WTN: BonnyDoon LesVolDesAnges Roussanne '06....(short/boring

Tried this last night:
1. BonnyDoonVnyd LesVolDesAnges SweetWine of the Earth Roussanne BeeswaxVnyd/ArroyoSecco/Monterey (Botrytis; 14.8%; RS: 11%; SaH: 37.6 Brix) 2006: Med.dark gold color; very strong/intense botrytis/peachy slight honeysuckle/Roussanne/floral slight butterscotchy/creme brulee very perfumed/aromatic nose; soft fairly sweet/lush intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty very dfloral/perfumed/honeysuckle light creme brulee flavor; very long floral/honeysuckle/Roussanne intense botrytis/peachy finish; a really beautiful Sauternes that still speaks of Roussanne. $30.00/hlf
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Happened to be looking at this label on the dessert wine shelf and thought it was some FrenchSauternes until I happened to notice in the label graphics....that's a flying cigar up there above the vnyd. Looked at the very tiny print.. sho'nuff ...BonnyDoon. The wine is loaded w/ botrytis, yet still speaks of Roussanne. Usually strong botrytis obliterates varietal character, but not in this case.
I somtimes get a little perturbed by RandalGrahm. He..is/can be...one of Calif's great winemakers. He's loaded w/ innovative ideas and certainly marches to the beat of a different drummer from us normal folks. But I taste some pretty unthrilling stuff under the BonnyDoon label and sometimes feel he's so consumed w/ coming up w/ marketing gimmicks and antics that he's lost his grip on his real calling...being a great winemaker.
And then along comes a wine like this and I think..Randal hasn't lost it after all. This wine is an exceptional Sauternes, and I see no reason that it won't age for many a year.
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2. DessertRoussanne: Of the Rhone white varieties, Roussanne is easily my favorite. I've had a number of dessert Roussannes (botrytis, freezer ice wine, vin de paille, passito) that I thought were outstanding dessert wines. The Jaffurs is one such. It's a variety I think can make dessert wines in Calif that are world-class.
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3. Comes in a screwtop but, alas.....no ingredient label!!! Haven't a clue as to what "Wine of the Earth" means.
TomHill

but, alas.....no ingredient label!!! Haven't a clue as to what "Wine of the Earth" means.

This year's labels will apparently tell all. You're just drinking ahead of schedule, Tom.

Thanks for the note. I missed this at the tasting room

I do enjoy his "Chateauneuf du Pape" wine, Le Cigare Volante, quite a bit. It's elegant, balanced, lightly flavored with some nuances, and handles the alcohol very well. I'd rather drink this than a lot of goopy hot climate Central Coast "Syrahs" that clock in at 16%.

DessertRoussanne: Of the Rhone white varieties, Roussanne is easily my favorite. I've had a number of dessert Roussannes (botrytis, freezer ice wine, vin de paille, passito) that I thought were outstanding dessert wines.

Roussanne is also grown on the best south-facing slopes of the Chignin vineyards in Savoie, where it is called Bergeron, and the wines labelled Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron. Increasingly in the last few years, in addition to their normal cuvée (usually dry or almost dry), a few producers have been making a special small lot of late-harvest Chignin Bergeron. Contrary to popular belief about Savoie, here they can attain natural potential alcohols of 13 - 14% in most years, and even suffer from drought on the rocky slopes (no irrigation allowed of course). Usually there is some level of botrytis (often present in the dry/off-dry Bergerons too) and it enhances the wonderful honeyed, apricot flavours of the style. In this area, there is a great deal of natural acidity present too, so this provides excellent balance. Being French, they of course recommend drinking it with foie gras, and I can attest (though don't tell anyone that I occasionally eat this, please ) to this great pairing.

Roussanne is also grown on the best south-facing slopes of the Chignin vineyards in Savoie, where it is called Bergeron, and the wines labelled Vin de Savoie Chignin Bergeron. Increasingly in the last few years, in addition to their normal cuvée (usually dry or almost dry), a few producers have been making a special small lot of late-harvest Chignin Bergeron. Contrary to popular belief about Savoie, here they can attain natural potential alcohols of 13 - 14% in most years, and even suffer from drought on the rocky slopes (no irrigation allowed of course). Usually there is some level of botrytis (often present in the dry/off-dry Bergerons too) and it enhances the wonderful honeyed, apricot flavours of the style. In this area, there is a great deal of natural acidity present too, so this provides excellent balance. Being French, they of course recommend drinking it with foie gras, and I can attest (though don't tell anyone that I occasionally eat this, please ) to this great pairing.

