Tag Archives: Central Coast

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Bonny Doon Syrah “Le Pousseur” 2007

3 Comments

I’ll admit to having a geekcrush on Randall Grahm, president-for-life of Bonny Doon Vineyard. So take my opinion on his wines with a grain of salt. You can geekcrush on him, too, here and here and here and here and here.

FYI: “Le Pousseur” translates to “the pusher”.

____________________________

Producer: Bonny Doon Vineyard

Grapes: 100% Syrah

Appellation: Central Coast

Vineyards: Sourced from multiple growers. Hand-harvested.

Vintage: 2007

Winemaking: French oak barrels (duration unknown). Untoasted oak chips also used.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $18.00 (currently $15.30 from the winery website)

Tasting notes: Gamey, peppery, floral accents grace the dark fruit on the nose. I could sniff this all night. Full and rich on the palate without being sappy. Black fruit flavors, with meaty notes, earth and more pepper. It’s got a cool-mint finish with some tannic grip.

Overall impression: This wine’s no swag. It had me from first sniff. I’m buying what Randall’s pushing. B+

Free association:

The visual symmetry between the figure in the label and this image of Eric Stoltz’s drug dealer (le pousseur, bien sur) character in Pulp Fiction makes me unaccountably happy.

More info:

CellarTracker average: 86.8 points

Price: 16-20 bucks, Tasting Notes

Mourvèdre Monday #20: Bonny Doon Mourvèdre 2004

2 Comments

Opening one of Randall Grahm’s wines is always an event for me. I had the 2003 version of this wine in my cellar for 4 or 5 years before I gave in to temptation and pulled the cork; I was not disappointed. Though this is a 2004, I didn’t have to cellar it for half a decade. It was a special release from “Randall’s Closet of Curiosity” made available to DEWN members earlier this year.

Producer: Bonny Doon Vineyards

Grapes: 100% Mourvèdre

Appellation: Says Central Coast on the bottle, but the info in the winery newsletter suggests it’s from Contra Costa County (perhaps not within that official AVA?). CCC has some of the oldest Mourvèdre vines in California.

Vineyards: Rose Vineyard – very old vines in sandy CCC soil

Vintage: 2004

Winemaking: couldn’t find any details here other than that they use “a light touch in the cellar”

Alcohol: 13.5%

Price: $18

Tasting notes: After some initial funk blows off, the nose is all crushed rock and raspberries with a smoked meat note. On the palate it has good acid and bright flavors with more red berry and cherry fruit, but with a dark streak (hinting toward blackberry and plum). It’s like a gourmet Jolly Rancher, if there were such a thing (and there should be — get on that, Thomas Keller).

Overall impression: I’m digging the minerality on the nose and the overall purity of the wine. Really good stuff. B+

Free Association: Isn’t that a badass label? I want that on a t-shirt. It reminds me of this Lizard Man drawing from the old D&D Monster Manual.

More info:

CellarTracker reviews (avg: 87 pts)