Martha Stoumen "Benchlands" 2022

Stimulating aromas of bitter orange peel tie this buoyant bundle of fruity balloons to the vespa handle as you float/zip/sail/drift into the aperitivo hour of your dreams. Drink chilled. This wine is made for aperitivo hour -- consider drinking with salty snacks and small, savory bites. Drink when you’re wanting to live out your White Lotus fantasy (at least before it all broke loose). Tie a silk scarf around your hair to keep it from blowing in your face and kickstart the scooter. 

Martha Stoumen is the "new CA" poster child with a dazzling line up of delicious, organic, thought-provoking wines. Benchlands is reminiscent of a Cerasuolo—somewhere between a dark rosé and a light red wine, highlighted by floral aromatics and a bright, fruitful core. This fascinating 6 grape (40% Petite Sirah, 30% Zinfandel, 20% Nero d’Avola, 4% Valdiguié, 4% Colombard, 2% Carignan) blend from Mendocino justifies the hype. Blackberries, sour cherry, plum skin, violets and white pepper lead to silky tannins and suggests this is more suited to immediate consumption than cellaring. Drink chilled.

Benchlands 2022 continues Martha Stoumen's Cal-Italia exploration of Mendocino County’s uplifted benchland soils, where Italian farming families first planted vineyards (reserving the rich valley floors for vegetables). All of the vineyards in this blend are planted on those uplifted benchlands and are dry-farmed (non-irrigated). Through a mix of gentler fermentation techniques and white and red grape co-fermentation, Benchlands is reminiscent of a Cerasuolo—somewhere between a dark rosé and a light red wine, highlighted by floral aromatics and a bright, fruitful core.

Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Nero d’Avola were each fermented separately in small batches while the Carignan, Valdiguié, and Colombard grapes were harvested and co-fermented as one lot (red and white grapes together!). The components were kept separate after pressing and aged in neutral oak barrique. Racked, blended, and bottled after 6 months. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.