2014 Bonny Doon Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Mountain Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain.
One of Randall’s secret series (or less known) of Pinot explorations, the 2014 Bonny Doon Vineyard Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir comes from a site not far from Hanzell and Van Der Kamp, both of which made the area famous for powerful Pinot Noir and that were planted back in the 1950’s, and while Sonoma Mountain Vineyard came later it offers that same kind of pedigree and complexity, it’s a wine to search out, exclusively available through the tasting room. Pinot Noir is Randall Grahm’s great white whale, he has been trying to make wine that appeases his high expectations, and even though he has gone on to become one of the world’s most renown vintners and icon in California wine, especially with his Cigare Volant Rhone Ranger wines, he has always wanted to make a great Pinot Noir and has felt it was the one thing that got away. I personally have been thrilled with Grahm’s recent Pinots, especially his Enz Vineyard and this beautifully detailed, deeply layered and subtlety spicy Sonoma Mountain Vineyard, it’s an expressive and satiny wine that shows an opulent and vinous mouth feel, but reaches complex depths with velvety tannins that give an underlying grip and power. The nose is full of fruit and floral charm and the entry is wonderfully forward and lush, almost creamy on the palate, it slowly seduces and opens to a medium/full Pinot gaining extra elements with every sip, it goes from a simple pleasure to a seriously profound wine in stages, it demands your attention while a sly smile, it’s a wine that needs an evening to reveal all that is there with racy red plum, sweet raspberry and a core of black cherry along with mineral tones, dried lavender, rose oil, earl grey, dusty red pepper flakes, cedar, vanilla and minty anise. The acidity is lifting, but ultra smooth, the age has given this Pinot a seamless feel and polished class, it’s without a doubt a quality and refined effort, drink now.
($40 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive