Benovia Sonoma County Zinfandel 2017
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Connoisseurs'
Guide -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This wine exhibits lively aromas of vine-ripened loganberries, cinnamon and nutmeg spices. On the palate the wines exuberant fruit is in perfect harmony with bright acidity, fine grained tannin and a spice-laden finish. Utilizing Burgundian techniques produce an elegant and restrained Zinfandel, while still capturing the intensity of the varietal.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
From the Cohn Estate Vineyard planted in 1970, this brambly wine retains elegance and structure within its undeniable fruitiness. Brawny in cinnamon, black pepper and dark chocolate, bright acidity keeps it balanced and poised
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
Rich, ripe and expansive with concentrated blackberry and sweet, plum-like fruit to spare, Benovia’s deeply draughted offering is a big, but very well-controlled Zinfandel that, if far from shy and retiring, puts the lie to the notion that ripeness, generous fruit and real complexity are somehow antithetical. It is, to be sure, fairly mouthfilling stuff, but it is not in the least overdone, and, while some might quibble with the scant bit of heat that shows up at the finish, it strikes us as a small price to pay for the ongoing fruity richness that is this lengthy and many-layered Zin’s most lasting message.
-
Wine Spectator
Robust but refined, with lively blackberry, roasted sage and cracked pepper flavors that zip along toward zesty tannins. Drink now through 2027.
Other Vintages
2018-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator
With such similar family backgrounds, it's no wonder Joe Anderson and Mary Dewane would eventually find each other and marry. Together, they began a journey that led them to establish a winery that would make them, and their fathers, proud -- proud enough that the Benovia name pays homage to Ben and Novian.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.