Bokisch Vineyards & Winery

Here is another excellent wine from a Spanish varietal that seems to be doing well in Lodi under the careful attention of the Bokish family, who are dedicated to making Spanish wines a part of the California experience. Having not encountered this grape before, I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out Graciano is grown in the Rioja and Navarra regions of Spain, and is a highly-prized, low-yielding varietal that is tough and tannic when young, but matures superbly in barrel and bottle.

The very dark, deeply pigmented color suggested a wine with either a lot of pleasantly quirky secrets or something with massive tannins enough to take the polish off your fingernails and the braces off your teeth. The nose, with its huge mélange of wonderful spices dried plums, also reveals lurking aromas of herbs and cured meats. It was instantly reminiscent of Malbec. But that is just the beginning. The flavors, textures and complexity of this wine are much more expressive and expansive than Malbec: it’s spicy, continually evolving, alluringly fruity but not overly so, with fabulous acidity. The wonderful spicebox flavors are perfectly complemented by peppered jambon.

You can’t help but think of big, wild game. Boar sausage or chorizo would be wonderful here. This is a big, bold wine with abundant texture and plenty of tannins, but they’re fairly supple and indicative of a wine that will only get better with some bottle age. If you’re looking for something really unique, and really amazing, this is it. The winemaker believes it may be the first bottling of this varietal ever in California. So be adventurous! Grab some Graciano today.

(Alc: 14.3%, Retail: $26)

Reviewed February 23, 2007 by Laura Ness.