Bonny Doon Vineyard has been cranking out interesting wines for many years now. The blends are often idiosyncratic and unique. The varietal wines are also singular in style. A few years back Randall Grahm sold off the Big House wines that are ubiquitous on store shelves and he re-focused on smaller productions. Even in those Big House blends, that were made in large quantities, I was always impressed with how much character Randall achieved in a $10 bottle of wine. Over the next few days I’m going to take a look at a couple of his current Bonny Doon releases as well as his book. Today I’m going to take a peek at his 2008 Albariño
The Bonny Doon 2008 Albariño is made from fruit sourced at the Ca’ Del Solo Estate Vineyard located in Monterey County. In addition to Albariño (75%), Loureiro (21%), and Treixadura (4%) are also blended in. This vineyard is bio-dynamically farmed. 2,500 cases of this wine were produced and the suggested retail price is $20.
White peach and lemon aromas fill the nose of this wine. Lemon zest, grapefruit, honeysuckle, apricot and peach are each part of the palate of this Albariño and they’re underscored by an herbal flourish. Light touches of granny smith apple and mineral notes emerge on the finish, which has nice length, and is marked by its clean, crisp nature. This wine has terrific acidity and will pair well with light dishes. I tasted it alongside some Manchego cheese and found it to be an excellent pairing.
What has impressed my about Randall’s wines over the years is the sense of place they exhibit and their overall singularity from wine to wine. This 2008 Albariño is no exception. I remember the first Albariño I had a number of years back and being taken by how distinct the varietal tasted. I’m thrilled to find that this wine is true in spirit to excellent Spanish Albariños. This wine does a fantastic job of combining that sense of place, varietal correctness and simply being a delicious and distinct wine, recognizable for what it should be; wonderful fruit flavors, tied to their place of origin.