Friends, today we travel down south to Paso Robles, paying homage to the postponement of one of the world’s great wine festivals, Hospice du Rhone. A brand new winery that is gaining serious momentum, Benom Wines, founded by two Frenchmen, Arnaud and Guillaume Fabre. Benom is named after the phonetic translation of the French word binôme, which translates to "a project together." They are brothers, they are French, and for them making wine is a heritage. Guillaume, moved to California to pursue a career as a winemaker, and began making wine for one of the great brands of Paso Robles, L’Aventure. He then started Clos Selene which was met with serious critical acclaim. it was his love of winemaking and farming without limit(s) that brought him to Paso Robles. Arnaud, on the other hand, moved to California to follow his beloved Chloe. Their wines are even named after each other, two brothers -‘Les Deux Freres,’ which is an intense blend made from Grenache, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Fabre family originates from both the Languedoc-Roussillon and Bordeaux regions in France, as the brothers have a longstanding family history in the wine industry. I was totally captivated by the new wines by Benom. Their new 2019 Benom ‘L’Essor’ Rose (WWB, 92) is silky, with serious range and minerality. This really needs a warm patio to enjoy. A massive blend that has incredible range and texture, the 2017 Benom ‘Les Deux Freres’ Red Wine (WWB, 95) is a true heavyhitter of a wine that has tremendous verve and a massive core of dark fruits with shades of blood orange. I am very excited to see how these two brothers evolve their beautiful wines as they have a serious ceiling. Learn more about this great new winery project at https://www.benomwines.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Benom.
2019 Benom ‘L’Essor’ Rose- Made from mostly Grenache (66%) grapes, with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, the Benom ‘L’Essor’ shows pretty cantaloupe with white rose and green apple tones on the nose. The palate has great minerality and bright juicy red fruits that dance with citrus rind and earthy tones. Showing off its silky texture, the ‘L’Essor’ is very serious Rose that needs a hot summer day. Drink 2020-2025- 92
2019 Benom ‘Contrast’ White Wine- Sourced from the Central Coast, the ‘Contrast’ is a silky blend of Chardonnay (64%) and Sauvignon Blanc (36%) that was aged in 30% new oak for 6 months before bottling. Nutty and melon tones connect with shades of gooseberry on the nose. The palate is ripe, showing a wonderfully soft texture and soft mouthfeel. Layers of orchard fruits collide with melon and lighter wild mushroom tones. This is seriously good stuff. Drink 2020-2027- 93
2017 Benom ‘Les Deux Freres’ Red Wine- The ‘Les Deux Freres’ is a compelling blend of mainly Grenache (56%) with smaller portions Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged for eighteen months in French oak prior to bottling. The gorgeous aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment, as layers of sandalwood and Bing cherry preserves mingle with the chocolate, damp earth and coffee ground tones on the nose. The palate has great freshness and verve, with a serious tension that runs through the core of the wine. Spicecake and shades of black licorice and blood orange zest are woven together with mocha, anise and creme de cassis on the palate. The combination of freshness and tension in the wine is sensational. While a delight to enjoy right now, the 2017 ‘Les Deux Freres’ Red Wine will cellar well for decades to come. Drink 2020-2035- 95
2017 Benom ‘Origin’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Benom ‘Origin’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding new wine that was sourced from the Hawks Hill Ranch and Denner Vineyard. Aged for eighteen months in 60% French oak, this opens with intense Asian spices and sandalwood aromatics that are woven together with mocha, tar and dark currants that all take shape in the glass. The palate is silky smooth, showing a soft texture and light tannins that frame a deep core of blackberry, huckleberry, creosote and mocha flavors. Seriously good in its youth, the 2017 Benom ‘Origin’ Cabernet Sauvignon will have a long life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2038- 95