This week, Beth and Friends Wine Pick of the Week is featuring Bonterra Vineyards. At Bonterra Vineyards, they have been farming organically since 1987! It is their belief that organic grapes, makes better wine…..The Bonterra Philosophy states:
“We honor the land by farming organically, creating rich soils that provide healthy vines an opportunity to deliver wonderfully flavored fruit. In every sip, you’ll taste our natural commitment and understand why we believe organic farming creates wines of great taste and excitement, among the best you’ll ever experience.”
This week, Beth and Friends will be tasting these Bonterra Wines, which are available valley wide at the following local retailers: Fry’s Food and Fry’s Marketplace, Bashas’, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Total Wine and Cost Plus.
Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage 2007 Mendocino County 
Winemakers sometimes think about the art of blending as having a spice rack of
varietals, allowing us to craft interesting wines with layers of complex flavors,
aromas and unexpected little pleasures. Once again, the vintage shows this
approach with selections of Syrah, Petite Sirah and a dab of Merlot combined with
exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon to deepen color, add texture and a bit of spice.
Bonterra’s Cabernet traditionally offers aromas of Bing cherry, currants and raspberry, with spicy notes of cedar and dried cranberry, with slight vanilla notes. In the glass you’ll find juicy red berry flavors, and a very approachable, rich and full mouthfeel with a lingering, thoughtful finish. Good structure, polished yet soft tannins promise an ever more pleasing wine to come, with lively acidity and subtle spice. Biodynamic fruit from our estate McNab and Butler ranches are featured, as always, along with top lots from our finest Mendocino vineyards. This is a Cabernet which will continue to evolve and remain enjoyable for quite some time to come. Please enjoy our Good Earth approach.
Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Mendocino County
With our third vintage of Sauvignon Blanc, there’s no longer any doubt: we’ve truly found a way to celebrate the fresh, lively spirit of organic viticulture. Each vintage we marry two great growing regions, Lake and Mendocino Counties. Blending fruit from exceptional organic growers who share our philosophy and care deeply about the land they farm sets a high standard.
This is a wine truly crafted in the vineyard. Intense aromas of grapefruit, kiwi and freshly cut grass are captured in every glass. The oft-found muskiness of Sauvignon Blanc is offset by the concentrated tropical aromas and bright minerality in the wine. There’s no mistaking the New World style. As you drink, an integrated, almost boastful acidity gives the wine a fresh, vibrant feel. Guava and melon linger on the palate. And yes, for this wine, screwcaps allow us to make sure you taste the same thing in your glass that we do as we blend and bottle at the winery. Raise a glass and toast with us our Good Earth.
Chardonnay 2008 Mendocino County
For our chardonnay, we have adopted a style that deliberately uses less oak to emphasize the crisp freshness of our organic fruit. Our organic fruit from Mendocino offers the characteristic flavors of green and baked apples, pear, and citrus to our chardonnay. We age most of the wine with neutral oak in order for these fruit characteristics to shine through. We add just a little new oak to give the wine a touch of vanilla. An initial impression of rich, buttery cream turns to aromas of honey and toasted almonds, quickly followed by pineapple, lemon and crème brulee. This wine has a refreshing, bright, clean minerality with a vibrant tartness and lemon zest that is distinctly Bonterra Chardonnay.
“We have learned through experience that only organically
grown grapes can express the purity and intensity of
varietal character that a truly great wine requires”
– Robert Blue, Bonterra Winemaker
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