Winery Of The Year 2012 (Wine & Spirits). Aromas of peach, pear and pineapple enhanced by a subtle toastiness define this wine’s wonderfully fragrant nose. On the palate, the wine is supple and long, with a crisp and satisfying finish. Enjoy with fried calamari, scallops in a light curry sauce, crab cakes, filet of sole with almonds, corn chowder, macaroni and cheese; or turkey panini.
I am in agreement with Helmut's review. For the price point, this is a very nice Chard - flavorful, smooth, with nice balance of oakiness. If you like Clos du Bois, Toasted Head or K-J (among others), you will like this. And getting the additional 1-2 years bottle age at this point is nice.
I am drinking for at least 30 years a daily bottle of wine with my wife, much of it chardonney, and in the $ 10 to 12 range. This benziger definately is one of the better ones. It's actually not that different from my more expensive Cakebread and Rombauers. It is far from "disappointing".
Disappointing wine.
Wine Maker Notes At Benziger Family Winery, we are dedicated to winemaking that reveals the true character of the vineyard, the varietal and the vintage in certified-sustainable, -organically grown and-Biodynamic® wines defined by individuality and the passion of the people who make them. Through our commitment to natural farming and environmentally and socially responsible business practices, we strive for sustainability and the preservation of our Sonoma Mountain family winery for generations to come.
Technical Notes The cool Carneros climate gives us Chardonnay with bright fruit flavors and natural acidity. All of the fruit is whole cluster pressed before cold barrel fermentation. We ferment and age the wine in American and French oak barrels for eight to nine months. The traditional practice of batonnage is used to build body, texture and to integrate flavors.