wines
Tribute
Sonoma Mountain Estate
V. 2002
Download the Wine Notes [.pdf 94k]
93 POINTS "A great follow-up to their breakthrough effort in 2001..." - Robert Parker, Jr.
Technical Information
Tribute was aged for 19 months in French oak (35% new barrels) and approximately 1 year in bottle before release. It is unfiltered and unfined. Enjoy it now (decanting will add to its enjoyment) but it will continue to develop over the next 7 to 8 years. It will easily age for 15 to 20 years under proper cellar conditions.
- Alcohol 14.5%
- Total acidity .6
- pH 3.81
- Residual sugar .13%
Vintage
The 2002 vintage was excellent; a summer of moderate heat and a long, dry autumn allowing the grapes to hang well into October. Harvest and fermentation posed the least stress to the fruit in years and the quality shows. The resulting wine contains the richness of the 2001 vintage but with enhanced structure and higher quality tannins.
Aroma
Blackberry, cassis, coffee, black olive with nuances of tobacco, licorice and earth.
Mouthfeel
Rich concentration, velvety tannins that engage from the very beginning. The finely-grained tannins are positioned throughout the entire wine. The finish is firm, balanced and long with flavors of berry, jam, olive and coffee.
Vinification
- 51% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 21% Cabernet Franc
- 21% Merlot
- 7% Petit Verdot
Reviews
94 Points! Editor's Choice!
"Benziger pulls out all the stops on this estate Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from their hilly vineyard above Glen Ellen. It's a beautiful effort. The flavors are very close to Napa Cab, namely deliciously sweet cassis, roasted coffee and cocoa, but there's a tannin and acid structure that in some respects outclasses even Napa's most prestigious chateaus. This is a great red wine."
-- Wine Enthusiast December 1, 2005
93 Points
"A great follow-up to their breakthrough effort in 2001..."
-- Robert Parker, Jr.