2022 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant Central Coast, USA

Varietals:
61% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 4% Petite Sirah

AVA: Central Coast, CA

Loma Del Rio 34%, Ventana 27%, Chalk Knoll 20%, Rick's 15%, Sin Falta 4%

ABV: 13.5%

Tasting: The '22 Cigare is a touch leaner than the '21, but expressive and terribly elegant. Wild strawberry, rhubarb with black pepper and tobacco preDOONimate as flavor components.

Winemaker Notes: "The fruit is carefully selected to ensure its full potential of ripeness with balanced chemistry, and as usual for Cigare, Grenache is the star of the show. As we all know, Grenache grown in relatively cool sites in coastal California has a growing season long enough for it to create the spicy, peppery quality that we love so much and expect to taste in Cigare. We included, as is our wont, some wonderful Cinsault, a rather plump and juicy grape, which was signee to a fare-thee0well, to increase the concentration of this lightly colored and structured grape. The wine was aged in stainless steel tank and bottled ten months after harvest to preserve freshness and vibrancy." -Randall Grahm (Director of Winemaking/Founder)

Vineyard/Vintage Notes: 2022 was the year of Cinsault for Bonny Doon, but that seems to be a custom that will persist into the indefinite future.

Label Art: Vineyard artwork from 1855 edition of "Bordeaux Chateaux" . Spaceship courtesy of Jules Verne circa 1870. 

Story: In 1954, the village council of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was quite perturbed and apprehensive that flying saucers or "flying cigares" might do damage to their vineyards, were they to land therin. So right-thinking men all, they passed an ordinance prohibiting the landing of flying saucers or flying cigares in their vineyards. The ordinance further states that flying saucers or flying cigares that did land were to be taken immediately to the pound.