2018 Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 750 ml

It’s thrilling what sort of fun you can get into waiting for tri-tip, California’s signature, BBQ-perfect cut of steak. 

A few months ago, at a ranch party outside Healdsburg, we found ourselves six feet apart from winemaker David Sayre, with one thing on our minds: barbecue. Given that we had to wait for a few dozen people to satisfy their taste for steak first, the conversation naturally turned to the state of winemaking in Sonoma—who was working for whom, and where they were sourcing their grapes.

After helping to build brands like Stonehenge and Bellacosa, David has his finger on the pulse of Sonoma like few others. When he mentioned that he was trying to find a buyer for a new, small private label sourced from Balletto Vineyards’ sterling holdings in Russian River, we knew we had to continue the conversation in a less social setting. You’re looking at the results—a $60-quality Russian River Pinot Noir for $20 per bottle.

We drove out to David’s facility the next day, eager to taste his wine and hear the story—and the more we learned, the more interested we got. A distributor out of the Midwest had contracted him to craft an ultra-premium Russian River Pinot Noir for their top retail and restaurant accounts (hence the Balletto Vineyards sourcing), but, well… 2020 didn’t really help things, and he was worried he was going to be left holding the bag.

We tasted through and it was immediately clear that we had some top-quality Russian River Valley wine on our hands. Bursting with aromas of black cherries, candied raspberry, and a hint of cola, the palate delivered a smooth texture and intense fruit, all framed by baking spices and followed by a long, lush finish.

We made David an offer for the entire 300-case production on the spot.

The Sonoma Bench Pinot is sourced from Balletto’s top vineyards in the Sebastopol Hills, one of the coolest sub-regions of the Russian River Valley. It’s tony neighborhood, with wineries like Kosta Browne, Dutton Estate, and Dehlinger calling the Hills home, and the cool climate allows for long hang-times and rich fruit that retains a vibrant edge to go along with its power. There’s some fancy cooperage framing the carefully vinified wine, and the effect is exactly what you'd find in established, expensive Pinot—because that's what this was supposed to be.

The 2018 Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir is a wine that shouldn’t sell for below $50—but these aren’t normal times. Take advantage while you can.