Benziger Tribute Wine - using Biodynamics

Benziger 2002 Tribute $60

During our last visit to Sonoma we discovered our Wine of the Week selection for this week. Nurtured at their estate vineyards on Sonoma Mountain, Mike Benziger uses fully biodynamic farming to grow the grapes of the wine he calls Tribute and it’s our Wine of the Week.

Tribute is a Bordeaux style blend that’s mostly cabernet, merlot and cabernet franc and it’s a big and lush wine. It really is a tribute to the passion of winemaking.

The flavors are full of dark berries and maybe a hint of licorice, or even a little mocha. It’s a great pick for a rack of lamb or a juicy t-bone, but what’s most unique about Tribute is that it’s the first fully certified biodynamic wine from Napa or Sonoma.

It’s completely organic and reflective of the natural environment it comes from. The extra care does add to the price, but sometimes you just have to go for it, right?

Check out more on biodynamics here then, Pop the Cork™

Wine on the Radio - March 31, 2006

Comments:

Tribute, a Bordeaux blend produced from 100% estate grapes grown at the Benziger Family Ranch on Sonoma Mountain, is the first Demeter-certified Biodynamic® wine from Napa and Sonoma Counties and one of the first in North America.

Biodynamic is the highest form of organic farming in the world. It goes beyond the elimination of chemicals to represent a complete and holistic system of agriculture that views the farm as a living organism intimately connected with its environment. The goal of a Biodynamic wine is not perfection, but rather to truly and authentically reflect the variety, vintage, place and passion of the people who make it. Demeter is a third party certifier of traditional Biodynamic practices and the oldest such agency in the United States. Certification, the ultimate guarantee of tradition and purity in the production of agricultural products, is extremely difficult to achieve and must be renewed annually.

Tribute was aged for 19 months in French oak (35%new barrels) and approximately one year in the bottle before release. It is unfiltered and unfined.

Aromas of Blackberry, cassis, coffee, black olive with nuances of tobacco, licorice and earth. The finish is firm, balanced and long with flavors of berry, jam, olive and coffee.

Rated 93 by both the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

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