2015 Bonny Doon Gravitas White Wine California 750 ml

A Case-buy White From a California Legend

Bonny Doon Vineyard founder Randall Grahm is among the most forward-thinking and visionary American winemakers of our time. We recently had the chance to visit Randall at his winery in Santa Cruz, where we tasted a number of his tasty experiments.  But at the end of the day, the best bang for the buck was his 2015 Bonny Doon Gravitas White. Technically brilliant in approach, this release is one of the most irresistible we’ve ever tasted from the original Rhône Ranger.

The 2015 Gravitas is a mouthwatering Bordeaux-style blend packed with exotic fruit and vivid acidity, but it was a touch of Gewürztraminer adding rich, heady white flower aromatics that made us fall in love with it.

As one of the pioneers who showed the full potential of Rhône varieties cultivated on the West Coast, Grahm’s ideas in winemaking and viticulture have been called groundbreaking. New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov labeled Grahm’s recent efforts “fascinating, creative, iconoclastic.” We couldn’t agree more, which is why we jumped at the chance to offer the Gravitas cuvée.

It was after trying the wine that we noticed its equally stunning, colorful label design by the artist Bascove, depicting a monocled gentleman reading a book by moonlight—formally dressed in cufflinks and a scarf, save for the fishnet stockings! We’re told that the image is meant to reflect Grahm’s alter-ego—outwardly classy, but openly risque for those paying attention.

Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer come together in a white Bordeaux-style blend. Sourced from grapes grown biodynamically in top California vineyards, it’s forward-drinking but showing a complexity and seductive aromatic profile you’d expect from a bottle twice the price.

We’re always excited to taste something new from Bonny Doon and this is among our favorite value-priced showings from the winery in years—a crisp, clean white with all the swagger and moxie of its maker.