Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California (6) Benovia
Website: https://benoviawinery.com/
Benovia is a really impressive Russian River Valley winery that began in 2005. It’s a partnership between Joe and Mary Anderson and Mike Sullivan who makes the wine. I tasted with Mike and his assistant winemaker Adolfo Hernandez (pictured above).
This isn’t a large winery, with total production of just under 10 000 cases. They focus on single-site Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, like many here, and do both really well. The business side of things is moving away from distribution towards direct sales, which account now for 70% of volume.
The vineyard sources are varied. The main block is a 42 acre site at Martaella, Santa Rosa Plains, where the winery is based. The oldest vines here were planted in the mid 1990s, but most were planted in 2000. On this vineyard they inherited 8 x 8 ft spacing, and they’ve planted some newer blocks at 4 x 4, and more recently they’ve gone to 5 x 5 because 4 x 4 was too tight and made farming difficult.
They also have an 18 acre vineyard on West Side Road, where they have 1970 plantings of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. The last plot they own is Tilton Hill in Freestone, in the Sebastopol Hills at the boundary of the Russian River Valley.
They also source from the Martinellis, including one site in Fort Ross Seaview.
Mike explained that farming here is quite expensive. If you use vineyard management crews the cost is $34/hour for a worker, or $50/hour for a tractor driver. He estimates farming costs at $15 000 an acre. Couple this with relatively low yields and it costs upwards of $4000 per ton even growing your own fruit.
THE WINES
Benovia Chardonnay 2022 Russian River Valley
14.1% alcohol. 11 months in barrel. Tight, lively and complex with lovely rich peach and pear fruit as well as keen citrus, with lemony acidity on the finish. Lovely crystalline citrus here with real intensity and a juicy, almost sour (in a nice way) finish. Some notes of meal, toast and spice adding an extra dimension. Really lovely. 94/100
Benovia Martaella Chardonnay 2022 Russian River Valley
14.3% alcohol. All the single vineyards are 13-15 months in barrel, and new oak is 25-40%. Estate property with heavier soils, in a warmer neighbourhood. When they planted they put drainage in every 25 feet, because there was a hard pan that undulated, and the way to fix that is drainage. It’s Hide and Montrachet (suitcase selection from Aubert) and some 548. This has precision and focus as well as finesse, with a hint of pineapple richness, some peachy depth and then some toast and spice on the finish. But this richness is hemmed in by bright citrus fruit. A complete Chardonnay with a wide dynamic range. 94/100
Benovia Tilton Hill Chardonnay 2021 Sonoma Coast, California
14.1% alcohol. Tilton Hill is Bernovia’s coolest climate vineyard, perched on a ridge top near the town of Freestone, located just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, just west of Littorai. 800 feet elevation, in the Bodega Headlands area. This is from Old Wente and Mount Eden clones of Chardonnay and it’s the first Chardonnay release from this site (from vines grafted over), so it’s a wine club exclusive. Small clusters, whole-cluster pressed to a mix of oak barrels and stainless steel barrels. Fresh, fine aromatics with very subtle toast and baked bread notes as well as lemons and some pear. The palate has a sense of harmony with bright acidity providing a foil to the citrus and white peach fruit, with well integrated oak and fine spices. It’s very refined and linear, and should age well. 94/100
Benovia Tilton Hill Chardonnay 2022 Sonoma Coast
14.1% alcohol. Clones 28 (Mount Eden) and 72 (Old Wente). This is so lively and bright with keen acidity and powerful flavours of lemon and pineapple, showing great precision. There’s a lot of flavour here but it’s hemmed in by the high acidity. There’s some toast and spice from the oak. Tightwound and expressive, this has real power, but needs some time. 95/100
Benovia Three Sisters Chardonnay 2022 Fort Ross Seaview
14.2% alcohol. Dijon clones from two blocks, one of which has some shale in the soils. Above the fog line so cooler daytime temperatures and warmer night temperatures, so there is more respiration, and the pH 3.7, which is really high. This is fresh but harmonious with a lovely mouthfeel showing richness and some bready hints under the smooth pear and white peach, with some floral notes and a touch of salinity on the finish. This has real balance and elegance. 95/100
