-Pape drinker.

Domaine Grand Veneur 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $49.99 OH Retail.
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre

The Syrah really makes a strong appearance here. Roast meats, nuts, and fruits fill the nose. The palate is full of blackberries, black raspberries, and more smoky meat. But let us not forget a serious level of acidity that frames this wine nicely and show age-worthiness.

Domaine de la Mordoree 2007 Lirac ‘La Reine des Bois’ $41.99 OH Retail.
Equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.

Ok, I know this isn’t a Chateauneuf. In fact, this is the best Lirac I’ve ever tasted. Really, it is that good. The wine is noticeably darker than the others with hearty meat flavors, garrigue, bramble, slate, red and black plums, and great integrated tannins. If I was buying for my cellar, I would seriously stock this up.

Chateau de Beaucastel 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. $110.99 OH Retail.
All 13 Southern Rhone Varietals in a super secret blend.

OMG! I’ve never had a young Beaucastel that was even close to this good. The wine tasted so superb that many people at the tasting wouldn’t believe that it could improve. But it can. I’ve tasted some old Beaucastel and I am so looking forward to this wines evolution.
Today, it tastes like a meat, mushroom, black truffle oil, blackberry, and plum wave. It rolls on the palate and you swirl it around your mouth. And a very very long finish. Stunning wine.

There are many other 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes that I haven’t tasted, but you should seek them out. If you have a choice, try to focus on the blends that feature a high percentage of this gorgeous Grenache.

Doon it Right. Part 2 of 2. The Cigares Volant.

This is the 2nd of two blogs about the new incarnation of Bonny Doon Vineyard. See the other one first at this link.

I don’t think it would be out of place to call the Le Cigare Volant the heart of the Bonny Doon portfolio. These Southern Rhone-style wines bear a label that at first glance is traditionally European. Until you realize that the vineyard is being invaded by a flying ‘cigare’ (Le Cigare Volant in French.) It is an elegant fusion of wackiness and Randall Grahm’s old world reverence.

The story, which can be found on the back of each bottle, related a ‘strange but true’ French law forbidding the landing of UFOs in the vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You really have to read the back of this bottle yourself. I won’t spoil the eloquence of Grahm’s descriptions here.

But how are these wines in the new Bonny Doon incarnation.

Le Cigare Blanc 2007 ‘Beeswax Vineyard.’ $19.99 OH Retail.
The label shows an ultra-specific blend of 64.3% Roussane and 35.7% Grenache. The wine is rich with white-Rhone mouth feel. It is so rich and voluptuous that you wonder why you ever need Chardonnay. This, I’m sure, is Randall Grahm’s intension.

Vin Gris de Cigare 2008 Rose. $15.99 OH Retail.
Americans don’t drink nearly enough dry rose. Too many people think that all rose is the sickly sweet Pink Infidel. This rose, made from the mixture of white and red wines, is refreshing and food friendly and not at all sweet. Delicious and priced right for a summer lunch.

Le Cigare Volant 2005 Red Blend. $29.99 OH Retail.
Le Cigare Volant 2001 Red Blend $29.99 OH Retail.

It was quite the honor to try this mini-vertical of Volant. The 2001 was the oldest wine under screw cap that I’d ever tasted and it was in its prime. It was starting to show the tawny around the rim of older Rhone wines and was filled with an earthy interpretation of Mourvedre on the nose. I’m still not sold on the age ability of screw caps, but this wine makes a good argument.

The 2005 was brighter with Grenache dominating. It also had some extra intensity to the fruit that I interpreted as Syrah influence. Both wines were sophisticated food wines that would have held their own in a blind tasting of CDPs.

In conclusion, the entire Bonny Doon portfolio is holding its place in my book as one of the most exciting vineyards in America, if not the world. I will be very excited to see how what Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon will doon next.

Doon it right. The new taste of Bonny Doon Winery. Pt 1 of 2.

Randall Graham, owner of Bonny Doon Winery, is crazy. He is also probably a genius.

The original “Rhone Ranger,” Graham pioneered Syrah, Grenache, and other Rhone grapes in California. He embraced extreme wine names and enlisted avant-garde artists to create the most interesting brands the wine industry had ever seen. Randall Graham even wrote his own version of “Dante’s Inferno” and filled it with personalities from the wine business including the famous wine critic Robert Parker. (That would explain why the superb Bonny Doon wines never scored anywhere near what they were worth.)

But when the challenge of running a 450,000 case wine empire started to mean a decrease in quality, Graham sold off the two biggest brands. Bonny Doon was reborn as a 35,000 case boutique winery with a supreme emphasis on quality and biodynamic sustainability.

On February 13, 2010, I had an opportunity to taste the ‘new’ Bonny Doon winery. The wines were a revelation. A winery I’ve always loved became one I could love and respect. These are the wines with my impressions.

Ca’ del Solo 2008 Albarino. $17.99 OH Retail
This is a California Albarino that actually tasted like Albarino. It is stunning that a state with the amount of coastline (and by extension fish) wouldn’t be growing the ultimate fish-wine. I was craving a fresh grilled slab of fish with a spritz of lemon. And I don’t even really like fish.

