Bonny Doon Rose Vin Gris de Cigare Central Coast 2020
Red Blends | US
Rosé? In November? When it’s the legendary Bonny Doon’s Vin Gris de Cigare…you better believe it!!! Randall Grahm – the original Rhone Ranger – and this fantastically complex 92 POINT Vin Gris de Cigare…all for UNDER $10! This is my choice for leftover turkey sandwiches…and so much more!
Randall Grahm is the man whose iconic “Le Cigare Volant” set the standard for homages to Chateauneuf-du-Pape in California way back in 1986. His personal mission to make Rhone grapes like grenache, syrah, mourvedre, and more, changed the California wine industry forever, earning him a spot in the American Vintners Hall of Fame, as well as a James Beard award for his contribution to the wine industry. He even has an asteroid named after him for Pete’s sake! (Seriously...its name is 4934 Rhoneranger)! But perhaps most importantly, he makes layered, complex, interesting, and profoundly satisfying wines like this!
Basically the same earth-shattering formula of the legendary flagship, Le Cigare Volant, but in ROSÉ form – grenache dominant (both noir and blanc combine for over 70%) but flecked and speckled with all kinds of cool Rhone grapes – reds AND whites – like cinsault, clairette blanche, mourvedre, and rolle! Delightful notes of summer strawberry and red rose petals...but also cool and crunchy slate! The chalky, mineral-y spine of freshness goes on and on, with complementary notes of honeydew melon, yuzu sorbet, and orange creamsicle coated in tingly, zippy Szechuan peppercorns! Bone dry, and highly quaffable… the key is to not drink it too cold, or too quickly – no small challenge, indeed! At this incredible price, this is one to load up on and drink voraciously over the next couple of years!
About the Producer
Randall Grahm found himself sweeping floors at the Wine Merchant in Beverly Hills after his undergrad, an especially advantageous spot for the wine-obsessed. There, he tasted loads of fine French wines and became totally and completely hooked. He went on to earn his degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California Davis in 1979, and after graduation, purchased his first property in the Bonny Doon hamlet of the Santa Cruz Mountains with his sights laser-focused on producing the “Great American Pinot Noir.” The Great American Pinot proved to be...illusive, but Randall did find that Rhône varieties were what stuck. He continued to innovate; Bonny Doon was the first in California to work with cryo-extraction, utilize microbullage, and the first to popularize screw-caps on premium bottles. All of that creativity caused the Bonny Doon brand to effectively explode, becoming the 28th largest wine producer in the US. The wine empire didn’t hurt, but Randall decided it was time to scale it down, and sold three of Bonny Doon’s largest brands by 2010. Today, Bonny Doon’s focus is on the vineyards, crafting smaller production wines with a lighter touch, and of course, relentless innovation and creativity.
- Blend71% Grenache, 11% Cinsaut, 5% Clairette Blanche, 5% Grenache Blanc, 4% Mourvedre, 4% Vermentino
- CountryUS
- RegionCalifornia
- AppellationCentral Coast
- Alcohol13.5%
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