Full Review

Frey

Frey
2018 Organic, Charbono, Mendocino

Pair this wine with:
Beef Pork

Category: Charbono

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
Bronze Medal
Recommended
$18

Frey
2018 Organic, Charbono, Mendocino

Pair this wine with:
Beef Pork

Category: Charbono

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
Black ruby color. Aromas and flavors of dried berries, stewed plums, parmesan, clay, waxy chocolate, and musk with a slightly chewy, crisp, fruity medium body and a buoyant finish with accents of black pepper and toast with chewy tannins and a suggestion of oak flavor. Dried fruit and nuts take center in this atypical Charbono.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Juicy & Smooth
Aroma Aroma: dried berries, stewed plums, parmesan, clay, waxy chocolate, and musk
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of black pepper and toast
Sweetness Sweetness: Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now with food
Recipes Pairing: Ribs, Beef Teriyaki, Steak Fajitas
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Dried fruit and nuts take center in this atypical charbono.

The Producer

Frey Vineyards Ltd.

The Producer
14000 Tomki Rd
Redwood Valley, CA 95470
USA
1 707-485-5177

Their Portfolio

85 Chateau Frey 2018 Organic, Pinot Gris, Mendocino 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
88 Chateau Frey 2019 Organic Red, Mendocino 14% (USA) $18.00.
BR Frey 2016 Organic, Dolcetto, Mendocino 13.7% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Frey 2016 Organic, Sangiovese, Mendocino 13.6% (USA) $15.00.
BR Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Tempranillo, Mendocino 13.8% (USA) $16.50. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2018 Organic, Charbono, Mendocino 14.1% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey NV Organic Agriculturist Blanc, California 14% (USA) $12.50. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2019 Organic, Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast 14.3% (USA) $14.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey NV Organic White, California 13.9% (USA) $9.00. - Bronze Medal
88 Frey 2018 Organic , Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast 13.9% (USA) $17.00.
85 Frey 2018 Organic , Malbec, Mendocino 14.4% (USA) $15.00.
88 Frey 2018 Organic, Merlot, North Coast 14.3% (USA) $15.00.
BR Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Chardonnay, Mendocino 14.6% (USA) $20.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino 14.3% (USA) $20.00.
89 Frey 2017 Biodynamic, Zinfandel, Mendocino 13.3% (USA) $20.00.
87 Frey 2016 Organic, Carignane, Mendocino 13.8% (USA) $15.00.
88 Frey 2019 Organic, Syrah, Mendocino 14.5% (USA) $15.00.
BR Frey 2018 Organic, Viognier, California 14.2% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Merlot, Mendocino 14.9% (USA) $20.00.
85 Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Zinfandel, Mendocino 15.5% (USA) $20.00.
88 Frey 2018 Organic, Petite Sirah, Mendocino 12.5% (USA) $18.00.
85 Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Petite Sirah, Mendocino 13.3% (USA) $20.00.
86 Frey 2018 Organic, Tannat, Redwood Valley 14.1% (USA) $18.00.
88 Frey 2019 Biodynamic Field Blend, Mendocino 14.5% (USA) $16.50.
88 Frey 2018 Organic, Syrah, California 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
87 Frey 2019 Organic, Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast 14.3% (USA) $17.00.
BR Frey 2019 Sun & Rain, Chardonnay, Mendocino 14.5% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2018 Spin, Chardonnay, Mendocino 13.9% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2019 Pinot Grigio, Mendocino 15% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Frey NV Agriculturist Blanc, Mendocino 14% (USA) $12.50.
87 Frey NV Agriculturist Red Blend, California 14% (USA) $12.50.
87 Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino 14% (USA) $20.00.
89 Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Syrah, Mendocino 15.4% (USA) $20.00.
BR Frey 2019 Organic, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast 14% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey NV Organic Red Blend, California 13.9% (USA) $9.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2018 Organic, Sangiovese, Mendocino 13.9% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2019 Organic, Chardonnay, California 14% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Frey 2018 Biodynamic, Chardonnay, Mendocino County 14.6% (USA) $20.00.
85 Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Tempranillo, Mendocino 13.6% (USA) $20.00.
89 Frey 2019 Organic, Zinfandel, Mendocino 14.5% (USA) $18.00.
88 Frey 2019 Organic, Sangiovese, Mendocino 13.9% (USA) $18.00.
85 Frey 2019 Organic, Merlot, Mendocino County 14% (USA) $20.00.
BR Frey 2020 Organic, Pinot Noir, Mendocino County 13.3% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Frey 2019 Organic, Petite Sirah, Mendocino County 14.3% (USA) $18.00.
BR Frey 2020 Organic, Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino County 13.4% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Frey 2020 Biodynamic Field Blend Red, Other Red, Mendocino County 13.9% (USA) $16.00.
85 Frey 2020 Organic, Pinot Grigio, Mendocino County 12.8% (USA) $15.00.
BR Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Chardonnay, Mendocino County 14.5% (USA) $20.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Merlot, Mendocino County 14% (USA) $20.00. - Bronze Medal
88 Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Petite Sirah, Mendocino County 14.8% (USA) $20.00.
92 Frey 2019 Biodynamic, Zinfandel, Mendocino County 15% (USA) $20.00.
85 Frey 2018 Organic, Charbono, Mendocino County 14.1% (USA) $15.00.
87 Frey 2019 Organic, Malbec, Mendocino County 14.5% (USA) $18.00.
85 Kwaya Cellars 2019 Organic, Sangiovese, Mendocino 13.9% (USA) $16.00.
87 Kwaya Cellars 2019 Organic, Merlot, North Coast 14% (USA) $16.00.
89 Pacific Redwood 2019 Organic, Syrah, California 14.3% (USA) $18.00.
BR Pacific Redwood 2018 Organic, Pinot Noir, California 13.6% (USA) $18.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Pacific Redwood 2019 Organic, Pinot Noir, Mendocino 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
BR Pacific Redwood 2019 Organic Cab, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast 14% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Pacific Redwood 2019 Organic, Chardonnay, California 14% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Pacific Redwood 2020 Organic, Chardonnay, California 13.7% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Pacific Redwood 2019 Organic, Merlot, Mendocino County 14% (USA) $15.00.
85 Pacific Redwood 2020 Organic, Pinot Noir, Mendocino County 13.3% (USA) $18.00.

Charbono

Wine Glass Zinfandel.jpg
Serve in a Zinfandel Wine Glass
Charbono is an unusual California specialty with some old-vine blocks located in the Napa Valley. It is identical to Argentina's Bonarda, which is an Italian red grape whose ancestral home is in the northern Italian provinces of Lombardy and Piedmont. While it does little in its native Italy nowadays, it can be quite something in Argentina, where Italian immigrants brought the vine in the 1800s. The region of Mendoza has large blocks of old vine vineyards that produce deeply hued, intensely fruited wines with attractive acidity and soft tannins. They make for beautiful early drinking reds and are tremendous values. In California, this same strain of Bonarda is known as Charbono and can produce similarly dramatic, if under-appreciated, wines.