Simple Hedonisms

I am pleased to be one of the first to review the new Bonny Doon Vineyards 2010 Clos de Gilroy Grenache. The 2009 was one of my first “Wine of the Week’ in 2010 and it is again now. Regular readers know I am a huge fan of both Bonny Doon and Grenache – but that doesn’t make it a shoe in. If anything, since Grenache is one of my top varietals, I am quite hard when judging it. It’s a beautiful variety that often gets mistreated. (It’s not Cabernet, don’t make it like it is.)

About 2010 Clos de Gilroy

Per the iconic Randall Grahm:

‘The Wine Formerly Known as Clos de Gilroy ‘ or (TWFKaCdG) pays homage to the quaint, rustic town of Gilroy, the spiritual locus of all matters alliaceous. The fruit for our Grenache does not, despite its name, derive from Gilroy (clos,but no Cigare), but instead primarily from our former estate vineyard in Soledad and the Alta Loma vineyard in Greenfield, along with a sprinkling of other vineyards along the Central Coast. The wine exhibits all the hallmarks of exceptional cool climate Grenache.

Photo courtesy of Bonny Doon Vineyard

This is encouraging to someone in the middle of planting the first 500 of 1200 grenache vines in Russian River Valley, also a cooler climate.

At one point, wine maven and head of Direct to Consumer Sales, Meg Houston Maker, had scared me that there might not be a 2010, as Randall is uncompromising in what he puts his name, on. I was ecstatic to learn they did (only 2400 cases) and as I taste it side by side with a 2009 from my cellar, I am happy to report its wonderful.

Coming Up Soon – Day of the Doon IX, Sunday Sept 18th

Quick tangent – I am delighted to attend my first Day of the Doon, their annual wine club celebration will take place hosted at the new estate vineyard in San Juan Bautista. Randall Grahm will host a brief tour of their new plantings followed by a farm-to-table wine dinner celebrating the abundance of harvest. This event always sells out. Hope to meet some of you other Dewnstahs there!

Wine Review: 2010 Clos de Gilroy

To the Eye: Lively medium purple (a darker color than I might expect.)

One the Nose: Intense aromatics. Dark red fruits –   lots of raspberry, and some cherry. Spice.

In The Mouth: Light bodied, supple, balanced. Raspberry, cherry, touch of cranberry.  Presence of soft tannin on finish will allow this wine to pair with a wider variety of foods, as well as I suspect, bottle age nicely.

Recommendation: For $16-18 this wine is a must buy. 90 points. Great QPR (Quality Price Ratio.) Media Sample (although I will be buying more at Wine Club discount, I bought several cases of the 2009.)

This is my go to wine for ‘comfort wine’, crowd pleasers, and a wide food pairing range.  Randall recommends it with grilled meat or veggies, roasted poultry, or anything al fresco with olive oil.

Where to Buy:  Online at Bonny Doon, $18. At a few retail locations. K&L San Francisco currently has ~20 in stock

Wine Geek Info:

• Varietal Blend: 75% grenache, 13% cinsault, 12% syrah
• Appellation: Monterey County Alcohol by Volume: 13.1%
• TA: 4.8 g/L
• pH: 3.69
• Production: 2,384 cases

Related Articles:

‘Shipping Included’ – the Future of Direct to Consumer? An interview with Bonny Doon Vineyard

Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris De Cigare, Rosé

Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard 2009 “Clos de Gilroy” Grenache

Jon Bonné As Syrah falters, make way for Grenache

If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing for email updates, and sharing it on Facebook, Twitter.

2 Responses to “Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard 2010 Clos de Gilroy – Central Coast Grenache”