It’s been 6 long years since a Benessere wine graced our pages - but today they’re back, with their 90 point & Best in Class wine, the crisp, inviting, budget-minded Benessere Vineyards 2016 Napa Valley Pinot Grigio. We’re so happy to bring you this wonderful wine from one of our favorite Napa Valley producers.

This Pinot Grigio has a delicate pale golden hue with jewel-like clarity. Apricot, apple, and white peach aromas are inviting up front, with complex and compelling notes of dusty straw with a subtle jasmine floral aroma. It truly pops on the palate, with bright, juicy fruit notes of loquat, nectarine, and strawberry guava. Honeysuckle and marmalade make an appearance towards the finish. It has a gorgeous mouthfeel that engages the entire palate, while also being effortlessly light as it dances across the tongue, leaving a pleasant aftertaste long after the wine is gone. Perfect for a summer treat of watermelon salad dressed with red onion, mint, and feta cheese.

This wine hails from the Oak Knoll District of the broader Napa Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). Oak Knoll is located within Napa Valley AVA at the southern end of the valley floor. The appellation’s close proximity to San Pablo Bay results in a climate that is cooler and more moderate than any region in Napa Valley - other than the Los Carneros AVA, where Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir thrive.

The Oak Knoll AVA has more area under vine than any other wholly contained appellation within the Napa Valley. The district is planted largely to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

Enjoy!!

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Here’s what the wine press has to say.

90 Points - Wine and Spirits Magazine

Best of Class - 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast - “Floral, this wine offers voluptuously sizable weight and body around a soft texture of lasting acidity. The fruit leans tartly into grapefruit and lime.”