30 Days of Rosé continues at the Beverage Warehouse – today, we are featuring Vin Gris de Cigare by Bonny Doon

30 Days of Rosé | #04 | Bonny Doon | Vin Gris de Cigare | 2016 | $14.99

From bonnydoonvineyard.com:

2016 Vin Gris de Cigare | Pink Wine of the Earth

The wine does not overwhelm one with fruitybombasticity; it’s charms are seductively subtle. An extremely elegant and complex Vin Gris de Cigare.

Wine Specs

• Vintage:  2016
• Varietal:  49% Grenache, 19% Grenache Blanc, 13% Mourvèdre, 12% Carignane, 4% Cinsaut, 3% Roussanne
• Appellation:  Central Coast
• TA:  6.3 g/L
• pH:  3.47
• Serving Temperature:  50-55º F
• Label Artist:  Chuck House
• Alcohol %:  13.5

This wine is quite emblematic of the great sea change that has occurred at Bonny Doon Vineyard since the sell-off/ draw-down of the Ginormous Doonamath, whereby we have essayed a most sincere effort to make “quieter” wines in a more natural, less manipulated fashion. As such, this Vin Gris is made from bespoke grapes and is not a byproduct of red wine production, per se. We harvested at the appropriate ripeness level for its style. The essential principle here is that less is truly more.

Tasting Notes

The ’16 Vin Gris is a bit of a departure from recent vintages, somewhat deeper in color and definitely a bit fruitier than some, though the fruit is perhaps (at least at this stage) more of the dark and brooding variety, particularly suggestive of black currants, Damson plum and rosehips. In our modern world, one must never, ever, ever, make anything like a health claim for an alcoholic beverage. Les français, on the other hand, have no difficulty believing that a properly selected wine can remediate, if not cure almost any medical or existential complaint. So, no, I’m not saying that the Vin Gris has a calmative effect on jangled nerves, nor that it creates an immense feeling of well-being almost immediately upon just scenting it, even before the first sip. (Though it does smell an awful lot like any of the sundry tisanes (tilleul, eglantine) that will definitely do you some good.) Its perfume is subtle, haunting, not vulgar or tawdry, like some of the louche rosés de la nuit. Enfin, this wine is all about elegance and restraint. Rosehips, cassis, fraises de bois, citrus rind, with a wonderfully austere stony finish.

Vineyard Notes

The Grenache for our Vin Gris came principally from the Alta Loma Vineyard, harvested at the appropriate maturity level for this elegant style of wine. The Mourvèdre came from Del Barba Vineyard in Contra Costa County. About 22% of the wine is composed of traditional white Rhône varieties in substantial part from the Beeswax Vineyard, adding a surprising richness and foundation.

Production Notes

We also employed the practice of post-fermentation bâtonnage—the stirring or resuspension of yeast lees—to give the wine a certain creaminess of texture.

Food Pairing Notes

Just begs for oysters or stone crab.