Carignan, 2018. Domaine Bomary

Born in the USA, Bohdan Pruski took an unusual path to become a French winemaker. He grew up in Colorado but fell in love with Paris on a backpacking trip after college. This trip turned into 20+ years of a Parisian life with a wife and 2 sons, until they moved to the countryside to pursue his dream of becoming a winemaker. This is the first wine Bohdan Pruski made, all stemming from his love of single varietal expressions of Carignan, it is focused solely on the beauty, grace, and power of old vine Carignan.

Domaine Bomary is a small operation in which the vineyards and cellar are tended to by Bohdan, two workers, and occasionally his wife. Their vineyards are close to the village of Neffies in Southern France. About 20 minutes driving distance from the coast, the area's climate is greatly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea. Farmed with a strict eye toward sustainability, every effort is made to maintain natural habitat in the vineyard ecosystem, increase biodiversity, and strengthen the health of the land. Bohdan's philosophy on wine making is that less is more; this means no additives, no oak, and only the minimal amount of interference is used to maintain quality control.

Visually imposing with its jet-black core, this wine has a primal and exotic nose. The aromas take some coaxing to work out of the glass, but with time it shows creosote, pancake syrup, crunchy black currant, and tangy elderberry. It's an attention-grabbing wine on all fronts, revealing hints of peppery spice, berries, and refined, suave tannins. Fruity and generous, it has a lingering finish. This is an excellent food wine, pair with cured meats, such as bresaola or soppressata, or roast meats such as duck or pork. An aged Gouda or young manchego are great accompaniments as well, along with smoky eggplant dip and roasted red peppers.

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