Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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Family Values
Some decisions are more easily made by a wine-making family than by a wine-making corporation.
Reducing the size of an over-large crop, which may not fully ripen, can seem both a matter of family pride and a sound investment. The corporate decision-maker however, may look at the same circumstance quite differently. To the CEO, the smaller and most-likely better crop, may signify fewer bottles to sell, loss of profit, loss of market share, loss of stockholder support and a trip to the unemployment line.
Years ago, the Benziger Family Winery sold off its highly successful, value-priced "Glen Ellen" line and began to reinvent itself as a premium operation. The result is a true Family enterprise, with three central projects and the full or part-time participation in them of seven siblings and numerous other family members. The family now produces traditional varietals; their upscale Imagery Project; and a third effort that is possibly the most significant.
On August 6th, some friends and I visited the Benziger Estate on Sonoma Mountain. This was a long awaited, although thrice-postponed trip, as I have been fascinated from the start by the promise of Benziger's "Tribute" Cabernet-blend and the other wines to be produced at the site.
I had heard details of this project from its passionate advocate, Michael Benziger, on numerous occasions. Our guides for this visit were Michael's equally enthusiastic brother Bob and a helpful and very well informed VIP Tour Guide, Rosie Melero.
Tribute's birthplace is a biodynamic ecosystem (for a short definition of biodynamic, imagine "organic" on steroids -- natural ones). The system is designed, through the beneficial interaction of its people, plants and animals, to make distinctive and hopefully great wine.
Biodynamic agriculture, developed by the visionary Rudolf Steiner a hundred years ago, is a mutual support system. Plants that attract beneficial insects, birds that hunt predatory critters, and local compost that reinvigorates the vineyard are all part of the process.
The agricultural procedures involved are tightly regulated, with inspections done by the Demeter Association, an international body that demands re-certification every year. The biodynamic wines Benziger has released thus far have been notable for their flavor and intensity, and even more for their distinctive terroir-driven personalities.
We were especially impressed by the upcoming 2006 Sauvignon Blanc called "Paradisio de Maria: a vividly fruity, intensely minerally, lusciously textured beauty that reminds of a Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume. The even more distinctive 2004 Tribute Red (Cabernet, with some Petite Verdot, Cab Franc and Merlot) is a mouthwatering mix of deep red fruits, savory spice and earthy complexities.
This was my second taste of Tribute "04. I had paired a bottle previously, with the wonderful herb-coated roasted Lamb Loin Chops at San Francisco's Kokari restaurant, courtesy of Michael Benziger. It was a great wine-food match, and Benziger Winery is a great stop for anyone traveling in Sonoma. I plan to reserve time in the future for a separate exploration of Joe Benziger's baby, the Imagery project.
Posted by Don on August 15, 2007 6:06 AM | Permalink
Comments (1)
skye:
totally agree with your take on Benziger wines. The Paradisio de Maria Sauv Blanc is out-of-this world good, and does bring to mind the very best that this grape offers. The Benzigers are a truly class act, through and through.
<__trans phrase="Posted by"> skye | August 16, 2007 7:26 AM
<__trans phrase="Posted on"> ">August 16, 2007 07:26