I don't want to bad mouth any grape and I don't want to gossip. It's just that... everyone is CooCoo for Malbec and I feel like there are a lot of one-dimensional Malbecs out there riding the It-Wine Wave at the moment. Malbec is loveable with it's blueberry raspberry richness. It certianly is accessible - and I'm not saying that's not appealing... I'm just saying that there are other things that South America has to offer. There's chocolaty dense Tannat from Uruguay. There is the raspberry tobacco Carmenere from Chile. What's that? You want to stay in Argentina? Fine! Try a Bonarda. It was until recently the most widely planted red grape in Argentina.I grabbed this Bonarda from Familia Mayol today at a small Massachusetts retailer (who was also selling Girl Scout cookies behind the register) and after looking on-line at the prices - looks like I overpaid - $18.99 where most places are charging $14.99. Even though I paid too much, I still enjoyed this wine. That's the true test, isn't it? The rich black cherry/ berry were a divine match with my tamales. There were sweet baking spices on the nose, but it didn't over power the palate. I think this would also be a great pizza and burger wine. It's a great grape to add to the easy drinkin' arsenal!
Verdict: go against the grain! I root for this underdog, unassuming Bonarda!
color: dark purple
nose: plummy spice, cinnamon blueberry
palate: rich, vanilla plum blackberry spice
4 comments:
Finally a post on Bonarda. A rather obscure grape in France, Bonarda somehow escaped to Argentina, where it has found a true home. It has Malbec tones, with a Merlot fatness to it and a sort of Syrah gaminess.
We're actually featuring the 2008 Monte Lindo in our April 2010 Classic Series, which is really a wonderful example of a Bonarda: deep and rich, but not so overbearing that it couldn't be paired with lighter dishes and tomato sauces. I eagerly await the response from our members.
Thanks again.
Paul Kalemkiarian
President, Wine of the Month Club
http://www.wineofthemonthclub.com
Sorry, I should clarify my previous post. The consensus seems to be that the grape has its origins in Piedmont, but some have speculated that its actual roots stem from Sovoie, France, and that it was then transported to Piedmont, where it began to gain its prestige.
Whether or not you subscribe to this school of thought, to say Bonarda is from Piedmont is still the safest.
Paul Kalemkiarian
President, Wine of the Month Club
http://www.wineofthemonthclub.com
Thanks Paul! I had always thought that Bonarda was from Piemonte, too. In researching Bonarda I came across the theories about Savoie, France. I want to get my hands on some Charbono - have you had any? what are your thoughts?
Charbono makes great wine. California versions tend to be big wines with lots of acid and should not be opened before a few years in the bottle. The Argentinian version, Bonarda (the same grape as Charbono), tends to be much more approachable when young. We have the Monte Lindo Bonarda in stock
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