Bonny Doon Vineyard

When a wine icon, James Beard award-winning author, and creative genius was interested in partnering to raise money for charity, we jumped!  We are thrilled and honored to feature a wine from Randall Grahm, the original Rhône Ranger and master-mind behind Bonny Doon Vineyard. This flagship Rhône-style red blend is identical to the Le Cigare Volant normale label, but its 23 months of aging sur lie in 5 gallon glass carboys (wine fermentation containers) is what sets it apart. This method rendered a beautifully integrated and complex wine.

On the nose, tobacco, cherry wood ash, wild blackberry, bramble, cigar box, leather and garrigue. Is that a note of brandy? Raw ginger? Definitely a sweet spice layer. Cinsault lends the Montmorency cherry, one of the flavor elements typically associated with Cigare (and also, coincidentally seems to get the final word in over the protestations of the vocal, Syrah). But don’t let that fool you—this is no fruit bomb. There are strong suggestions of iodine—meaty and bloody. This wine is all about elegance, and seems to disarmingly suggest a Burgundian take on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, if such a notion can be fashioned. This is not an ordinary wine. What is most noteworthy about it is its amazing silky texture, savoriness and infinite length. The 2010 Le Cigare Volant Réserve is wine to be savored and studied over a long meal with dear friends. It will benefit enormously from a gentle decanting or even just sitting in large glass for 30 minutes, especially when consumed young. This bodes well for the wine’s great ageing potential.

A wine that is Syrah dominant and modeled after one of the most famous regions in the Rhône Valley, Châneauneuf-du-Pape, is naturally going to pair well with food. Enjoy experimenting with lamb, pork, sausage, grilled meats, stews, and game pairings with this wine. Dishes with black olives, black pepper, pungent herbs, and mushrooms will also complement nicely. For takeout, order up pizza, burgers and ribs. Cheese with this wine is a must, and suggestions include Feta, Parmesan and Sharp Cheddar.