Today’s Bonneau Wines 2015 “Egret” Sonoma County Proprietary Red Wine delivers the goods, for less than its Sonoma or even Napa brethren. That’s right, this beautiful budget blend packs so much into a bottle that could easily command sums that are twice the price. This under the radar blend is in very tight supply.

Quite dense at the core, though a bit of light peaks through the garnet wine. It spreads out to maroon at the edge. On the nose, the barrel profile is excellent, with spicy notes of sandalwood and gingerbread. There’s violets, red cherry, and blueberry as well. The palate expands on the sandalwood note, adding in vanilla, pecan, and cassis. The fruit pulls more towards blackberry. Marvelously constructed with luxurious round mouthfeel with notably soft tannins that settle along the center of the tongue and hold fast for an extended finish. This is a top-notch wine punches way above its weight class. With the money you saved, get a New York skirt steak.

We asked winery owner and winemaker, John Bambury is there was a specific experience in his life that inspired his love of wine. He replied by saying, “I’ve always been interested in cooking & making recipes better. I took that philosophy to my winemaking endeavors. I’m meticulous about growing grapes, optimizing harvest & sorting fruit for superior quality. The rest of the program involves doting over the soak, fermentation & aging process to make sure the best qualities of the fruit is emphasized.”

John’s skill as a winemaker shines through in today’s delicious Sonoma County Red Blend.