Bonny Doon 2003 Le Cigare Volant Red Wine California

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND?—QUICK WINE PICKS THAT WON'T LET YOU DOWN

2003 was a great year for Le Cigare Volant, wine-weird Randall Grahms flagship—or should that be flag-Zeppelin—wine. An exceedingly accomplished California take on a Châteaunuf-de-Pape. Costing $29.99 at BevMo it's a tad expensive but worth every cent. Stylisitcally a slight departure from previous years, bolder. Very refined and smooth, full of plump red fruit, cassis and cherry. Simply delicious, a real treat... go on you know you deserve it. 91 points.

http://www.bonnydoonwinery.com/

Boony Doon 2004 Vin Gris De Cigare California

Most men given the choice between a fat juicy gourmet Bratwurst covered in a hearty German mustard in a ridiculously lush, crusty roll OR an ecomentalist Tofu sausage with an anaemic chai-soy aioli in a gluten-free flat bread with the consistency of cardboard will quite naturally plump for the comfortably sane German sausage.

Much the same I tend to keep my sideboard cellar stocked to the gunnels with Red wine, so breaking out a bottle of Vin Gris, Rosé nay Pink wine may come as a bit of a surprise. What's more I view ecomentalists with a rather large dose of healthy cynicism so this choice is even more of an oddity as this wine comes to us by way of Bonny Doon Vineyards biodynamic Rhone ranger, Californian wine guru and oddball ecomentalist Randall Grahm. Yes that's Grahm not Graham. Affect an English accent worthy of the most painful, inbred horse-faced British aristocrat and say pinky aloft and with a sneer "Graam".... perfect, you get the picture.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this treat at Bel Air for an acutely reasonable $12 earlier this year and bought it on a whim because it was from top wine-wierd Randall Grahm and unusually for his plonk not ludicrous expensive. Vin Gris "Gray Wine" is a Rosé or Pink wine but made without maceration. In the Rhoné style, Vin Gris De Cigare comprises 47% Grenache, 27% Cinsaut, 14% Syrah, 7% Grenache Blanc and 5% Roussanne.

Anyway popping the screw cap—well you don't exactly pop it do you—this beautiful light copper, salmon colored Vin Gris sits very elegantly in the glass. It exudes, inhaling at first a most marvelous slightly-spicy citrus tea. Strawberries, watermelon, thyme and a faint musky quality. Now at this juncture I'd waffle lyrically about it being reminiscent of the beguiling bouquet of wild flowers in a early summer alpine meadow but my Wife said that would be remarkably akin to a C grade student trying too hard...  so I won't. The nose is confirmed by the palette, juicy fresh fruit, red berries and citrus, lemon and a touch of mandarin orange. A well-balanced velvety, fresh, light wine that's almost but not totally bone-dry. Very crisp and refreshing, it feels strangely enough... rather cleansing.

This wine pair's perfectly with Summer. One of those idle stolen moments on a glorious August afternoon when you really should be at work but have no intention of doing so. A riverside picnic, propped up under a weeping willow tree with a good book, dozing comfortably in the gentle warm breeze bathed in the dancing sunshine afforded by the shadow of the lithe branches.

If you've yet to take a dip into the welcoming waters that is Rosé wine you'd be hard pressed to find a better example. The celebrated Randall Grahm may well indeed be a bit of a mental but this wine is a noteworthy gorgeous mouthful of sheer genius, 90 points.

http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/

Robert Hall 2005 Rhone de Robles Central Coast

This one has been sitting in my sideboard for awhile. A New World take on an Old World style the Robert Hall 2005 Rhone de Robles is a wonderful concoction of 46% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 6% Cinsaut and 3%Counoise. At only $14.99 (Bel Air or Rayley's) it is quite the safe and affordable bet for an enjoyable wine that more than adequately alludes to the Cotes Du Rhône style.

Pouring a splash into my glass a beautifully deep red/purple hue presents itself and swirling it releases a wondrously fragrant smell of very ripe black fruit, mostly cherries and blackberries with a peppery, almost clove like spice. Hiding in the background is a very slight vanilla smell which owes it's presence no doubt to the French Oak this tipple spends 14 months languishing lazily in.

This one tastes fantastic... a perfect mouthful, I could merrily drink this on it's own without food, in fact I could drink all of it but then again that would be less than responsible wouldn't it? 

Whilst the smell is black the taste is mostly fresh ripe red fruit, chocolate too and anytime someone can take grape juice, yeast, patience and talent then transform it into a liquid that is reminiscent of the forbidden love child of strawberries and the cocoa bean their efforts should be lauded on-high and they them-self considered for beatification. 

The tannins are present, not too excessive but they seem a tad off-wack... unsettled, a few years in the cellar and that should mellow-out nicely, the 13.9% ABV isn't apparent. This is a very exciting wine, like a dozen sugar-crazed 6 year olds mixing it up in a bouncy castle, full-bodied and oddly balanced, a delicious slice of fruity goodness.

This would pair really nicely with a grilled marinated lamb tenderloin smothered in an insane amount of rosemary served au jus, caramelized carrots and some garlic smashed potatoes. Now I don't have any of that to hand so I tried it with some Raclette and a Saint André cheese, after all the Americans may have increasingly figured-out how to produce "like totally awesome wine dude" BUT when it comes to cheese Monsieur Frenchie Frenchman still has the last and definitive word. Yes yes I know cheese is overly flattering to wine but nothing says good times like a fine bottle of red and a healthy dose of coagulated bovine lactation.

A sound 90, someone call the Pope there's a fella' in Paso Robles that needs a feast day calendared.

http://www.roberthallwinery.com/