2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Wine Blend, Napa Valley
The 2022 Sorridente, meaning “smiling” in Italian, is a joyful and expressive blend crafted to bring a little brightness to the table. This wine bursts with vibrant aromatics, offering a bouquet of fresh, ripe red and dark berries, violets, and a touch of earth. On the palate, flavors of juicy strawberries, blackberry cream, and a hint of spice dance together, creating a wine that is as playful as it is complex. The finish is exceptionally long, with bright acidity and fine tannins, making this an expressive and versatile wine.
Pairing
This versatile blend is a perfect match for rich and flavorful dishes. Try pairing it with duck ragù or slow-braised short ribs to highlight the wine’s depth and playful fruit profile. The freshness of the berries and the earthiness of the wine will beautifully complement these hearty dishes.
Vintage
The 2022 growing season was blessed by late winter rains that replenished our soil moisture as the vines emerged from dormancy. A cold spring led to a slower start for the vines, but we avoided any frost danger. Summer growing conditions were exceptional, with consistent weather and blue skies ushering in a Goldilocks summer that was not too hot and not too cold. We are thrilled with the quality of the grapes from the outstanding 2022 vintage.
Winemaking
The 2022 Sorridente is a vibrant blend of Syrah, Primitivo, Merlot, and Grenache, crafted to showcase the playful harmony between these varietals. Each grape was harvested and fermented separately, allowing the distinct characteristics of each to shine. The wine was aged for 16 months in a combination of French and American oak, balancing fruit intensity with subtle oak influence for a refined finish.
We are a small, family-owned boutique winery specializing in Italian varietals made in the heart of Napa Valley, where the soil is ideal for growing these types of grapes. Benessere, an Italian word meaning “well-being” or “living the good life”, reflects our dedication to producing incredible wine and our penchant for providing warm, welcoming hospitality.
The property was purchased in 1994 by John and Ellen Benish and they immediately began restoring the vineyards, winery, and residence. In 1995, they produced their first vintage of Sangiovese and the dream was realized.
The Benish family chose to name their winery ‘Benessere’ because it embodies everything they fell in love with on a trip to Italy in the late 1980s. “Living the good life” is what they hoped to bring to their little slice of Heaven here in Napa Valley and so ‘Benessere’ conveys those unique qualities of a wine country lifestyle one can only find here.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Blend - $110 = 36.67%
We were pleased to open our Lab Rat box to find a lovely bottle of 2022 “Sorridente” from Benessere Napa, a nice blend of Syrah, Primitivo, Merlot, and Grenache. We love Syrah’s so we were excited to try this one.
The bottle happened to arrive just in time for the 4th of July holiday, and I had some serious BBQ plans ahead that seemed ripe for a pairing with this wine.
We opened the bottle and let it breathe for about an hour before pouring. We then poured it into a red wine glass and were enthralled with the beautiful nearly opaque dark garnet color that invited one to just admire the appearance for a bit before bringing it to the nose.
On the nose, the first impression was pomegranate, strawberry, and dark fruits. As it opened up it revealed some subtle woody notes such as oak and maybe cedar that nicely grounded the fruits.
The taste was a lovely combination of the notes that were revealed in the nose with a little bit of spice on the palate as well. The wine was well balanced with both acidity and tannins present with neither taking the lead. Not overly drying. The finish was long lasting.
Since it was hot af here, my wife decided to try chilling it. Nope- much better at room temp. or only slightly chilled.
For the holiday weekend, I had a “Poor man’s Brisket”, aka smoked Chuck Roast on the smoker for many hours. In the last few hours of cooking, we prepared a charcuterie board to try with the wine. My wife loved the Sorridente with Blue Cheese, and my favorite was a smoked Gouda. When the beef was finished, at dinner we paired the wine with the smoked beef, and some grilled carrots, both of which were an absolutely great match.
The overall perception of this wine was one that is a lovely presentation of a good harmonious blend- suitable for some great food pairings.
Thanks to Casemates for allowing us to Labrat this delicious wine!
2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Wine Blend, Napa Valley
Pairing
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$576/Case of 12x - 2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Wine Blend, Napa Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 3 - Wednesday, Aug 5
2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Blend
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2022 Benessere Sorridente Red Blend - $110 = 36.67%
@chipgreen yeah, this one is a harsh small-order penalty.
We were pleased to open our Lab Rat box to find a lovely bottle of 2022 “Sorridente” from Benessere Napa, a nice blend of Syrah, Primitivo, Merlot, and Grenache. We love Syrah’s so we were excited to try this one.
The bottle happened to arrive just in time for the 4th of July holiday, and I had some serious BBQ plans ahead that seemed ripe for a pairing with this wine.
We opened the bottle and let it breathe for about an hour before pouring. We then poured it into a red wine glass and were enthralled with the beautiful nearly opaque dark garnet color that invited one to just admire the appearance for a bit before bringing it to the nose.
On the nose, the first impression was pomegranate, strawberry, and dark fruits. As it opened up it revealed some subtle woody notes such as oak and maybe cedar that nicely grounded the fruits.
The taste was a lovely combination of the notes that were revealed in the nose with a little bit of spice on the palate as well. The wine was well balanced with both acidity and tannins present with neither taking the lead. Not overly drying. The finish was long lasting.
Since it was hot af here, my wife decided to try chilling it. Nope- much better at room temp. or only slightly chilled.
For the holiday weekend, I had a “Poor man’s Brisket”, aka smoked Chuck Roast on the smoker for many hours. In the last few hours of cooking, we prepared a charcuterie board to try with the wine. My wife loved the Sorridente with Blue Cheese, and my favorite was a smoked Gouda. When the beef was finished, at dinner we paired the wine with the smoked beef, and some grilled carrots, both of which were an absolutely great match.
The overall perception of this wine was one that is a lovely presentation of a good harmonious blend- suitable for some great food pairings.
Thanks to Casemates for allowing us to Labrat this delicious wine!
/giphy carbonated-magnanimous-parsnip
