Benziger has one of the most beautiful estates I have ever seen. It’s as if the hills surrounding the vineyards of this biodynamic winery are trying to swallow it. I spent my Sunday morning in the Sonoma Valley taking a tour of this vineyard. Just like with my Saturday visits the impact of the drought is visible with many of the vines producing loose clusters of small berries instead of the normal tight clusters. The quality of the fruit is very good and 2015 will be an excellent vintage for Napa/Sonoma but no one really wants to see the vines continue to endure this sort of stress.
What I found most interesting was that at Benziger they have gardens planted throughout the vineyards called “insect highways”. The purpose of these gardens are to attract healthy insects to the grapes to help them fight off any pests that might otherwise damage the vines. A great byproduct of these highways are that you get other fruits and vegetables. I got to see asparagus once it has gone to seed (it looks more like dill than the little spears we are used to seeing) and the novelty of smelling the leaves from a lime tree did not wear off. I was lucky enough to have a few limes fresh off the tree and put them into a Gin and Tonic only a couple days later.
We have a couple of very good Benziger wines available at the LCBO for a very good price (Benziger Chardonnay 34777/$19.95 — Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon 597237/$29.95) most of the good stuff needs to be experienced a the winery.
2013 De Coelo Arbore Sacra Pinot Noir – $75.00USD – **** – This is a big meaty Pinot. Lots of ripe red cherry leaning to heavier black cherry. There are nice hints of smoke and black licorice that start to rise up to the top of the roof of your mouth on the finish. This is definitely a wine meant to be savoured without any food pairings.
2013 Quintus – $75.00USD – ****1/2 – This wine is hard to put your finger on … It’s definitely a bold Californian Pinot Noir but has a lightness to it you don’t normally find. This would be your Californian Pinot for the people who prefer Burgundy, Niagara or Oregon. Lots of dark cherry flavours that move to candied cherry with nice balanced acidity. The finish is long and will leave your mouth with the taste of swedish berries without any sweetness. Just like with the Arbore Sacra pairing this with food would be almost criminal, enjoy this on its own.\
2012 Signaterra Sunny Slope Cabernet Sauvignon – $59.00USD – ****1/2 – More proof that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on fantastic Californian Cabernet Sauvignon – There are great hints of minteral and pencil shaving on the nose. The tannin is very firm on this wine, there is no sense buying this to drink now unless you plan on putting it in a decanter for 4-8 hours. You will get Black Currant, Blueberry, Plum, and Cocoa on the finish. This wine is elegant and perfectly structured to age for 10-15 years.
2012 Tribute – $80.00USD – 4 1/2+ – Boom, Crackle, Pop … that’s the sound of the fireworks going off in your mouth when you taste this wine. This was one of the best Californian wines I have ever tasted. I realize I preach value and don’t often talk about wines north of 40 dollars but trust me this is well worth the price of admission (and if you’ve found the means to get to California you’ve come this far you may as well go big or go home). The blend on this is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon/ 18% Cabernet Franc/ 6% Merlot/ 5% Petit Verdot/ 4% Malbec. My overall impression on this wine was simply “So Good!” you will get lots of Cocoa, Plum and Spice on the nose and in the glass. The fruit starts to poke through and it’s dark! Cassis, Blackberry, Blueberry and Plum. Elegant and built to age for 15-25 years.
