Our last Bonneau sale was a smash hit with our Operatives and so we were quick to lure them back to our pages, for another stellar offer. This time, we’re proudly featuring their Bonneau Wines 2012 Sonoma Valley Malbec. We’ve only featured a handful of Cali Malbecs. Today’s is one of the best. Steal some!

Nice fire-engine red center through to the edge of the glass, with the faint mark of a well-aged wine around the lip. Complex nose with grilled cherries, plum, blackberry, and allspice. Seasoned hickory is the backdrop, making you go back for a second sniff. The smokiness disappears on the palate and instead, the main players are currants, fig jam, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. The allspice is here too in abundance with a nice oak profile. This wine is structured and balanced with smooth tannin, though definitely a full-bodied wine. The finish is long and elegant with tannin that lingers on the upper palate and the throat. This is a serious wine for a serious meal. Save it for something off of the grill - especially a blackened tri-tip.

One of the six classic component varietals that go into a true French Bordeaux wine, Malbec (named for the Hungarian peasant who first brought the grape to France) is a thin-skinned grape that requires more time to mature than its Bordeaux brethren, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In America, where very little Malbec is grown, the wine is often used as a minority component of Meritage blends. While Argentina is, perhaps, best-known for producing exceptional examples of the varietal, increasingly, California wineries are becoming more skilled at extracting a unique, and delicious, expression of the grape.

The Sonoma Valley AVA is one of the oldest wine growing regions in California with the first vines being planted in the early 1800s. The AVA is located along California Route 12 and its eastern boundary are the southern end of the Mayacama mountains. The unique micro-climate with less rainfall and fog than other parts of the region along with its unique soil provides ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir. Grown on their tiny estate vineyard, today’s wine is a special treat.