Benessere Sangiovese
Posted by Gabe on October 22, 2007
I can count on one had the number of California Wineries that make consistent Sangiovese that is also true to the Varietal.
Include Benessere Vineyards amongst their number.Their 2002 Sangiovese is 100% varietal and 100% Napa fruit.
It’s also made in a classic old world style. In Italy sangiovese is a work horse. Chianti and Brunello are two examples that use sangiovese as the primary grape.
This sangiovese seems to fall between those two wine styles in weight and substance. The upfront fruit reminds me of a young Brunello. The classic cherry, spice and cola notes are reminiscent of Chianti.
At five years of age this sangiovese still seems like it has plenty of life left. A couple of years on the cellar will likely benefit it. I’d expect it to pick up additional earthiness as some of the fruit recedes a bit.
