Winemaker Paden West has been at Benza since 2022 as he came in when they built the winery. He stated “Got here and it was a beautiful old barn being converted to a winery in August. Crush equipment came before I was picking for sparkling.”
His sparkling pick was late in 2022 as the vintage saw a spring event “Which was the first time we had dealt with this. We had frost the first week of bud break, right in the heart of it. Most Chardonnays were hit in the valley. But as we see the bigger issue was how to manage tannin levels.”
In 2022 West was worried that the fall was not going to warm up and have the grapes ripen. The warm temperatures “Saved the vintage but in some other interesting ways 2022 was more of an Oregon vintage in terms of having good acid and there is a lot of good tension that represents old-school Oregon.” West loves earth in the wine and uses different oak to complement the earthy aromatics of the wine. “Trying to find oak to compliment the earthy components of the wine” he said.
The new wines were really good across the board. I love the 2023 Benza ‘Block 2’ Pinot Gris (OB, 92) which is dense and heady, as well as the 2022 ‘Touch of Gold’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which has lovely richness and tension. Learn more at https://www.benza.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Benza wines.
2023 Benza ‘Block 2 Reserve’ Pinot Gris- The 2023 ‘Block 2 Reserve’ Pinot Gris was aged in 33% new French oak (cigar shaped barrels) before bottling. The palate is broad and rich with great tension and depth. Nutty tones combine with banana, lychee and shades of brioche on the palate. Full-bodied and delicious, with good freshness, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2022 Benza ‘Touch of Gold’ Chardonnay- The really good 2022 Benza ‘Touch of Gold’ Chardonnay was stored in 33% new French oak before botting. Right away this has knockout aromatics of hay, gunpowder, golden delicious apple, peaches and nutty undertones, with buttered French bread. The palate is deep and concentrated with a refined texture and gorgeous sense of length. Delicious now, enjoy over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 93
2022 Benza ‘Three Tuxedos’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 Benza ‘Three Tuxedos’ Pinot Noir entirely comes from the Benza Estate Vineyard. Stored in 45% new French oak before bottling, this opens with aromatics of wild blackberry and black cherry notes alongside shades of salty soils and baking spices. The palate is soft and elegant with medium-bodied black and red fruits that mingle well with exotic spice and oyster sauce accents. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2022 Benza ‘Symphony’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Symphony’ comes from several sites throughout the Willamette Valley. Stored in mainly neutral oak, this delivers juicy red fruits with red florals on the nose alongside damp soils. Medium bodied red fruits greet you on the palate, alongside a smooth texture and rocky undertones. Enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 91
2022 Benza ‘Le Soir’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Le Soir’ is an homage to Paden West’s mentor Isabelle Meunier. A barrel-selection wine, this offers shades of black truffle shavings and forest floor that meld well with dark raspberry and shades of milk chocolate on the nose. The palate is very earthy and salty with a beautiful melange of medium-bodied black and red fruits. Complex and delicious, with a smooth mouthfeel, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2037- 93
2023 Benza ‘Borderlands Vineyard’ Syrah- The really good 2023 Benza ‘Borderlands Vineyard’ Syrah was stored in oak puncheons prior to bottling. This saw more than half whole cluster fermentation. Stored in 30% new French oak, this offers juicy raspberry and Bing cherry notes on the nose alongside shades of wet stone and soy sauce. The palate is juicy and delicious with a refined texture and lovely stony undertones. Enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 93