Tastings 2009 BONTERRA Vineyards Organic California Wines : High Quality / Pure Taste Of Fruit!

In Tim Gural's " goodie bag " of wine treats he brought us here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 2008 Tel: 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) a small selection of these excellent BONTERRA wines : some Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier as well as the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Syrah I believe.

Tim's visit was towards the end of 2009 and I was curious to try how the current releases were tasting? I was very pleased overall with the high cinsistency and balance and level of flavor and taste and yet for very reasonable prices. I especially liked that BONTERRA did not lose the grapes with which they stared in making these various wines. i could still taste the brilliant fruit in each and everyone of them as they were not hidden in wine-making artifice and display of fireworks and flair and flash and everything but the original grape. That's harsh, I know. But now I wonder enough times to be concerned " what happened to the grapes in the wine that should be center-stage and not displaced by so many other elements that I feel has little to add if anything to the wine itself if you lose the grape.

BONTERRA not only has not lost the grapes with which they started: rather - they are still center-stage and very much the whole wine itself with balance and flavor, concentration and everything playing it's part in a nicely orchestrated/sometimes un-orchestrated manner. After all there always have to be bursts and blasts of excitement in a wine to either have it soar into the stratospheres or have it sink deep into the muck and the the mire and the barren soil from which it drew it substance by working so hard at an earlier time.

Here it is Thursday, February 4th, 2010 and it is time to taste once again these BONTERRA wines. I know we need more Sauvignon Blanc which I liked very much. We will also pick one of the reds : probably the Cabernet Sauvignon because we can never have enough good Cabernet Sauvignon here in Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits.

I hope that you enjoy these photos that I took quickly on this visit with Tim pouring the wines. I like to highlight the color and texture/clarity of the wine if I can possibly outside the bottle with the label , too to identify it.

Being an artist this is all fascinating to me along with the taste, smell and feel of the wine on my own palate. It all paints more of the complete moment/experience. Cheers and do drink some of the excellent California organic BONTERRA wines.

Cheers, TONY

P.S. Looks to me like from these pictures that I really liked the Merlot ... Thanks Tim for stopping by ...