Winery - Bonair
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The alcohol is under 11%, and there is a sweet, honeyed peach flavor underlying tart green apple fruit. It’s like biting into an apple tart, with the same mix of fruit, cinnamon, honey caramel, and fresh-baked crust. A substantial 6.6% residual sugar.
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Bonair Riesling - 2007
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A pretty, forward, fruity nose with fruit and blossom scents mixed together; a lovely anise note rides over the top. This wine also has plenty of fruit power, and the fruit has some texture and flesh, extending into a smooth, spicy, lively finish.
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Bonair Riesling - 2001
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Here is a ripe, full-flavored Cabernet that clocks in at a moderate 12.5% alcohol. The blend includes 10% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Surely a great strength of cool-climate, Yakima Valley Cabernet is its ability to obtain ripe, naturally tart, mixed fruit flavors, and avoid joining the syrupy, jammy, hedonistic crowd. What’s here are pure varietal flavors of blackberry and cassis, just lightly kissed with oak.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Here is a full-blown 15% bruiser. Chewy, tannic and rugged, from vines almost 40 years old. Thick and chalky, the fruit has plenty of blackberry and black cherry flavor, with a smoky streak and a hint of black tea in the slightly bitter tannins. All that stuffing needs some additional bottle time to loosen it up and soften the rough edges.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Yes it is 100% Gewürztraminer, and yes the winery calls it Port, listing the alcohol content at 19.5%. Unusual it certainly may be, but it is really quite well made, with varietal character showcasing very tasty candied citrus and sugared rose petals. The brandy is neither hot nor intrusive. All in all it’s an intriguing, versatile and unique dessert wine.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Bigger, rounder, toastier yet stylistically of a piece with the winery’s regular Chardonnay, this appealing bottling is extra soft and extra rich. The flavors are nicely balanced and creamy, finishing with a sweet pBordeaux blend comes on with well-ripened fruit, pretty cherry flavors accented with barrel notes of kahlùa, espresso and smoke. Concentrated and smooth throughout, it is the star of this new winery’s first lineup of wines.
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Bonair Chardonnay - 2003
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Already a deep amber, though not even a year old, this is ready to drink right now. It is quite ripe and unctuous, without being syrupy, and the fruit flavors move beyond simple peach and apricot into a more interesting blend that includes citrus and tropical candied fruit flavors. The acid keeps it lively and the length is impressive.
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Bonair Riesling - 2005
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a very well-made, bone-dry Gewürz, textural and fresh. The flavors are a perfect blend of grapefruit and floral notes, without becoming overly perfumy. Good concentration and length.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The extra time in bottle hasn’t hurt this reserve bottling, but it doesn’t seem to have added much either. It is a bit more concentrated than the 2004 regular Cabernet, otherwise quite similar in character, and a bit monolithic. The tannins still retain some coarseness, and there are no leavening nuances of new oak. The fruit, ripened from a single site, strikes its single note well.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The blend includes 5% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Though not as appealing as the 2003, it’s a firm, solid effort, an example of plain, no-frills Yakima Valley winemaking. The fruit includes lightly herbal/bell peppery notes, and the wine is balanced and clean.
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