I've been a fan of Bonny Doon wines from the first time I tasted the Le Cigare Volant a few years ago at dinner. As such, I've wanted to taste their other wines and what better way to do so than in their newly outfitted tasting room in Santa Cruz. My tasting notes follow below.
2007 Metamorphosis I, Aurora ($22):
The Metamorphosis is a white varietal consisting of 50% Rousanne, 41% Loureira, and 9% Treixadura. The appearance is very light in nature, resembling an Extra Virgin Olive Oil color, perhaps lighter. The nose offers a bouquet of pear and vanilla, very pleasant. The first taste shows signs of high sugar, incredibly sweet then blending a coriander flavor with a heavy mouthfeel. Nice finish with subtle tartness. Overall, this was a pleasant wine, very drinkable with white meats or fish.
2008 Paso Robles Viognier ($20):
This 100% Viognier is very traditional for a Rhone-style white. The appearance is, again, very light straw and the nose offers toasted oak and asaparagus. The flavor is very intriguing, with my initial flavor as being a lightly aged cheese (probably from the rind) with sweet orange blossom and hyacinth notes. This wine offers a fantastic rounded finish, one of the best finishes I've found from a Viognier. Overall, my favorite white wine we tasted offering a beautiful bouquet and sweet blended flavors rendering some complexity. I can see this wine paired with a nice grilled fish. I rated this wine very highly, 93.
2007 Imagine ($28):
The Imagine wine is a blend of two Italian grapes, 70% Freisa (meaning strawberry) and 30% Sangiovese (the grape associated with Chianti).The label of this wine shows a caricature of John Lennon walking on what appears to be Abbey Road. Overall, this Italian blend offers a bright ruby/garnet appearance with transparency. Notes of strawberry, cassis and licorice adorn the nose with cherry and tannic flavors dominating the palate. Overall, the finish is quite dry and may benefit from some aging in the bottle. The flavor structure remains fairly straight-forward, with little associated complex. The wine is fine, rating an 83 in my book.
2004 Le Cigare Volant ($30):
Le Cigare Volant is one of my all time favorite red wines. This particular vintage offers a blend of Grenache (38%), Syrah (35%), Mourvedre (12%), Carignane (8%) and Cinsault (7%). The appearance of Le Cigare Volant is a darker, transparent garnet with scents of blackberry and lavender on the nose. The palate offers big fruit up front, with a faint oak flavor in the finish. I also detect a mild spiciness and a nicely rounded, dry finish. My notes indicate this is an excellent wine that could stand to age a bit longer to soften the finish but is ready now as well. Great wine, rated 94.
2007 Cinsault ($22):
It is quite rare to find a Cinsault made in the US and this one does not disappoint. A blend of 85% Cinsault with 15% Pinot Noir, the appearance shows a bright ruby color that fades to the edge and becomes quite dull, showing characteristic signs of pinot noir inclusion. The nose offers a nutty cheese with earthy tones and bright cherries. Upon tasting, the bright cherry comes through along with characteristic pinot flavors. I also detected a faint cedar note. Being a pinot lover, I truly loved this wine. The finish was well rounded and ready for consumption today. Great wine, rated 92.
2007 Angel Paille ($20):
The Angel Paille is a dessert wine that is a combination of Grenache Blanc (92%), Viognier (5.5%), and Rousanne (2.5%). The appearance is a very light orange hue that reminded me of orange gelatin. The nose offers wonderful scents of orange blossoms with a very faint cherry scent. The taste is an immediate shock to the palate after tasting reds, due to the very high sugar flavor. Tastes of honeycomb and orange blossom fit this wine well and the finish is wonderfully rounded. Overall, a very nice dessert wine, rated 89.
Overall, we had a great tasting experience at Bonny Doon and look forward to tasting future wines!
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