Benovia La Pommeraie Chardonnay 2022 Russian River Valley
14.5% alcohol. This is from the Zio Tony Ranch, 1×2 m spacing, on Laguna Ridge. Goldridge series loam, dry farmed. This is crystalline, bright and complex with amazing focus to the citrus and white peach, with really well integrated oak adding some spice and toasty elements. Finishes with nice acidity and a hint of pineapple. Lovely precision to this wine. 96/100
Benovia Sauvignon Blanc Martaella Vineyard 2023 Russian River Valley
13.5% alcohol. This is 80% Sauvignon, 20% Semillon, but technically it’s 15% because that’s as much as you are allowed of an undisclosed variety in a varietally labelled wine that has an AVA. Fresh and aromatic with nice elderflower and grapefruit notes on the nose. The palate is bright and focused with a lovely texture and balance with fine spices and a good purity. Really nicely put together. 92/100
Benovia Pinot Noir 2022 Russian River Valley
14.1% alcohol. Biggest production at 1000 cases, $55. All the Pinots see some whole cluster, 25-40%. Mix of heritage and Dijon clones, with the heritage clones receiving a bit more whole cluster. Ripe, sweet aromatics with floral cherry and berry fruit. Lovely fruit in the palate: generous, floral, but bright and pure. Has really open ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, but stays fresh across the palate, finishing bright. 93/100
Benovia Martaella Pinot Noir 2022 Russian River Valley
All high density, Pommard, Calera, some 943. Really lovely generous aromatics here with sweet, lush black cherry fruits. It’s concentrated and sleek with a richness to the fruit. Luxurious and bold with a lovely texture, and then some fresher notes on the finish. Generosity but harmony here, and really expressive. 94/100
Benovia Cohn Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Sonoma County
14.1% alcohol. Oldest vines, 1970, farmed organically. This is just outside Russian River Valley. Josephine series loam soils with cobblestones. Hillside vineyard at 800 feet. Hugely aromatic with sweet, jammy strawberry fruit and some nice olive and meat hints, as well as a touch of honey. The palate is fresh and focused, with lush strawberry and raspberry fruit but also some spicy detail, a touch of saltiness, and a fresh finish. A remarkable, singular expression of Pinot. Joyful. 96/100
Benovia Tilton Hill Pinot Noir 2020 Sonoma Coast, California
This site is planted to heritage and Dijon clones, and the small clusters are destemmed before fermentation. Lovely aromatics of cherries and spice with some raspberry and a touch of orange peel and roast coffee. In the mouth this has brightness and structure as well as alluring sweet fruit, with some spicy, savoury detail. Has good structure and appealing complexity, with a great combination of fruit and non-fruit characters. Satisfying stuff that’s quite serious. 94/100
Benovia Tilton Hill Pinot Noir 2022 Sonoma Coast, California
14.2% alcohol. This has lovely focus and freshness with a real sense of brightness. There’s black cherry, some olive, a bit of garrigue complexity, a twist of juniper. The palate is fresh and direct with nice structure with good tannins and some lemony acidity. Really impressive and focused, with lots of potential. 95/100
Benovia La Pommeraie Pinot Noir 2022 Russian River Valley
14.5% alcohol. Dijon selections on Goldridge. Bright, compact and energetic with sweet raspberry and black cherry, as well as a touch of aniseed. Really bold and focused with grippy tannins and nice intensity. Has lovely fruit density and richness, but also good structure. 94/100
Benovia Three Sisters Pinot Noir 2022 Fort Ross Seaview
14.2% alcohol. All Pommard, from one section of this vineyard that’s owned by Martinelli. So fresh and focused with bright cherry and raspberry fruit. Sappy and detailed with real refinement, showing sleek but focused red fruits. Lovely energy and precision here: floral, refined, pretty, elegant and with a long, tapering finish. Beautiful stuff in a lean, refined mould. 95/100
Benovia Bella Una Pinot Noir 2022 Russian River Valley, California
A barrel selection. Bold, rich and sweetly fruited with lovely intensity. Has some rich, sweet spicy oak and dense fruit. Cherries, blackberries and spice here with good concentration. Should age nicely in this rich, dense style. 93/100
Benovia Clonal Selection 2 Hanzell Selection Pinot Noir 2022 RRV, California
This is bold and dense with a core of sweet berry and cherry fruit, supported by some warm spicy notes. Rich and detailed with a wide dynamic range. Bold and big, but with some balance. Fine spicy finish. 94/100