Ca’ del Solo 2008 Muscat. $15.99 OH Retail.
The grape is Moscato, famous for the sparkling sweet wines of Italy. But this was done Alsatian-style. Just off-dry. A perfume nose that was totally sweet, but a taste that is dry. If you dry Vouvray or dry Riesling, you’ll love this.

Ca’ del Solo 2006 Sangiovese. $12.99 OH Retail.
Can the best American Sangiovese really be only twelve dollars? It appears so. This wine is a dead-ringer for $30 Rosso-di-Montalcino. Rich tobacco, leather, flowers, and meat in a wine with a lot of taste, but not heavy. We shouldn’t forget, however, a truly Italian level of acidity. No one would imagine this was a Calfornian wine from the taste. It was a watershed wine for USA Sangiovese.

Le Pousseur 2005 Syrah. $19.99 OH Retail.
Real Syrah is feminine, elegant, and beautiful according to the text on the back label of this wine. The winemakers of France’s Northern Rhone would agree and I’d be hesistant to argue. This is elegance under control. No wilting flower here. Like an elegant figure skater, this wine is power under control.

D.E.W.N. 2005 Syrah ‘Bien Nacido Vineyard’ $39.99 OH Retail.
While the other wines look to Europe for their style, this looks to Europe for ideology. And find it in Terroir – that expression of place that informs the best wines of the Continent. Randall Graham takes that perspective to what is arguably the most famous Syrah vineyard in America. The result is a wine of incredible complexity, power, and structure. It is a wine whose character is uniquely Bien Nacido, showing aromas and flavors only possible from this vineyard. Graham has been searching for an America ‘Grand Cru.’ With this wine, he has possibly found it.

We’ve only begun to scratch the surface. Next blog post will highlight Bonny Doon’s Cigare Volant. We’ll discuss the history of a wine based on UFOs and taste a vertical in red, white, and pink.

Video: Greg Jones of Evergreen Vineyards

Greg Jones of Evergreen Vineyards in Oregon shows off his recent released wines. And talks aviation.

Priorat: The Best Wine You’re Not Drinking

Sometimes fine wine prices just make you want to cry. The heights to which Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Burgundy, and more have ascended often terrify the wallet. You want to scream, “Am I doomed to mass produced swill? Where are the great wines at reasonable prices?”

The answer is Priorat. These powerful, long lasting, and eminently complex red wines deliver A+ quality and longevity. They are traditionally made, accessible now, and deserving of your cellar.

Only Priorat and Rioja can lay hold of Spain highest designation of quality – DOQ. Unlike Rioja, Priorat doesn’t feature Tempranillo but instead delivers blends with a focus on very old-vine Carinena (Carignan.) Imagine Chateauneuf-du-Pape with a strong rustic exterior and you get an idea as to the style here.

The vines are very old, as was mentioned before, and are on rocky hillsides so steep as to prevent anything other than human farming. No machines are used. That means that there is no profit to be made in mass production or bulk wine. Priorat is put in the unique position of being darn near a guarantee of quality.

Not everyone would consider wines in the $30-75 range as value. However, when you consider what you would pay for traditionally made, long lasting, superb wines from other regions….You are probably paying $30 today for a wine that will be $150 or more when the wine press discovers it.

Now on to the wines. Let us examine the 2006 Vintage which is what you will likely find on retailer shelves.

Mas d’En Compte 2006 Priorat. $49.99 OH Retail

A great introduction to Priorat. Rich and dark purple colored with toasty oak. It is trying to do it’s Barossa Shiraz thing, but pulls it off with more class that most Aussie wines. Very ageable but don’t age for more than 10 years.

Alvaro Palacios 2006 Priorat ‘Les Terrasses.’ $44.99 OH Retail

Textbook Priorat with 60% Carignan. Super sexy now, but serious and powerful tannins that will mellow beautifully with time. Beware of waiting too long to buy this because Wine Spectator listed it as a Top 100 wine and the price is certain to skyrocket. P.S. This is just the 2^nd label of Palacios. The 1^st label is priced in the $150 range, but is as good as Grand Cru French wines or Cult California wines. Buy it if you can find it.

Mas Doix 2006 Priorat ‘Salanques.’ $49.99 OH Retail

This is another 2^nd label from one of original founders of Priorat. Sexy and supple with a high percentage of Grenache, but also includes Carignan, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Very accessible blue-black color and 16 months of French Oak.

Bodegas mas Alta 2006 Priorat ‘La Basseta.’ $99.99 OH Retail.

A superstar with intense flavors and serious aging potential. A finish that lasts into the minutes. 45% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Packed with the flavors of minerals, smokey wood, lavender and other flowers, incense, dark black fruits including blueberry. Stunningly complex, but very pleasurable. A wine that makes you smile.

These are only a few of the stunning wines to be had from this area. Please consider experimenting with Priorat. You’ll find incredible bang for you fine wine buck.

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