The Grapes from A-Z

Bonarda

Ah, Bonarda…Oh, I know it’s a little known grape variety but that’s because it is hard to ripen and rarely grown in Italy anymore. Given the limited growing season of its homeland of Italy, the years that it may fully ripen are limited. My research has revealed three varieties in Italy and two of them are not Bonarda. What the hell did I just say? Bonarda grown in the Otrepo Pavese and Colli Piacentini is actually Croatina . Bonarda Novarese is in fact Uva Rara. This leaves us with the Bonarda Piemontese, a virtually non-existent borderline survivor. I have tried a Bonarda grown in the Russian River region and found it wanting. Even in sunny California it hasn’t found a home yet. (Just wondering if any Bonarda survive in Zinfandel (primitivo) plots?) So my only good experience with Bonarda is due to the marketing power of the Argentines. No, that’s not right, it’s due to the excellent wine making ability of the Argentines, the marketers be damned. And just in case you were feeling like you’ve wrapped your head around this grape, Jancis Robinson’s Encyclopedia of wine concludes the Bonarda entry with…”some authorities believe Argentine Bonarda is in fact the variety known as Charbbono.” Bacchus, give me strength!
Recommended wines;
The Bonarda/Syrah blend by Susan Balbo is the inspiration behind this treatise. The Bonarda was so thick and rich that they had to blend it with Syrah so it would pour from the bottle. Not really, but that is exactly the flavor profile of this everyday pour. I believe I poured this at $8/glass to great effect. Those lovers of New World fruit and Old World grapes will be very happy.
For those who want more of this kind of wine I have to refer you to Tikal and the Patriota Blend of Bonarda 60% and Malbec 40% for a fleshy, saturated, juicy hedonistic journey of a wine. Yes, another New World wine. Perhaps the Old World is not changing and therefore requires no reportage, hmmm, the lovers of Lafite will not be swayed by my prose, so I report for thee. And thou art drinking big, bold, character driven wine and so I will search out the finest for thee and thine. Keerist I gotta stop with that antiquated olde English crap. So to summarize…
2008 Crios de Susana Balbo Syrah Bonarda $12/bottle 3/22/11
2008 Tikal Patriota $20/bottle 3/22/11