2010 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant Red Wine California 750 ml

How Randall Grahm Does Châteauneuf

For lovers of svelte California reds, and also fans of Châteauneuf, here is a $39.99 red from Randall Grahm that you might recognize—only, note the 2010 vintage, as this one is perfectly aged and ready to drink right now. Grahm, the founder of Bonny Doon, is one of the most successful winemakers in America who’s done it all from pioneering the planting of Rhône varieties in California, to adopting biodynamic viticulture, to selling off lucrative mid-level brands to focus on premium wines of great originality and place. Le Cigare Volant is Graham’s flagship bottling and this 2010 is a gorgeous library release, perfectly aged in cool, dark cellars. Vinous gushed over its “energetic red berry, cherry and floral scents,” hailing it as “juicy and focused,” with “very good lift and energy on the finish.” We’ve got 12 cases for the fastest among you, each bottle capturing the grandeur of the Central Coast and Grahm’s trailblazing take on the juicy, powerful reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

In 2006, Randall Grahm was doing exceedingly well as the founder of Bonny Doon. The brand was flourishing and sales were skyrocketing. But then everything changed as a health crisis put his life on the line and revolutionized his perspective. From that point, Grahm shrugged off the success and the money and made a beeline for originality and authenticity. What has followed have been some of the best wines of Grahm’s career, including the 2010 Le Cigare Volant.

Harvested mainly from dry-farmed, biodynamic vineyards, the 2010 Le Cigare Volant is as honest as it gets, and what shines through in the bottle is pure, enviable class: the rich, ripe fruit of California combined with the bold spice notes of the Rhône. A juicy, hedonistic blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Carignan, the 2010 has been aging in cool cellars for almost a decade and is just entering its prime. This will tantalize now and for years to come.