2023 Bench Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Great experience and know-how have resulted in a Pinot Noir that at the price cannot be beat. The 2022 Bench Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast has taken on a life of its own. I noticed that customers were re-purchasing the wine and in larger quantities. I got a bottle to taste on Monday and I was blown away, As good as it gets under $30.

Bench Vineyards is decades in the making, their main focus is Napa Cab. Jim Barbour manages the vineyards,  responsible for maintaining (and planting) some of Napa’s most fabulous vineyards, including Blankiet, Fantesca, Grace Family, and Hundred Acre. Winemaker is Mike Smith, came to Napa eager to learn in 2004, working harvest for free, sleeping on Thomas Brown’s (100pt Winemaker) couch. The hard work and dedication paid off. Founders are Allison Steltzner and Sam Sharp.

Allison is a Napa blue blood and Sam was born and raised in New York City, surrounded by artists, musicians, and a culture of wine cultivated from his family’s time spent in Europe and in the museum culture of New York. The girl from wine country and the boy from the big city met in Napa, married, and started a family. In the back of their minds always lingered the thought to one day make a little wine from the historic Steltzner Vineyards property owned by Allison’s family.

Bench Vineyards flourished and with their success they wanted to add other varietals/grapes to their Portfolio. All this know-how and experience has resulted in a Pinot Noir stunner. Sourced primarily from a single Russian River Valley vineyard with small lots added from Carneros and Petaluma Gaps. The wine has an excellent bouquet with berry fruit exploding from the glass, nuances of oak. The palate shows excellent fruit concentration with maintaining it elegance. Wine has lovely mouthfeel and the finish is long with no hard edges, this kind of finish is only found in great Pinot Noir.