Benessere Sangiovese Napa Valley 2007

Winemaker's Notes:

About This Wine: Gentle treatment is paramount to the production of fine Sangiovese, and we spare no expense in the hand sorting, manual punch-downs of the cap during fermentation and gravity decanting during the life of this wine. Fining and filtration are unnecessary and leave more flavor and color in the wine.<br/><br/> Benessere continues to craft an elegant and beautiful wine with this extremely fickle and delicate varietal.<br/><br/> About The Winery: “Benessere” is the Italian word for well being and prosperity. This is the feeling we try to embody at Benessere Winery. We are a small family owned, high end producer of Italian varietals, located in the north end of Napa Valley on the valley floor where the soil is well suited for growing excellent wine.<br/><br/> The property was purchased in 1994 by John Benish. At that time it had been abandoned for some years. It has now been restored and everyone who visits comments on our beautiful setting. The buildings are sunny yellow, the flowers are breathtaking and visitors like to linger to enjoy the ambiance while sipping our exquisite wine. Because we are small, we pride ourselves on individual attention to all our visitors. Everyone who comes is treated as company and we hope you will feel this when you visit us.<br/><br/> In 1998 we harvested our first crop. Sangiovese is our signature wine. This beautiful deep-ruby colored, aromatic wine pairs well with all foods. We are continuing in our quest to produce the finest Sangiovese possible through gentle handling of the fruit and of the resulting wine. The Black Glass Zinfandel is exceptional and can be drunk for special occasions or for every day. You will enjoy it immensely. We make a Pinot Grigio, loved for its clean crisp taste, with fruit that has been purchased in Carneros. Every year we sell out of this very quickly.<br/><br/> We have expanded our selection of varietals to include Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Muscat di Canelli. We also produce an outstanding blend called Phenomenon.<br/><br/> The wine club is open to new members. Some of our wine can be bought only through the wine club. Although we have a large group we give them all individual attention, and even have several parties a year open only to our members. They are very festive affairs and our members always enjoy these events.<br/><br/> In addition to our beautiful property and beautiful wine, we also have the distinctive possibility of being the only place where the late Luciano Pavarotti, the world famous tenor, made his only movie, “Yes, Giorgio”. The movie company installed a tennis court especially so Luciano could play tennis in that movie.<br/><br/> We would be honored to have you visit our winery.<br/><br/> Technical Analysis: <strong>Vineyard:</strong> St. Helena Estate<br/><br/> <strong>Harvest Date:</strong> September 9 - October 3, 2007<br/><br/> <strong>Brix at Harvest:</strong> 24.6 - 26.4<br/><br/> <strong>Finished pH:</strong> 3.54<br/><br/> <strong>Finished TA:</strong> 0.63<br/><br/> <strong>Alcohol:</strong> 14.4% by volume<br/><br/> <strong>Production:</strong> 1236 cases<br/><br/>