Bonny from over the ocean

1:47pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon vineyard in California is the stuff of legend. A status that is built as much around the man as it is on the wines he makes. He is incredibly smart, more than a bit provocative and full of fun.

Some of you will know him for the much-publicised Death of the Cork' funerals that he held in New York in 2002. Jancis Robinson read the eulogy and Randall kicked-off his remarks with these fine words: "On behalf of the very extended family of M. Bouchon, I would like to thank you for attending this very heartfelt wake for the old stinker . . ."

Not, then, a person who is afraid of the occasional controversial remark.

So, when the fine folk at the Oxford Wine Club managed to secure Randall Grahm for one of their recent tastings, I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.

It was as entertaining and as thought-provoking as any tasting - anywhere - I have ever had the pleasure to attend.

In talking about Bonny Doon's incredible success, Grahm admits to having suffered from attention deficit disorder.

"I was adding more and more bits and wasn't focused," he said. He felt that he was doing a great job of talking the talk about being original and distinctive', but wasn't delivering.

So he sold off the brands (Big House and Cardinal Zin), shrunk the production line, and began focusing on making vin de terroir' as opposed to vin d'effort'.

The distinction? The former is a wine that is largely dominated by the site where the vines are grown.

"I believe that these wines are richer in minerals," he said. By comparison, a vin d'effort' is a function of human effort and Grahm argues that "humans are not as clever as nature".

As Grahm warms to his theme it is impossible not to get swept up in his enthusiasm.

"A terroir wine behaves perversely - it changes and evolves. On the palate the flavours hold and then release over a period of time."

If that all sounds a bit wishy-washy, don't be fooled. Grahm is a thoughtful winemaker who isn't afraid of taking a stance.

His dismissal of corks comes as a result of considered thinking on screw caps (his choice for all his wines).

He considers that the evolution of his wines works well under screw cap and believes that sealing his wines in this way will help him to achieve his ultimate goal of producing a wine that is free of sulphur dioxide.

When pressed on the use of oak in wine-making, he said: "Oak is a condiment, not a major food group, in the same way that ketchup is not a vegetable."

He believes that in most cases the use of oak barrels makes the wines worse - harsh and green' rather than better. He argues that as the demand for barrels has increased, so the quality has dropped.

The question is, has he achieved what he set out to? Are the wines distinctly vin de terroir'?

We tasted ten wines in all and, for me, there were four wines that really stood out and expressed the Bonny Doon philosophy.

Grahm is arguably most famous for his commitment to the grape varieties of the Rhône valley and, more recently, Italy and Spain too.

I can safely say the Bonny Doon Ca'Del Solo Albarino 2006 (£14.40 from www.everywine.co.uk) is the only Californian version of this typically Spanish/Portuguese grape.

It was the first wine of the tasting and it transpired to be one of my favourites. It was smokey and citrus with a lovely zestiness and astonishing density of fruit. And yes, it did have a distinct mineral quality that comes from the alluvial granite soils the vines are planted on.

The next to shine was the 2005 Syrah Le Pousseur' (est. £13.80 but not yet available in the UK). I loved the wine's savoury, earthy, spicy qualities. It was elegant refiner and, again, unquestionably minerally. You'd hardly call it a bargain but it's the sort of wine that crops up on a fair few restaurant wine lists. If you see it, snap it up!

I have something of a hit and miss relationship with Mourvèdre. It's a grape that can deliver quite a punch but, to me, it can be unruly and wild and not always that attractive.

I was surprised then that the 2004 Old Telegram (100 per cent Mourvèdre) scored one of my highest marks. It has an alluring smoky bacon quality and generous fruits and fabulous balance. Available at www.everywine.co.uk it commands a price of £24 a bottle.

Again at www.everywine.co.uk and at the same price as the Old Telgram is the 2002 Le Cagare Volant. Frustratingly, I tasted the 2001, 2003 and 2005 vintages on the night but not the 2002.

Still, I have to include it in my recommendations because all three vintages were impressive. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault and it's markedly more crisp' than the other reds. The freshness of the wine was hugely appealing as was the vibrancy of the fruits. I thought it a brilliant food wine and an interesting contrast to the Old Telegram.

What strikes me about the Bonny Doon wines is their freeness'. What I mean by that is that the style of the wine isn't delivered in an overly complex package.

The wines don't appear to have been overly man-handled and dispatched from the cellar with a straight-jacket of oak. They are individual and expressive - just like the man in charge. I think that is where Randall Grahm has truly succeeded.

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