Medium straw color; white grapefruit, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon-lime, citrus, green bell pepper, mowed grass, flowers on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins; refreshing, vibrant acidity. Light-plus body. Made with 100% organic grapes from Mendocino, Lake, San Luis Obispo, and Sonoma counties. Grapes all organically grown to Bonterra’s specifications, but a small amount of sulphur is added to the wine prior to bottling to stabilize the wine and provide consistent quality. When no sulphur is added, the wine can be labeled “organic wine.” This cannot carry that labeling. Organic wine tends to be less consistent and can age poorly. In any event, Bonterra uses minimum sulphur, well below the permitted amount. 13% ABV
This is much rounder and smoother than New Zealand efforts. While this presents the softer, more easily approachable side of sauvignon blanc, it retains sauv blanc’s classic food friendliness. Mouthwatering finish delivers some tartness, adding depth to the overall tasting experience. Vinified 100% in temperature-controlled stainless steel “avoiding any oak contact to preserve the classic vibrancy characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc.” The wine spent six months in the tanks.
Bonterra is a label of Chilean wine giant Concha y Toro. Concha y Toro acquired the winery in 2011 when they spent $238 million to purchase Brown-Forman, best known for Fetzer Vineyard but also the owner of Bonterra. The new owners upped the Bonterra game.
Bonterra admirably focuses on organic and sustainable agriculture, and it now is the largest U.S. producer of wines made from organically grown grapes. “We plant native flowers around our grapes to attract beneficial bugs, and welcome songbirds and chickens into our vineyards to eat up the pests,” they announce on their website. “We even employ sheep to mow between the vines. In our vineyards, every living thing is connected and we all work together to create pure, flavorful wine.”
Bob Blue is the founding winemaker. Jeff Cichocki is the lead winemaker on this effort. Cichocki says he is a non-intrusive winemaker whose goal is to let the grapes speak for themselves. Bonterra not only commits to organic and sustainable, they go the extra mile into biodynamic farming, sometimes irreverently called voodoo viticulture. Regardless of the put-down, biodynamic consistently produces quality wine. The Bonterra website explains: “systems function together to create a single living organism: the farm as a whole. We farm our Biodynamic ranches striving to achieve this ideal with as few external inputs as possible. Biodynamic farming is a holistic view of agriculture with high awareness of the interconnectivity between earth, plants, animals, humans, the moon and planets.”
Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, California 2023 is easy drinker, especially nice introduction to famously food-friendly sauv blanc. Round, smooth, happily approachable, pleasurable mouthfeel. Good QPR (quality-price ratio). Pair with seafood and shellfish; poached salmon; grilled fish; light fish; pasta with seafood; mussels and clams; broiled scallops. Baked/rotisserie chicken; chicken salad sandwich; pork loin roast; Asian fusion cuisine; garden salads. Cheese—very versatile; goat cheese is signature pairing; feta, mozzarella; mild, soft cheddar; gruyère; swiss cheese; asiago is a daring pairing that can work; aged gouda. $15
Click on the link to the Bonterra website below to get a more complete appreciation of Bonterra and its commitment to biodynamic farming practices and biodynamic in general. Also, there are other very interesting video links.
Video about Bonterra and organic/biodynamic farming
Video about Bonterra and organic/biodynamic farming
