Vineyard: Tilton Hill

Articles mentioning wines produced from this vineyard

Cohn Vineyard (10.13 6/27/2015)
Benovia Pinot Noir Full of Sunshine in 2016 Vintage (11.25 6/26/2018)
Recently Tasted California Pinot Noir & Chardonnay (10.40 10/20/2016)
Sips of Recently Tasted Sonoma County Pinot Noir (10.31 6/5/2016)
Sips of Recently Tasted California Pinot Noir (& Chardonnay) (10.1 12/11/2014)

Wineries sourcing from this vineyard

Benovia Winery

Reviewed wines produced from this vineyard

2016 Benovia Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., pH 3.59, TA 0.62, 1,087 cases, $42. Released April 2018. Sourced from Martaella Estate, Cohn Estate, Tilton Hill Estate, and Zio Tony Ranch vineyards. A blend of Calera, Swan, Pommard, Mt. Eden, Chalone, and Dijon 777 and 943 clones. 8-day cold soak, 100% de-stemmed into open-top fermenters for native yeast fermentation over 2 weeks. . Aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 37% new. · Dark garnet color in the glass. Engaging aromas of fresh blueberry, pomegranate and blackberry with a hint of toasty oak. Plush on the palate in a well-endowed style featuring blue and black berry fruits. Remarkable intensity in the mouth and on the finish. Sumptuous oak acts in harmony. Very welcoming now. An exceptionally good AVA wine following in the footsteps of the equally fine 2015 version. The wine does not have the concentration, intensity and finish of the other 2016 Benovia Pinot Noirs, but it can stand on its own as a special wine that will find widespread appeal. Score: 91. Reviewed June 29, 2018 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2016 Benovia Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.1% alc., $60. A 12-acre vineyard three ridges inland from the Pacific Ocean. This cool site pushes the boundaries of cool-climate viticulture, with temperatures rarely reach 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Goldridge sandy loam soil. Dijon and heirloom clones. · Very dark garnet color in the glass. Searching for adequate descriptives, I think of this wine as freakish, profound and flat out ridiculous. I have rarely tasted such concentrated fruit in a Pinot Noir. The gorgeous nose sets the stage with seductive aromas of blackberry juice, blackest cherry and spice. On entry, there is a full charge of boysenberry and blackberry hedonistic fruit that is expansive in the mouth and seems to last an eternity on the finish. The wine is about as big fruited as Pinot gets, yet it retains all of Pinot’s charms. There is amazing phenolic ripeness here at a relatively low alcohol level. The mouthfeel is very soothing, oak is deftly managed, and there is gratuitous balance to boot. I consider this a glorious wine, not because of its prodigious fruit, but because it delivers the fruit in a very harmonious package. I rarely have tasted anything quite like it. Like all the wines tasted from 2016, it was as good or a little better when sampled the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Score: 96-97. Reviewed June 29, 2018 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2016 Benovia Bella Una Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., $80. A winemaker selection of barrels that are the best expression of the vintage. · Aromas of interest evolve over time including boysenberry, blackberry and sweet oak. Mid weight plus in style with a core of well-ripened purple and black berry fruits. Well-structured for aging with a remarkably long finish filled with boysenberry fruit. The wine is reclusive upon opening but surfaces over time in the glass and is much more expressive when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. The potential is obvious, but this special wine needs coaxing through decanting, or preferably, a few years in the cellar. The most backward wine in the lineup. Score: 93-94. Reviewed June 29, 2018 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2015 Benovia Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., 300 cases, $60. The coldest Benovia estate vineyard, located a few miles from the Pacific Ocean near the town of Freestone. 11.7 acres were planted to Pinot Noir in 2009. Low vigor rootstock 420A and heirloom and Dijon selections of Pinot Noir. First vintage was 2012. · Deep, dark garnet color in the glass. The nose opens beautifully over time in the glass, revealing hi-tone aromas of black raspberry, spice box, underbrush and warm brioche. Lush and concentrated, with vigorous fruit flavors of blackberry, black raspberry and ollaliberry. Impeccably balanced with supportive tannins and acidity, and a deft touch oak. The finish is quite special in its own right, although falling slightly short of the stunning La Pommeraie. Still a Lolita, and will benefit from more time in bottle. Score: 94. Reviewed June 4, 2017 WINERY »

2014 Benovia Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.2% alc.. This is an estate vineyard perched on a ridge top near the town of Freestone and is the winery’s coolest vineyard site. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. A very tightly wound wine at this stage with shy aromas of grape, cherry and woodland. Lighter weighted in this vintage with a core of oak-kissed dark red fruits and bright acidity. Much more expressive the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Score: 89-90. Reviewed June 5, 2015 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2014 Benovia Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.4% alc., pH 3.53, TA 0.61, 492 cases, $60. Released September 2016. This vineyard is on a ridge top near the town of Freestone, a cold site just a few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. 8-day cold soak, indigenous yeast fermentation for almost 2 weeks, aged in French oak barrels, 45% new. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. A blend of blackberry and black raspberry fruit aromas with oak-driven notes of sandalwood and vanilla. A boisterous wine, with plenty of purple and black fruit saturating the mid palate and carrying over on the intensely fruity and lengthy finish. Gorgeous fruit, but a bit one dimensional with noticeable oak presence that should integrate further over time. Score: 90. Reviewed October 19, 2016 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2014 Benovia Bella Luna Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., $80. Release spring 2017. A blend of Benovia estate vineyards fruit. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Quite approachable, with effusive aromas of black cherry, cardamom and peppery spices and a hint of oak. A bit exotically flavored, offering blueberry and black cherry fruit, spice and even a floral note. Inviting harmony, modest tannins, and a sweet cherry finish that is uplifting. By the time it is released, it should be orgasmic. Score: 92-93. Reviewed October 19, 2016 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2013 Benovia Tilton Hill Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., unreleased. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Darker red and purple fruits are featured on the nose and palate, with hints of sage and other dried herbs, spice, and noticeable oak overlay. Modest in weight in this vintage, with suave tannins and some intensity on the mineral-laden finish. Again, your enjoyment of this wine will be predicated on your preference for oak infusion. Score: 90-91. Reviewed June 27, 2015 WINERY » ARTICLE »

2012 Benovia Tilton Hill Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

14.2% alc., 325 cases, $56. Vineyard is located at the Russian River Valley-Sonoma Coast border. Shallow and well-drained Goldridge soils. High-density planting. Clones are “828,” Calera, 777 and 943. Aged in 30%-40% new French oak barrels. · Dark violet color in the glass. Lovely aromas of blackberry, black currant, loamy earth and complimentary oak. Full-flavored with a sappy core of black fruits offering a boatload of pleasure. The concentrated fruit veers to the very ripe side and a little raisin peeks out the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. An underlying forest floor and conifer note adds interest. There is both more tannin and acidity evident in this wine compared to the other two vineyard-designates. Score: 91. Reviewed December 10, 2014 WINERY » ARTICLE »