| Mendocino County lies on the Pacific Ocean, past | | | | roasted in its skin with lots of olive oil and garlic. The |
| Sonoma and Marin Counties to the north of San | | | | wine was very plummy with some tobacco and soft |
| Francisco. This lovely area is particularly known for | | | | tannins. Its length was fine. The eggplant dish |
| sparkling wines including some by the French | | | | intensified the wine's tobacco taste. When I added a |
| Champagne house Roederer Estate. The wine | | | | spicy green jalapeno pepper sauce the wine stepped |
| reviewed below comes from the Ukiah Valley, home | | | | up to meet it. |
| to several prestigious wine makers, two breweries, | | | | The second meal included zucchini and onions stuffed |
| and a town named Ukiah once voted the #1 best | | | | with rice and ground beef, cooked with potatoes and |
| small town to live in California. Bonterra is an organic | | | | spices including pepper, garlic powder and cumin. The |
| wine producer who also makes biodynamic wine that | | | | Cabernet Sauvignon was round with black cherries |
| costs more than twice today's offering. Their main | | | | and some oak; it's aged in a mixture of French and |
| ranch building is made of reclaimed materials. | | | | American oak. It was mouth-filling and I tasted |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste | | | | tobacco in the background. |
| and review are purchased at the full retail price. | | | | The final meal centered around store-bought |
| Wine Reviewed Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon (V) | | | | barbecued chicken wings in a sweet and sour sauce |
| 2006 12.8% alcohol about $18 | | | | and chicken thighs whose skin was dusted with |
| Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. | | | | paprika. The sides were rice and green beans in a |
| Description: This Cabernet used only organically grown | | | | homemade tomato sauce. Once again the wine was |
| grapes. The extra effort rewards with pure and | | | | round; now I got more than a touch of tobacco in |
| polished aromas and flavors of cassis, cherry, roasted | | | | the background. It was quite a good match. |
| herbs, licorice and ripe blackberry, all wrapped in silky | | | | As usual I tasted this wine with two cheeses; a |
| tannins with a medium-long finish. Enjoy with | | | | goat's milk cheese and a Swiss Emmenthaler. The |
| rosemary-and-thyme-rubbed veal chops, or with a | | | | Cab was fruity and long when accompanied by the |
| hearty lasagna of beef, zucchini and eggplant. Our | | | | goat's milk cheese. With the Swiss I noted dark |
| Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that | | | | cherries and tobacco, with a good length. |
| this wine contains 15 mg/L of free sulphur. And now | | | | Final verdict. This wine was quite good. But if you |
| for my review. | | | | aren't restricted to organic I don't think that it |
| With the first sips the wine was mouth-filling and | | | | justified its price tag. Once in a while I've had $10 |
| quite long. The initial meal consisted of slow-cooked | | | | wines that are almost as good. |
| beef ribs with sliced potatoes and a side of eggplant | | | | |