Organic, biodynamic and sustainable viticulture wine tasting round up

As a wine shopper, it is not always easy to identify wines that are produced by sustainable viticulture or biodynamics. With its certification bodies, organic viticulture and vinification is more closely monitored and wines meeting the certification criteria may label their wines as such.
 
Here are just a few wines you might try that subscribe to one of these farming methods:
 
Bonterra, Chardonnay, 2005, Mendocino County, CA, USA, $12.00
With a 378-acre property in the Russian River benchlands of Mendocino County, Bonterra’s vineyards are certified organic and practices include composting and cover crops among others. This Chardonnay is youthful with aromas of citrus, apple, floral and tropical fruit. A full-bodied wine, it has ripe fruit flavors of green apple and pineapple, along with a slight hint of oak.
 
J.M. Brocard, Domaine Ste Claire, Petit Chablis, 2006, Chablis, France, $9.99
This family-run property in the Chablis commune of Burgundy is proud to be herbicide and pesticide free. Jean-Marc (the JM in JM Brocard)’s son is the head of viticulture and a strong proponent of biodynamics. Their Petit Chablis is slightly lighter in style than an AOC Chablis, coming from vineyards planted outside the more revered Chablis appellation. It has aromas of stone and floral, which are repeated on the palate, accompanied by notes of lime.
 
Errazuriz, Merlot, 2006, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, $9.99
While only some vineyards of the Errazuriz estate are certified organic, owner Eduardo Chadwick has been adopting these principles throughout his vineyards. Additionally, biodynamics is practiced for its Sena vineyard and similarly named wine, which was initially a joint venture with Robert Mondavi. With notes of plums, cherries and oak, the 2006 Merlot is blend of 85% Merlot, 11% Carmenere and 4% Sangiovese, with 50% of the wine aged for six months in a combination of American and French oak.
 
Domaine Albert Mann, Pinot Blanc, 2004, Alsace, France, $16.00
With a history spanning back to the 17th century, the Albert Mann philosophy is to “produce a wine in harmony with nature”. With such a philosophy it is not surprising that this estate is among the most committed in the region to organic and biodynamic principles. This youthful wine displays notes of lime, green apple, faint floral and minerality. The medium-bodied wine shows ripe white fruits – particularly melon and pear – on the palate, along with some spice in the finish.
 
Powers Winery, Merlot, 2004, Columbia Valley, WA, USA, $12.99
Badger Mountain Vineyards began the conversion to organic farming in 1988 and by 1990, it was the first vineyard to be Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. It produces both organic (no sulfites added) and non-organic wines from these grapes. In addition, it produces wine under its Powers Winery label for grape varieties not grown in their organic vineyards. Its 2004 Merlot is blended from 88% Merlot and 12% Syrah grapes, which spend 24 months in French oak barrels, 10% of which are new.