Wine Enthusiast 90 at $45:
A tasty core of ripe cherry fruit anchors this new release. It's annotated with engaging flavors of cola, brown sugar and cinnamon toast.
Winemaker Steve Girard, who left Napa to establish Benton Lane in the 1970s, says:
2016 was another warm year with full ripeness in the fruit which allowed for the fruit notes in the wine to be a blend of black fruit (boysenberry, black cherry, blueberry and cassis) and red fruit (cherry, cranberry and raspberry). This brings more depth and concentration to the wine, along with a fine balance with all components getting along well with each other. This makes the wine a synergy and much more enjoyable. The wine is rich and deep with flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, cranberry, cassis and white pepper. The finish is the sweet flavor of toasted oak from French wine barrels. This wine will pair well with savory red meats. It will continue to evolve over the next 4 - 6 years.
A big, rich and ripe wine for Benton Lane, at 14.1%, but still so beautifully balanced and poised.
Classic Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.