Pink Wines from Bonny Doon Vineyard: Deliberately Different Rosé

If a winemaker’s production includes rosé, it’s often just one. Many winemakers don’t even make rosé. Bonny Doon Vineyard is a bit of an overachiever in this regard. The winery’s current list includes six wines under their clever heading Pink Wines of the Earth.

Being huge fans of pink wines ourselves, Pete and I were thrilled to receive four wines recently from Bonny Doon Vineyard as tasting samples. We unpacked the wines, lined them up and took a look. Distinctly different. We approached this tasting without doing any reading beyond the wine bottle labels, which admittedly contain quite a bit of information. We wanted just enough information to guide our menu choices in preparing food to accompany the wines.

We tend to be grazers, and are just as happy eating a variety of small dishes as we are a complete meal. We prepared four small plates to pair with the wines. As luck would have it, each wine paired particularly well with a different dish.

The Wine & Food

2015 Vin Gris de Cigare — lightly copper in color, with delicate peach aromas and hints of spice. Citrusy flavors combine with peaches and berries and a stony minerality which lingers through the finish. This wine is light in the mouth, juicy and refreshing. 13.5% abv. $18.

Just looking at the color of this wine makes me think of the south of France and brings to mind the stories told by our friends who have visited the region. A warm afternoon, a light lunch in the shade of a tree and a bottle of vin gris. Sign me up!

This vin gris is a blend of Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Carignane, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Roussanne. The juice of the red varieties in this blend were allowed only minimal skin contact, resulting the delicate color. This wine is not a by-product of red wine production. The grapes were harvested and vinified to produce this style of wine.

The delicate flavors of this wine paired nicely with our Morel Crostini. The morel and leek mixture was sautéed in butter along with fresh thyme. Each crostini was smeared with goat cheese before adding the sautéed morel mixture. Sweet, buttery and only a bit earthy, the fresh morels are much more mild in flavor than their dried counterparts. The goat cheese was a bit tart and creamy. Delicious with the bright acidity of the Vin Gris de Cigare.

2015 A Proper Pink — light raspberry in color with distinctly herbaceous and earthy aromas. Floral elements sneak into the aromas as well. Earthy and delicately herbaceous flavors combine with dark fruit flavors and a suggestion of leather. Nice acidity and a hint of tannins linger on the finish which is medium in length. Almost like a red wine masquerading as a rosé. 13% abv. $16.

Tannat and Cabernet Franc play well together in this rosé. Limited skin contact produces the lovely color and I’m guessing that hint of tannin comes from the Tannat. I love Cabernet Franc, and definitely taste the flavors of the variety in this wine. I would drink this wine any day of the week.

We discovered a very proper pairing of this wine with Afghan Dumplings. Each little dumpling contained scallions sautéed in butter. A dollop of garlicky, minty yogurt topped each dumpling. Ground lamb, seasoned with onions, paprika and coriander then simmered with tomato sauce, completed the dish. The Proper Pink had plenty of flavor to match the dumplings. Really delicious pairing.

2015 Il Ciliegiolo Rosato — translucent ruby in the glass. Cranberry and cherry aromas combine with a bit of earth to produce an intoxicating nose. Black cherry and raspberry flavors are out front, but there is an intriguing savory note just behind them. I’m a sucker for savory every time. The finish is medium in length, juicy and flavorful. 12.4% abv. $24.

Initially I thought Ciliegiolo was a proprietary name for the blend, but no, it is the name of the grape variety. I had never heard of it, and had no idea how to pronounce it (here’s the pronunciation.) A quick look at Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson et al. provided this concise characterization of the variety:

Cherry-flavoured Italian red with untapped potential, especially in Toscana. Parent of Sangiovese.

This is the darkest of the rosés in this tasting, and the most intriguing. The savory notes in this wine made me think of some of the savory red wines I’ve enjoyed from the south of France, more than any Italian wine I’ve tasted. No matter, it is an interesting and delicious wine.

I have often read that asparagus and wine is a difficult pairing. I find this not to be the case, if you are clever enough to include a salty, cured pork product in the preparation. In this case I wrapped each asparagus spear with a slice of dry coppa (also called capocollo) before oven roasting them. Not too fatty, but very flavorful and the flavor of the roasted asparagus is much less herbaceous than the steamed version. A delicious pairing with the Il Ciliegiolo Rosato.

2013 Vin Gris Tuilé — slightly cloudy, pale yellow to apricot color in the glass with generous oxidative and curry aromas. Flavors follow the aromas with a sherry-like nuttiness, curry and earth. The flavors are bold and the finish a bit salty. This wine makes me salivate and then contemplate. Don’t bother me when I’m drinking this wine. 13% abv. $26.

The most unique wine of the group, this Vin Gris Tuilé won’t be to everyone’s liking, but I found it really interesting. It would be very nice after a meal, though it paired nicely with the hummus we made. Mild garlic, cumin and cinnamon flavors in the hummus were perfect with the oxidative flavors of the Vin Gris Tuilé.

The unique flavors of this Grenache, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Cinsault, Carignane, Grenache Blanc blend are not accidental. The wine is aged for 9 months outside, yes out of doors, in glass carboys. The sun and the elements produce the oxidative flavors in the wine. It is one of the most unique and interesting wines I’ve tried in some time.

Wow. Interesting and delicious. Four wines, four distinct styles and flavor profiles. Surely, there is a rosé for everyone in this group of thoughtfully made wines. Check the winery website, and beyond, for these wines.

Many thanks to the folks at Bonny Doon Vineyards for sending the tasting samples our way.

Cheers!