The reserve bottling of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s flagship red is raised in twenty-liter glass carboys rather than neutral wood. This treatment is designed to exclude oxygen while increasing lees exposure, and to build savoriness into the wine without oak influences.
In the 2012 vintage, the blend is about forty percent Mourvèdre, one-third Grenache, one-quarter Syrah, and a tiny fraction of Cinsault. It’s a saturated black cherry color and feels closed at first, delivering a whiff of earthy funk—not unexpected given the élevage and screw cap bottling. But with an hour or so of air it flowers into anise and anisette, purple petals, and red cherries. Its suggestion of cured meats and smoked red fruits gets sliced by a bright blade of acid. A wine that can deliver refreshment after rich or gamy meats and aged cheeses.
13.5% abv | $60 (sample)
Thanks for the note. I am intrigued by this wine, but not quite enough to get me to the price tag. It’s 2X the ESJ Rocks & Gravel, my benchmark CA Rhone grape blend.
Thanks for reading, David, as always. I concur; that Edmunds St. John is terrific.