Today’s 94 point - Bonny Doon 2011 Le Cigare Volant was our Wine Spies Intrigue 2015 Award winner for Top Red Blend.

This is the winery’s flagship wine. It is their most sought-after, most prized and, perhaps, most delicious. This blend of 37% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 9% Cinsault is a Chateauneuf du Pape lover’s dream come true.

Wine legend, Randall Grahm sourced the fruit for this wine from some of the finest vineyard sources available. Of particular note is the Syrah that hailed from the Bien Nacido Vineyard, which grows some of the best Syrah in the US.

This wine is a joy to inhale, with initial aromas of Smoky dark cherry, blackberry, raspberry and red plum. As the wine opens up, it unpacks warm spice, dark chocolate, wild mushroom, dusty bramble and a hint of braised fig.

On the palate, it is ripe and beautifully balanced, with Black cherry juice, boysenberry, Alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca), purple plum, cherry chocolate cordial, dried meats, twigs, bramble and subtle spice.

Don’t miss out on this very rare opportunity to buy this very special wine at a very special price.

Here are a few words from the wine press:

“Bonny Doon’s flagship wine is this iconic American Rhone-style blend, which put both Randall Grahm and Bonny Doon on the map. Still crazy good after all these years, the 2011 is a muscular wine that will benefit from additional time in the cellar, though I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it up now alongside a savory roasted chicken. This vintage emphasizes dark fruits and spice, with good balance, serious dimension on the palate, and a fine, lingering finish.” - ** 94 Points ** - Robert Whitley, Wine Review Online (July 7, 2015)

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“Chewy, ripe and meaty with notes of boysenberry, wild cherry, osso buco and mushroom.” - 92 points - Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis, Planet Grape.

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“Exceptional. The classic Rhone-ish expression of Randall Grahm’s fascination with wines of personality, the blend here is 37% Mourvedre (for its blueberry fruit) and 34% Grenache for cherry and peppery notes. I have tasted many older versions of this wine and this one is set up to age a long time.” - Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences (July 9, 2015)