Bonterra Good Wines Through Organic Farming

Don’t you just hate it when everybody jumps on a new fad, but what about the guys who started that fad? Many times they are overrun by the imitators and then are forgotten. Not so with wines. The current fad is organic farming, which entails the use of natural fertilizers, insect repellents and disease prevention. This is accomplished by returning the leftovers from fermentation to the vineyard and utilizing plants that offer a natural guard against insects and even biological diseases. Sounds impossible, but it actually works. One of the pioneers of this type of farming grapes is Bonterra Vineyards. Bonterra began life with this type of farming in 1987 and they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
There is however, a big question mark; does organic farming effect the final wine and how? There are those who say that organically farmed grapes make a cleaner wine with no “off” flavors in the background. As in all arguments, there are also those who say it’s all stuff and nonsense. This is reminiscent of the century and a half old debate about the quality of French wines before and after the vines were grafted on to American root stock to stop an attack by a small bug that almost eradicated all of their vineyards. In truth, the jury is still out, but the great fun is sampling and then debating.

Bonterra 2009 Pinot Noir ($19.99). Burgundian wines beware; you may have met your match. The Bonterra 2009 Pinot Noir is one of the cleanest pinot noirs that we have tasted in a very long time. Each flavor and aroma is distinctive, exhibiting the aromas of strawberry, raspberry and cola along with a broad spectrum of other flavors with wild summer berries, vanilla and spice being the most prominent. The finish is long and with absolutely no off flavors. This wine is a credit to Bonterra and to organic farming.

Bonterra 2009 Riesling ($13.99). This wine offers a superb treatment of the grape variety and it is your call if it is because of the organic farming or not. It is a very enjoyable wine that exhibits a broad spectrum of flavors and aromas with peaches, pear, wild flowers, honey and apple being the most prominent. The fruit acid is finely balanced and adds a modest background of citrus. This wine can accompany all of the lighter meals and is a perfect wine to serve as an aperitif when company comes.

Bonterra 2008 Zinfandel ($15.99). The Bonterra 2008 Zinfandel has, as is expected of a zinfandel, the delightful berry flavor and aroma that has made the variety so popular. In the case of this wine, the berry flavor tends more toward the blueberry rather than raspberry as is common to most zins. With this blueberry flavor and aroma comes a rush of light tannins and tasty oak. This wine should not be looked at as a simple, fruity wine. It is deep, complex and has a tremendous charm that few red wines achieve.

Bonterra 2008 Merlot ($15.99). This wine is a picture perfect California Merlot; big on flavor and aroma but with an incredible softness found only in the finest merlots. The wines dark ruby color cradles a host of inviting flavors and aromas, including cherries, plums and berries with a cedar and vanilla background. The finish is exceptionally interesting because it gives the impression of having a chocolate flavor component. The Bonterra 2008 Merlot is a wine that lives in the memory long after it has been finished.

Bonterra 2009 Chardonnay ($13.99). While we do not know for sure if it was the organic farming, but this wine rises far above the ho-hum chards that are all over the marketplace. The aroma is rich with the sensation of pineapples, pear, honey and toasted almonds. The pineapple and pear carries through to the flavor with citrus in the background. The wine has the creamy feel in the mouth that is found only in the best chardonnays.