In the dead of winter, nothing warms one up quite like a nice glass of full-bodied red wine, and a Bordeaux blend is one of the best candidates for the job. Bonny Doon Vineyard A Proper Claret, from masterful winemaker Randall Grahm, would be an excellent choice.
Sure, this isn’t a wine from Bordeaux, but the name of the wine rings truer for the wine in this glass than the wine many bottles actually made in Bordeaux that sell for around this price point. This is very much a Proper Claret – Claret being a nod to the name Brits have given red Bordeaux – and it tastes very much like a classic Bordeaux should, with a bit of Randall Grahm’s trademark twists. There’s a bit of Tannat, Petit Sirah and Syrah in this blend after all, which isn’t really allowed in Bordeaux from France. But the additions here make the wine even more fun.
In the glass the wine smells of cedar, mint, violets and blackberries, and once you take a sip you’ll get rich dark cherries, silky tannins and a nice amount of acidity. It’s a complex wine that’s perfect to sip while relaxing by the fire. And make sure to read the bottle’s back label, it’s something you absolutely don’t want to miss.