Current Releases
Benessere farms 37 acres of estate vineyard surrounding the winery in the St. Helena appellation. Varietals planted are: Sangiovese, Moscato di Canelli, Sagrantino, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit for our Pinot Noir and Pinto Grigio is sourced from vineyards in the Carneros region, and the Aglianico is from the neighboring Collins' vineyard.
Our Pinot Grigio comes from two vineyards on the Napa side of Carneros. Cool days and an extended 2011 season in this district near the Bay produced tart, spicy, slightly pink grapes with intense perfume and flavor.
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Sangiovese is excellent on its own or paired with food. It has an exuberant personality that lends itself to complementing lighter dishes like seafood or poultry as well as more hearty dishes of beef and lamb.
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*New Release 12/17/2012
Our estate is called "Black Glass Vineyard" for the obsidian arrowheads, spearpoints and other artifacts left by the Wappo people, who hunted and lived here for millenia.
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Grapes for our Old Vines Zinfandel come from the vineyard of our longtime neighbors on Big Tree Road, Bill and Kathy Collins. These ancient, gnarly vines, planted on a cobbley hump in 1923, have been lovingly farmed by the Collinses for the last forty years.
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Sagrantino is a dark-skinned varietal originated in the Montefalco region of Umbria, Italy. There are only 5 acres of Sagrantino planted in California, 20% are from our half acre grown at Benessere. We are fortunate to produce 100 to 150 cases annually, for club selections.
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The name means "smiling", and this wine will put one on your face. Ageworthy structure and lively ripe finish. Bright red, with distinctive sweet, toasty aromas and plummy flavors. A blend composition of 60 % Merlot, 20 % Aglianico, 12 % Syrah and 8 % Petite Syrah.
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Possesses distinct aromas of black cherry, sweet oak and essences of black olive, leather and vanilla. On the palate, the flavors are pure, sweet and lingering. A most age-worthy wine and substantial enough to pair with most full flavored meats and sauces, for elegant dinners or outdoor patio, dining al fresco.
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*New Release
Benessere's half acre of Moscato, the oldest domesticated grape variety in the world, produces less than a ton of fruit. On October 21, the scant clusters were harvested and laid on tables to be hand sorted. Members of our staff selected both sound berries and those affected by botrytis cinerea, using hand clippers to discard hard raisins and less beneficial molds. Then the fruit was gently pressed and fermentation began in a small stainless steel tank. Once well underway, the juice was transferred to a new barrel for aging and finishing.
*Limited production, only 30 cases available online & in our tasting room.*
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