2022 Bonny Doon Galactic Stellar Manifestations, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
The Distinctive Explorative Wine Network (D.E.W.N.) remains committed to vinous exploration; our journey progresses (or lurches sometimes) far into the future, or sometimes into the deep past.
This vintage of exploration embraces the usual kaleidoscope with Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Grenache. Merci bien, La Syrah, with lots of berry aroma in a higher register (lingering lingonberry?) and a non-trivial suggestion of floral potpourri - gracias, Garnacha! The Mourvèdre supplies the basso continuo of sanguine meatiness - in a lighter vein, of course.
Aromatically speaking, the wine seems as tightly wound as a Tesla Coil, make that a Pink Panther, no, make that a clutched floral bouquet. Definite suggestions of rose petals, black raspberry, and other red fruit, with a whiff of menthol. Medium-bodied with a bright acidity and a lively palate impression. But wait, there’s more: Spicy, Szechuan pepper - is that rotundone making its rounds? - and definitive notes of black currant/blood orange/malvidin.
Vineyard/Vintage Notes: 2022 was blessed with long, even ripening conditions for most of the Central Coast where we sourced this blend. Each of the varieties were picked in late October. We saw exceptional color development, tannin, and fruit in this vintage.
Vineyard: 26% Zaca Mesa Vineyard, Santa Ynez, 18% Santa Ynez Vineyard, Santa Ynez, 29% Chalk Knoll Vineyard, Monterey, 27% Loma del Rio Vineyard, Monterey
Appellation: Central Coast
Winemaking: Each variety was fermented separately. We blended
Alcohol: 14.7%
Case Production: 150 cases
Drinkability: Now - 2030
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2022 Bonny Doon Galactic Stellar Manifestations, Central Coast Case:
12x 2022 Bonny Doon Galactic Stellar Manifestations, Central Coast
Based in Santa Cruz, heartland of New Age thinking, dreaming and deferred transition to “adulthood,” Bonny Doon Vineyard has a not so surprising history of idealism and innovation. Founded in the bucolic hamlet of Bonny Doon in 1983 by Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard is known for its strikingly original wines made from lesser-known (though no less “noble”) grape varieties, the so-called vinous Ugly Ducklings. Bonny Doon Vineyard made its mark on the world of wine with pioneering work in the exploration of Rhône varieties, innovative production techniques and very imaginative marketing that has at times, truth be told, been too clever by half.
Since the adoption of biodynamic farming practices in 2004 and in 2006, the radical slimming down of both product portfolio and overall case production (with a concomitant greater degree of focus and attention to detail), the wines of Bonny Doon Vineyard have evinced a more complex expression of varietal character, a more noticeable sense of organization and a greater degree of life-force. We invite you to share in our passion. We are on a journey that began with “wines of effort,” wines that were pleasing, harmonious and provided a certain intellectual frisson. And yet, ultimately these wines were but steps along the evolutionary path, one that is unfailingly pointed in the direction of wines of terroir, wine the qualities of which transcend the winemaker’s complete control and leverages (to use dreadful MBA-speak) the intelligence of capital n, Nature, an intelligence capable of creating complexity and order unimaginable to our finite sensibility. We are terroir seekers, and our path presently brings us through the territory of wines possessing life-force, the ability to withstand oxidative challenge. The vitality is present in the wine; it is now a matter to polish and to refine and eventually to reveal the wine’s inherent terroir.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I was stoked to get a note last week letting me know that I would once again have the privilege of being a lab rat for an offer. It’s always a treat to get to taste something without Giving Some Money for the bottle, and report on it for you all.
Hey, it’s a Boony Doon wine! I’ve been a Bonny Doon fan for a while, and I’m very happy to be reviewing a Rhône style blend from a Rhône Ranger. This is a Gold Star Mix of varietals. I’ll also note there are little neat prismatic reflective elements in the label, throughout the name of the wine, which may not come through in the photos, but give it a neat Glinting, Shimmering, Mesmerizing effect.
Then it’s time to unscrew this (Bonny Doon wines are all screwcap, low end, high end, meant to age, meant to drink now; everything comes in a screw cap) and Get Sniffing, Man. There’s a bunch of bright red fruit in the aroma, and yes, some florals. I did read the notes on the back label before opening this; that may be a little bit from the power of suggestion. It’s a very nice aroma.