Thanks for the head's up, Wink. I'm very familiar w/ the Savoie/Chignan Roussannes. They have a liveliness and minerality to them that few other Roussannes have. But I'd not heard they were making any late-harvest versions. I'll have to look for one. I assume botrytis does not play a role??
Tom

I assume botrytis does not play a role??
Tom

In most years (except in the very dry year of 2003) it does indeed play a role, as I wrote.

Thank you Tom for the delightful note. Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier have been among my favorite whites (it is a narrow field). I never thought about botrytised Rousanne until this. Then I remembered that I have a bottle of 1996 Cave de Tain' Hermitage vin de paille somewhere in my cellar. Are most vin de paille made from Rousanne? Also, besides the obvious differences that the land confers, what is the difference between the French Rousanne and the ones made in the New World. Weather permitting, I will be in the El Dorado area this Saturday and hope to try some recent vintages of New World Rhone offerings.

I remembered that I have a bottle of 1996 Cave de Tain' Hermitage vin de paille somewhere in my cellar. Are most vin de paille made from Rousanne?

I guess the few made in the northern Rhône are from Roussanne and/or Marsanne.
Vin de Paille in the Jura are made from any blend of Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard and rarely Trousseau.

Thank you Wink.

Thank you Tom for the delightful note. Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier have been among my favorite whites (it is a narrow field). I never thought about botrytised Rousanne until this. Then I remembered that I have a bottle of 1996 Cave de Tain' Hermitage vin de paille somewhere in my cellar. Are most vin de paille made from Rousanne? Also, besides the obvious differences that the land confers, what is the difference between the French Rousanne and the ones made in the New World. Weather permitting, I will be in the El Dorado area this Saturday and hope to try some recent vintages of New World Rhone offerings.

The Northern Rhone dessert wines are, indeed, made from Roussanne & Marsanne, except for those from Viognier in Condrieu.
The Vin de Paille (straw wine) usually refers to the technique of laying the punches of grapes out on straw mats and allowing them
to raisen/shrivel and increasing their sugar content afore fermentation. Modern technique, a la Italian Recioto, is to lay the grapes on plastic trays
and blow warm/hot air over them to hasten the dehydration. To my understanding, this is how most NorthernRhone dessert wine is made.
In Condrieu, I understand the technique for making dessert Condrieu are simply leaving the grapes on the vine until they are way
overripe, a la Italian passito wine. In some cases, I know that botrytis DOES play a role in these wines. The difference between simply a
late harvest Condrieu and a botrytis-afflicted late harvest Condrieu is very large....the botrytis has a dramatic effect.
In the New World (Calif), the dessert Roussannes are, most commonly, simply late harvest Roussannes. Sometimes (like in this BonnyDoon), botrytis CAN play a role, either small or large (like in this Bonny Doon). The other primary technique (which BonnyDoon has also used) is to make
a freezer ice wine, taking the grapes, or the juice, to a large/commercial freezer and freezing the berries or juice. The vin de paille technique is seldom/never used in Calif for their dessert Roussanne, to my knowledge.
If you're looking for Rhone stuff in ElDorado: Sierra Vista, Holly's Hill, Cedarville, and ?? Gate are the good ones. Don't know of any dessert Rhones being made up there, though.
Tom

Thank you Tom. I will be going to Holly's Hill, Sierra Vista and Narrow Gate for sure. Cedarville is in Fairplay and I won't be headed that direction this time. Few years ago, I did go to Cedarville and sampled some of Jonathan Lach's excellent wines. I do not recollect any dessert wines from them. I will for sure, ask around if anyone does. They tend to grow a lot of Viognier in these parts.

I don't believe Cedarville's ever made a dessert wine, but I really like their viognier. Had a dry Roussanne from Cooper Vineyards (in Amador) a couple of weeks ago that I thought was one of the best I've ever had from California (athough I don't have near the experience that you do with these, Tom).

So Tom, wasn't that Bonny Doon wine the one that Randall proclaimed as the best dessert wine or best white wine he's ever made (or some such)?

So Tom, wasn't that Bonny Doon wine the one that Randall proclaimed as the best dessert wine or best white wine he's ever made (or some such)?

Don't know if Randal made that claim or not. I tend to take his pronouncements not too seriously.
Tom