About the Wine: Benziger is a California winery on its way to a fully organic status. I had the good fortune to meet the winemaker, whose name I promptly forgot. What I do remember is that this winery is pushing a vision of wine making that includes an extremely deep connection to the land to the point of using MRI machines to determine the composition of individual plots of soil and decide what will best grow there. They also keep livestock on the property to control pests and generate fertilizer. 2007 is a California vintage that needs no introduction, so this could be quite a gem at fifteen bucks.
About THIS Wine: The center is blood red with a nearly clear rim. The nose has an earthy, forest quality. There is prominent fruit but it is of a wild berry variety rather than the jammy fruits one often associates with California reds. The palate is a fairly simple one of red licorice and plum going into a finish that overdose it a little on the spice but is still pleasant.
Drinking This Wine: I bought it to go with a burger and I think that is the right pairing. I think this wine is at its peak. Aging more will not benefit it, nor does it need to be decanted.
Overall Impression: I like the wine, but not as much as I had hoped I would. A wine with this much age is not common in this price range and the fact that it is made with organic methods does increase its worth. At fifteen a bottle this wine is a good value.
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