Color-wise, it’s a little bit lighter shade of purple, which I did try to capture in a picture.
On tasting, the flavor has those same fruit notes, but subdued, and a little darker fruit, I think. There’s a bit of a bite; no mistaking the acidity here. There’s tannins too, but not strong, a little weak, really only show up in the finish.
The next day, I had a couple more glasses after leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. I did give it time to come up closer to room temp; this is not at fridge temperature, but it was closer to a usual white wine serving temperature as I took these notes. The aroma Got Seriously Muted, perhaps just because it’s colder. But in the flavor, the fruit pops a bit more. Have you ever chilled a red wine a little bit before serving? That might work with this wine.
I also took down that the fruit seems a little darker after it warms up. And it seems to have a little more “heat” on the second day.
Overall, I think this wine feels a little tight right now. The first day, it has maybe Got Some Moxy. But on day two, it’s very much a Good Simple Mellifluous wine. I like it better on the second day, despite the muted aroma.
And now I’m Getting Sleepy Making this post, so I think I’m off to bed. I’ll check back in the morning. I hope this lab rat report helps, 'Mates!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Bonny Doon “Galactic Stellar Manifestations” GSM - $70 = 29.16%
Call me crazy but to me thats like collecting the half empty wine glasses like a drunken aunt Harriet and pouring them all in one to drink the last drop. Maybe drunken aunt Harriet has a great idea? Joking of course. I dont have an Aunt Harriet.
Thanks for another opportunity to rat! Sorry for the delay in posting. It’s been crazy last couple weeks of working 8 AM to Midnight on a massive network overhaul project for a large local church. I missed the initial UPS delivery attempts, but fortunately was able to reroute to the UPS store to pick up Saturday, just in time!
PNP (or unscrew and pour) – Color is garnet and clear. Blackberry on the nose, and I was able to detect hints of rose petal. I did read the label beforehand, and had to do a bit of research on the varietals to get an idea of what I was in for, so that may have biased my nose a bit.
This wine had a crisp acidity and seemed to have mellow tannins. Medium to full bodied. I detected notes of red/black fruit. Maybe blackberry, black currant, raspberry… It was extremely pleasant and easy to drink! It reminded me somewhat of a well opened up Pinot. I think it was well balanced and well structured. I’m a fan of good blends, so I really enjoyed this! I paired this with my smoked fajita, poblano, and queso burritos and it seemed to do pretty well. I noticed black pepper, but that may have also been residual heat from the poblanos.
This wine was definitely ready to drink, but I’d be curious to see how much justice a few more years would do. I can definitely see paying the winery price of $50/bottle for this, so the Casemates price is an absolute steal! I’ve never had a Bonny Doon wine before, but I can now say I am a fan! This stuff was delicious, and I’m looking forward to tasting again tonight. If I manage to make it home before midnight, I’ll post an update… In for a case if I can sneak it past the wife.
@jerminate That’s normal. Check the “expected delivery” dates at the top. Says Mon-Tue of Thanksgiving week, which means you will probably see movement in the next 7-9 days.
2022 Bonny Doon Galactic Stellar Manifestations, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$600.00/Case for 12x 2022 Bonny Doon Galactic Stellar Manifestations, Central Coast at Bonny Doon Vineyard
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 25 - Tuesday, Nov 26
2022 Bonny Doon “Galactic Stellar Manifestations” GSM
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Great Scott, 'Mates!
I was stoked to get a note last week letting me know that I would once again have the privilege of being a lab rat for an offer. It’s always a treat to get to taste something without Giving Some Money for the bottle, and report on it for you all.
Hey, it’s a Boony Doon wine! I’ve been a Bonny Doon fan for a while, and I’m very happy to be reviewing a Rhône style blend from a Rhône Ranger. This is a Gold Star Mix of varietals. I’ll also note there are little neat prismatic reflective elements in the label, throughout the name of the wine, which may not come through in the photos, but give it a neat Glinting, Shimmering, Mesmerizing effect.
