Benziger Pinot Noir is marked by aromas of cherry and black plum which give way to flavors of black cherry, chocolate and dried herb with subtle oak notes. The wine shows a rich middle mouthfeel, a silky texture, chalky tannins and a long, creamy finish.

Tasting notes

An intensely fragrant, elegant expression of the varietal, with powerful, classic Carneros aromas of blackberry and spice offset by notes of toast and vanilla, full on the palate, with superb balance of lushness and acidity set in a structure marked by supple tannins and a silky texture.

Wine maker notes

The lots of grapes are culled from each vineyard and the majority cold soaked for two to three days to extract maximum flavor with minimum tannin. Each lot is individually fermented in closed-top fermenters over a period of 12 to 20 days at temperatures between 80° and 95°F. The vats are pumped over two to three times daily during fermentation. The wine is the aged in American and French oak for 15 to 18 months. In the summer following the vintage, a base blend representing slightly more than half of the final blend is racked, blended and returned to barrel until final assemblage the following spring. This approach allows the wine to marry in the cellar and lengthens the blending process to ensure only wines beneficial to the overall blend are incorporated.

Technical notes

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Pinot Noir ALCOHOL: 13.4%-14.3% TOTAL ACIDITY: .50-.55 pH: 3.60-3.75 RESIDUAL SUGAR: .05-.1