BULK BUY! One can available in three delicious varieties, the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Blanche, de Cigare Rosé and Rousse.
The canned wine category is experiencing tremendous growth right now but whenever we post about it on our Facebook page or in our group (which you really need to join if you haven't already) I'm always surprised at the number of people who simply refuse to even give this format a chance. "Nope", "No way", and "Not even willing to try it" are common refrains (and these are from cheap wine aficionados).
What people don't seem to realize is that canned wine doesn't need to be a replacement for bottles. If you're in a place where you can easily and conveniently drink from a bottle then by all means do it. It's simply that, as we detail here, the can opens up a whole new world of possibilities. And from what we've tasted, these beauties from Bonny Doon are the cream of the canned wine crop.
Also, in a rather brilliant (and fully justified) move, all three wines are carbonated just below where the ridiculous "luxury" wine tax kicks in for sparkling wines. Yes, this is a real thing and another reason our backward Prohibition-era liquor laws need to be changed.
Samples submitted for review. All three wines have an SRP of $8 per 375ml can (half a traditional 750ml bottle) and can be found for as low as $7. These are best served nice and cold, straight out of the fridge (even the red).
First up is the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Blanche, 100% Vermentino from California. The wine has residual sugar of just 1.2 g/L. 739 cases (24 cans) were produced.
(Tap, tap, tap)
"Testing, testing, one, two thre…
Is this thing on?"Sonorous announcer's voice: It was in the early years of the 1950s, the Cold War Era, when, in North America and in Europe, were reported a number of sightings of strange objects in the sky, UFOs, as they were called. Many individuals, including the mayor of a small village in southern France, sought legislation to prohibit the landing of these flying objects in the vineyards of the area. The Strategic Air Command and NORAD were fully briefed and memos to all of the stations along the DEW (Distant Early Warning) line were duly circulated, admonishing them to remain on the qui vive. Citizens of much of the Northern hemisphere were gripped with a certain vague anxiety, not knowing whether these visitors from far-away galaxies harbored sinister or benign intentions. No one is truly prepared for fizzy white wine from not around here.
TASTING NOTES
La Bulle-Moose Blanche (Alces fizzicus) or the "white bubble moose" is a species known for its exceptional friendliness, its ebullient personality, perhaps not so much for its exceptional intelligence or common sense. But it can sniff out a party. La Bulle-Moose Blanche (the wine) is a fizzy white beverage made from Vermentino, and possesses a wonderfully subtle fragrance of licorice, almond blossom and citrus; on the palate a subtle suggestion of what hipsters refer to as "minerality". La Bulle-Moose Blanche is an elegant (and oh so intelligent) choice of beverage for virtually any occasion, especially one involving, say, sushi or barbecue or outdoor sports, indoor sports, birdwatching, ice-sculpture, moosle-building, skinmoosturizing, moostache-grooming, moosaic construction, etc. Particularly useful food pairings: moossaka, moozarella cheese, moosseline de poisson, and of course, chocolate moose. Enjoy its wondrous ebullience!12% Alcohol
The 2017 Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Blanche begins with a salty lemon aroma even right out of the can. Pouring it in a glass adds more citrus and a bit of a nutty note. Taking a sip reveals a refreshing and very tasty wine with more citrus, plenty of salty minerality and hints of those nutty notes from the nose. It ends crisp and dry and is just about perfect for a hot summer's day.
If you didn't see it poured out of a can you'd have no idea that's where it came from. This one will definitely take your picnic up a notch but be careful -- it'd be rather easy to finish a couple cans in short order, which would be the equivalent to full bottle of wine.
Ready to buy the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Blanche? Check your local retailers.
Next up is the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Rousse, 79% Grenache and 21% Syrah from Central Coast, California. The wine has residual sugar of just 1.3 g/L and 13% Alcohol. 2,521 cases were produced.
Well, this is certainly unique! A dry red sparkling wine, made up of two of our favorite varieties, from a can. The 2017 Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Rousse begins with a very pleasant aroma of berry, licorice and surprisingly even a bit of that meaty Syrah aroma I love so much. Tasting the wine reveals dark fruit, more licorice and even a bit of earth. The bubbles somehow add to the whole experience. It ends dry and crisp with a long, savory finish.
I have to say I was quite impressed. I'm not sure how this works, it just does -- really, really well. My wife also enjoyed it but she's not as big a fan of effervescence as I am so she wasn't quite as sold. As someone who goes through sparkling water like there's no tomorrow, I very much enjoyed it.
Ready to buy the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose Rousse? Check your local retailers.
And finally, we have what is probably the ultimate application for canned wine -- sparkling rosé. The Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose de Cigare Rosé actually starts out as a batch of Vin Gris de Cigare - one of favorite rosés year in and year out. The 2017 is a blend of 57% Grenache, 18% Grenache Blanc, 9% Mourvedre, 6% Roussanne, 5% Carignane and 5% Cinsault from Central Coast, California. The wine has residual sugar of just 0.12 g/L and 13% Alcohol. 5,700 cases were produced.
The 2017 Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose de Cigare Rosé begins with a pleasant aroma of strawberries, a little peach, rose petals, violets and some light touches of dried herbs. The wine tastes just darn good. Thanks to its food-friendly nature, a sparkling rosé pairs well with the most of the eats that tend to go along with activities where a can is most convenient (picnics, the ballpark, camping, etc). This one exhibits similar flavors to the nose when tasting plus watermelon, plum, red cherry and more. A delicious and refreshing wine that ends crisp and dry, with much anticipation of the next sip.
As we mentioned above, The Vin Gris de Cigare Rosé is one of our favorite rosés year in and year out and while I wouldn't necessarily say this can tops that one purely based on taste, the bubbles do add another dimension and the convenience of the can just can't be beat. And really this is exactly what this site has always been about -- great wine regardless of the name, packaging, grape, etc.
Ready to buy the Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose de Cigare Rosé? Check your local retailers.
2017 Bonny Doon Vineyard La Bulle-Moose de Cigare Rosé
Bulk Buy
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