Then it’s time to unscrew this (Bonny Doon wines are all screwcap, low end, high end, meant to age, meant to drink now; everything comes in a screw cap) and Get Sniffing, Man. There’s a bunch of bright red fruit in the aroma, and yes, some florals. I did read the notes on the back label before opening this; that may be a little bit from the power of suggestion. It’s a very nice aroma.
Color-wise, it’s a little bit lighter shade of purple, which I did try to capture in a picture.
On tasting, the flavor has those same fruit notes, but subdued, and a little darker fruit, I think. There’s a bit of a bite; no mistaking the acidity here. There’s tannins too, but not strong, a little weak, really only show up in the finish.
The next day, I had a couple more glasses after leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. I did give it time to come up closer to room temp; this is not at fridge temperature, but it was closer to a usual white wine serving temperature as I took these notes. The aroma Got Seriously Muted, perhaps just because it’s colder. But in the flavor, the fruit pops a bit more. Have you ever chilled a red wine a little bit before serving? That might work with this wine.
I also took down that the fruit seems a little darker after it warms up. And it seems to have a little more “heat” on the second day.
Overall, I think this wine feels a little tight right now. The first day, it has maybe Got Some Moxy. But on day two, it’s very much a Good Simple Mellifluous wine. I like it better on the second day, despite the muted aroma.
And now I’m Getting Sleepy Making this post, so I think I’m off to bed. I’ll check back in the morning. I hope this lab rat report helps, 'Mates!
@worbx I’ve Got Some Motivation to nominate you for the Rat HOF.
@msten @worbx
Yes, those were some Greatly Significant Musings.
@chipgreen @msten @worbx But, by the percentages, there should be More Significant Gusto.
@worbx thanks for the Great Service’Mate!
@chipgreen @Mark_L @msten @worbx
and likely much better for you than
MonoSodiumGlutamate for the dyslectic among us
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Bonny Doon “Galactic Stellar Manifestations” GSM - $70 = 29.16%
Call me crazy but to me thats like collecting the half empty wine glasses like a drunken aunt Harriet and pouring them all in one to drink the last drop. Maybe drunken aunt Harriet has a great idea? Joking of course. I dont have an Aunt Harriet.
Thanks for another opportunity to rat! Sorry for the delay in posting. It’s been crazy last couple weeks of working 8 AM to Midnight on a massive network overhaul project for a large local church. I missed the initial UPS delivery attempts, but fortunately was able to reroute to the UPS store to pick up Saturday, just in time!
PNP (or unscrew and pour) – Color is garnet and clear. Blackberry on the nose, and I was able to detect hints of rose petal. I did read the label beforehand, and had to do a bit of research on the varietals to get an idea of what I was in for, so that may have biased my nose a bit.
This wine had a crisp acidity and seemed to have mellow tannins. Medium to full bodied. I detected notes of red/black fruit. Maybe blackberry, black currant, raspberry… It was extremely pleasant and easy to drink! It reminded me somewhat of a well opened up Pinot. I think it was well balanced and well structured. I’m a fan of good blends, so I really enjoyed this! I paired this with my smoked fajita, poblano, and queso burritos and it seemed to do pretty well. I noticed black pepper, but that may have also been residual heat from the poblanos.
This wine was definitely ready to drink, but I’d be curious to see how much justice a few more years would do. I can definitely see paying the winery price of $50/bottle for this, so the Casemates price is an absolute steal! I’ve never had a Bonny Doon wine before, but I can now say I am a fan! This stuff was delicious, and I’m looking forward to tasting again tonight. If I manage to make it home before midnight, I’ll post an update… In for a case if I can sneak it past the wife.
/giphy astute-narcoleptic-tongue
Can’t say no to Bonny Doon.
Cambridge/Boston split?
@iraj I am willing for a split 2-4 way. Newton MA
Marin/SF/East Bay split?
Chicago split?
NYC/Queens split anyone?
@simtel20
I’ll take you up on that. I’ll be ordering a case in a few hours. Will be delivered to me on lower Man.
/giphy scarlet-naked-decision
Love me some Bonny Doon!
Anyone else’s order still “processing” over a week later?
@jerminate That’s normal. Check the “expected delivery” dates at the top. Says Mon-Tue of Thanksgiving week, which means you will probably see movement in the next 7-9 days.
@klezman Groovy, gracias!