Winery - Benziger
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Benziger pulls out all the stops on this estate, Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, from their hilly vineyard above Glen Ellen. It’s a beautiful effort. The flavors are very close to Napa Cab, namely deliciously sweet cassis, roasted coffee and cocoa, but there’s a tannin and acid structure that in some respects outclasses even Napa’s most prestigious chateaus. This is a great red wine.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Made from biodynamically grown estate grapes, this Cabernet-based wine is as massive as any I’ve tasted from this great vintage. It’s like drinking liquid steel, with deep, ripe flavors of blackcurrants, chocolate and cherries, and plenty of new oak. Despite the size, the texture is gentle and velvety, but it’s an ager if you want. Now through 2015.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Savory and meaty, with scents of molasses and very ripe fruit that give it an almost Australian Shiraz character. Creamy textured thanks to fully ripe tannins, with flavors of roasted meat, blackberries and crushed pepper, yet its detractors found it overly tannic and gamy. The result is a middle-of-the-road rating that doesn’t tell the full story of this love-it-or-hate-it wine.
Tags:
Benziger Syrah - 2002
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Plenty of honeyed, caramelly toast on this fruity wine. The flavors are very ripe and pineappley, with lots of spices on the finish.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A very refined Pinot Noir, high-toned and elegant, with alcohol well below 14%. There’s no lack of richness. The wine bursts with cherries, rhubarbs, pomegranates, cola and raspberries, wrapped into a silky texture, and finishing long and spicy. A shame to drink now. Should develop bottle complexity over the next 6–8 years.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tight, acidic and dry in youth, this Pinot has a don’t-drink-me-now austerity. It resists efforts to break it down at every point. However, it seems well able to age, given the balance, and the wealth of cherry, pomegranate, persimmon and rhubarb fruit. Cellar this fine wine until at least 2014.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Offers a big, attractive nose of spice, pineapple, vanilla and a floral/herb note. Medium fruit with spicy, candied notes on the palate.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Strikes a middle-of-the-road pose, combining a nice apple and watermelon fruitiness with a little softness, a little sweetness and enough acidity to make it balanced. It’s an easy wine to like and to pair with casual foods.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Bone dry and crisp, but unripe, with minty feline aromas and flavors dominating the citrus fruits.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A dry, crisp wine, with the herb and mineral tinge that often accompanies Carneros Chardonnay. Shows flavors of pineapples, green apples and peaches, with oak influences.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
