I am thoroughly surprised I even entertained the thought of trying this bottle, given my complete and utter disdain for this filth ridden, space travelling lint ball we call home. Organic wine? Happy hippy juice. What am I to expect? Jammy? As in guitars noodling for countless hours culminating in an annoying unstructured and a less than satisfying long finish? A spicy conglomerate of long hair, free love and a strong disbelief in soap? There is a reason I don't recycle. How can I perpetuate this nonsense? With every empty bottle that I chuck at a woodpecker, I feel a sense of great justice. My mantra, Muerte a la Tierra! With that being said...... A completely unbiased opinion.
What we have is a cabernet sauvignon from Bonterra, vintage 2009. 90% Mendocino County, 10% Lake County. Due to the 'organic' nature of this wine, I didn't even bother to note the ullage. Uncork and pour. A little swirl and sniff reveal raisin, jam (damn it) and black cherry, specifically prunas cerasus or sour cherry of the species found in asia. On the palette, generous amounts of pepper, plum and clove with an overall bitterness. The finish leaves with pleasant, leathery tannins. From the start I was ready to dismiss this wine. But as the bottom of the bottle began to reveal itself, I softened. But as much as I like this wine, there isn't enough of it to keep me from choosing plastic over paper and recycling my styrofoam take out containers directly to the dump. Hey, every bit counts.
It's the word I would use to describe this red blend from Chile. Yes, bawdy. It reminds me of how I like my women. Bold and aggressive, will slap you in the face then open up. Best of all they can be had for only eight bucks a pop. The bottle I am speaking of is a 2009 vintage Winemaker's Lot from producer Concha Y Toro of the Maule Valley, Chile. It is a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% carmenere, Chile's representative grape and 10% syrah. Prior to uncorking, a quick measuring of the ullage revealed a spacious three quarters of an inch. Initial impressions on the tongue are sharp, acidic with a lot of alcohol present. Soon this gives way to big round dark berry and jam with hints toward leather, pepper and black currant. As with the aforementioned ladies, the finish is exiting and a bit hairy about the edges with soft, supple tannins. So, pull out your corkscrews, pop cork and enjoy a bawdy night of cheap thrills.
