WTN: 2001 Sangiovese, Benessere Vineyards
When John and Ellen Benish forged the dream of owning a Napa winery, the reality must have tempered their enthusiasm a bit. Phylloxera had ransacked the neglected vines on the Napa Valley property they bought in the mid-90's, and one of their first tasks was to replant all forty-two acres at the newly formed Benessere Vineyards.
Instead of the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon planted by their neighbors, the Benish's chose the Sangiovese grape they learned to love in Tuscany. They wanted to carve a niche for their wines, and they sensed that consumers were ready to buy wines from this grape.
It was a bold move. Napa Cabernets sell, while Sangiovese was still not widely known and the Benish's suggest that previous Napa incarnations had tarnished that grapes' reputation. They saw the potential for changing that, though. The grape's low tannins and high acidity make it an accommodating companion for a variety of foods, and the Benish's knew the American public had a rising interest in Italian varieties.
The new winery owners aim higher than simply making people more comfortable with this grape; they want to make the best rendition in the state, and perhaps further afield as well. They've laid that challenge at wine maker Chris Dearden's feet, and he gets advice from two Italian consultants well-versed in Sangiovese's quirks. The Benish's themselves manage from afar; they still run a school bus company in Chicago, and currently only come to the winery three times a year. But they see this winery as a legacy for their five children, and I'm sure they look forward to the day when they can retire to the new house on the property.
2001 Sangiovese, Benessere, Napa Valley - $28
Curiosly, this vibrant red wine with its red-orange edge smells strongly of raw foie gras, a smell I occasionally get in Sauvignon Blanc. Melissa finds lots of cinnamon. There are more subtle aromas of stewed tomatoes and cherries, and that fruitiness develops as the wine opens up, though it retains a musky quality. It has the bright acidity and low tannins typical of the grape, with light cherry flavors that linger for a medium-long finish.
One of my former wine instructors loves Sangiovese with tomato sauce, but we enjoyed it with an impromptu casserole of beans, radishes, bread crumbs, and the "scrapings" from when I frenched a rack of lamb. I'd like to try this wine with a really good roast chicken.
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