2013 Bonny Doon CLOS DE GILROY

Varietal Blend: 84% grenache (Alta Loma Vyd.), 11.5% syrah (Alamo Creek Vyd.), 4.5% mourvèdre (Del Barba Vyd.)

Appellation: Central Coast

For a long time I went to bed aïoli, clovèd in nothing but the barest essential oils. The Wine Formerly Known as Clos de Gilroy (TWFKaCdG) pays homage to the quaint, rustic town of Gilroy, the spiritual locus of all matters alliaceous. However, note well, the fruit for this wine does not, despite its name, derive from Gilroy (clos, but no Cigare), but instead from the Alta Loma vineyard in Greenfield (a particularly cool site for grenache) the gravelly Alamo Creek Vineyard near Santa Maria and some truly ancient mourvèdre vines in the sleepy Sacramento Delta town of Oakley, CA. Grenache is really the star of the show, and the wine exhibits all the hallmarks of exceptional coolth—bright raspberries, red fruit, a strong suggestion of white pepper, and a supple, lingering finish.

Tasting Notes:  The strawberry-rhubarbity of grenache is complemented by some discreet meatiness from the mourvèdre and syrah’s discreet herbal, mentholated calling card. Brilliant rubescent pink with a fuchsia rim, the wine is intensely aromatic, with notes of strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, and wild herbs. Supple and mediumbodied, the dominant flavors on the palate are of red fruits: strawberry, red currant, kirsch, and rhubarb. The ’12 vintage is perhaps slightly riper than Gilroy’s d’antan, but remains remarkably nimble on its feet. Fruity and spicy but fully dry, this wine is the perfect foil for all manner of grilled meat or vegetables, roasted poultry, the aïoli platter (naturellement), and anything prepared al fresco—especially when anointed with olive oil. Vineyard | Production Notes:  Bonny Doon Vineyard’s winemaking practice is exceptionally light-handed, with minimal intervention and manipulation. We created the 2012 Clos de Gilroy from hand-harvested grapes deriving from three Central Coast Vineyards. The fruit was hand-sorted, gently de-stemmed, and cold soaked to enhance flavor and color extraction, and each lot was fermented separately. Extended maceration and fermentation took place under slow, cool conditions, and the lots were carefully blended to ensure a harmonious balance in the resultant wine.