Over the Barrel
Bonterra Vineyards: Grapes Gone ‘Ganic
By Lenn Thompson
Most of us can agree that organic
farming is a good thing—good for the plants, good for the
land, good for the groundwater and good for those eating the produce.
But the questions remain about whether or not organic vineyard practices
lead to better wines. I haven’t formed an opinion yet—
mostly because I haven’t had that many organically grown wines.
In fact, I had only tasted a couple
until last week when I got my hands on a set of wines from Bonterra
Vineyards, a producer that has bet the farm—literally—on
the quality of their organically grown wines.
Their 378-acre vineyard, located
in the Russian River benchlands of Mendocino County, is certified
organic, and they describe their farming practices “back to
the future” because they focus on composting, cover crops
and natural cycles to “create a soil that is rich and vital.
From this fertile soil grow naturally healthy vines and intensely
concentrated, flavorful grapes.”
I can’t be sure if their “green”
vineyard practices are responsible for the quality of the wines,
but the quality is there—even if the ripe, California style
is a bit much for my taste.
Bonterra Vineyards 2005 Roussanne
($22) was my favorite of the whites. Roussanne has a unique flavor
profile and this wine is a fine example with honey, apricots and
fresh flowers on the nose. There are a lot of over-oaked, chardonnay-wannabe
roussannes out there, but this isn’t one of them. Ripe peach
flavors dominate a well-balanced, medium-bodied palate that features
just the right amount of acidity. There are also honey and floral
notes, particularly on a deliciously long finish. Obviously, I really
enjoyed this one.
Also fairly well balanced was the
Bonterra Vineyards 2005 Viognier ($18). On first sniff, this wine
has a lot of gewürztraminer character with rose petals and
lychee-lemon aromas. Moments later, just-ripe honeydew melon steps
forward on the nose. The finish leans a little towards sourness,
but there is loads of lemon, lemon zest and green melon flavor here.
At 13.9% alcohol by volume, there was a little heat on the finish
too, but it wasn’t overwhelming.
My disdain for many California chardonnays
is well documented and while Bonterra’s 2005 Chardonnay ($14)
doesn’t suffer from the usual flabbiness, a noticeable green
pea aroma and flavor was off-putting.
Moving on to Bonterra’s red
offerings, they make a serviceable, if overly soft, Bonterra Vineyards
2004 Merlot ($15) that is pretty one dimensional and a little hot
on the finish. If merlot is your thing, you’re much better
off looking locally.
I did enjoy their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
($16), however. It is filled with plum and cherry flavors with just
slightly gripping tannins and a lengthy finish. It’s unique
for California because it’s not over-oaked, and at $16 is
a nice value.
If you like Australian shiraz, but
want a little more complexity, pick up a bottle of Bonterra Vineyards’
2004 Syrah ($18). This dark, almost inky, red wine offers deep,
big black fruit flavors with hints of spice, tar and caramel. The
caramel is most apparent on a flavorful yet supple finish that lasts
long after the wine is swallowed.
For more information on Bonterra
Vineyards, visit www.bonterra.com
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