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Wine Information
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
This rich, suave Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon offers lavish aromas of ripe dark fruits (blackcurrants, blackberry and boysenberry) mingled with loamy earth, dark chocolate, vanilla cream and briary spice scents. Full and lush on the palate, its dense, mouthfilling, black fruit and dark chocolate flavors are framed by fine, ripe tannins, which give the wine a seamless, sumptuous texture and long, savory finish. Beautifully structured, with great reserves of lush, ripe fruit, this luxurious Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is delicious now, but will age well for another 7-10 years.
December 31, 2008
92 points
Wine Advocate
The star here is the beautiful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by aromas of gravelly earth intermixed with notions of lead pencil shavings, blue as well as blackberries, and spice. Medium-bodied with solid yet ripe tannins, good structure, a Bordeaux-like weight, and a clean, pure finish, it displays admirable purity and texture. It will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades.
Vintage
In 2005, a warm late winter spurred early bud break, but a cool, wet spring set back vine development. Atypically cool temperatures continued throughout most of the summer, which slowed ripening and prolonged the growing season. Warm, sunny weather in September and October, however, brought the harvest to fruition in fine fashion, enabling us to harvest our benchland grapes at perfect ripeness between October 15th and 17th.