2018 Bonny Doon Vineyard "Le Cigare Volant - Cuvee Oumuamua" Monterey County Rhône Blend
SKU #1443165
93 points
Wine Enthusiast
Randall Grahm’s ever-evolving ideology shifted again for the new label and blend of this bottling, which includes 52% Grenache, 35% Cinsault and 13% Syrah. Aromas of plum, cracked pepper, crumpled carnations and dried mint lead into a bright, refreshing palate of hibiscus, anise and a curry-like spice. *Top 100 Wines of 2019* (MK)
(10/2019)
91 points
Vinous
Deep, shimmering red. Displays lively red berry, cherry and floral qualities on the nose, along with building suggestions of exotic spices and succulent herbs. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering fresh raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that slowly turn sweeter with air. Shows sharp delineation and spicy cut on the impressively long, silky finish, which emphatically repeats the red fruit and floral notes. This vintage marks a sharp and intentional change of direction and style for this iconic wine as winemaker/owner Randall Grahm wants it to exhibit more finesse than it has in the past. (JR)
(11/2019)
K&L Notes
The latest edition of Bonny Doon's "Le Cigare Volant" carries a Cuvee name: "Oumuamua" meaning "Scout" in Hawaiian. The name continues to build on Bonny Doon's long running extra-terrestrial theme. "Oumuamua" is the name that was given to a comet-like object from outside of our solar system that was first detected at a Hawaiian observatory on Maui. The wine itself whilst sharing its southern Rhône inspired cepage (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah) is quite different to most previous releases of Cigare Volant. The wine is very bright and pliant on the palate whilst retaining its signature savory, umami aspects that I think would trick most imbibers into believing this wine was of European origin. I think an appropriate analogy would be that the new 2018 edition is a California take on Côtes du Rhône where as previous ones had been more aimed towards Châteauneuf-du-Pape with their greater extraction and structure. What really works here is the drink-ability factor. This wine is flat out delicious and one of the more food friendly and versatile Californian reds you'll find anywhere. Randall has also priced this wine very reasonably and I think its new sub-$20 price point will make this wine as accessible to the pocket book as it is on the palate. Bravo! (Ryan Woodhouse - K&L Domestic Wine Buyer)