Wine of the week: Benovia, 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot noir

Mike Sullivan was 19 years old when he rolled a tractor down a cliff. He wasn’t hurt, but he said it changed his weather vane.

“(The incident) said to me, ‘Maybe you should stay indoors,’” Sullivan said with a laugh.

Sullivan is behind our wine-of-the week winner - the Benovia, 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir at $38.

The pinot noir has great bones (structure), crisp acidity, and gorgeous fruit, but what makes it a standout is its complexity. It’s a touch earthy and has a nice undercurrent of spice. This pinot noir reels you in for another taste. It’s striking.

Sullivan, the co-vintner and winemaker of the Santa Rosa winery, said the reason this pinot is so dynamic is because it drew from three of the winery’s estate vineyards.

“This was the first time we had all three of our estate vineyards producing,” Sullivan explained. “It was the first time we were able to blend from all of these vineyards and 85 percent of the fruit sources were estate.”

Another reason this pinot fared so well is because the 2012 vintage showed Mother Nature at her finest, Sullivan said.

“The 2012 vintage was an exceptional vintage,” he said. “We call it the ‘Goldilocks vintage,’ not too warm, not too cold. In 2010 and 2011, there were lower yields, but we had better weather and higher yields in 2012.”

Sullivan said the wine world beckoned him when he was 18, but not through his palate. He was a fifth-generation California grower; he and his parents grew grapes on Sonoma Mountain.

“I fell in love with the people and their passion,” he said. “It was a perfect marriage. I knew I wanted to stay in Sonoma County.”

Sullivan studied at Fresno State University, and later worked for nearly a year at Healdsburg’s La Crema Winery, owned by Kendall Jackson Wines. Then he spent nearly a decade working at Hartford Family Winery in Forestville, owned by Don and Jenny Hartford, before co-founding Benovia in 2005.

Benovia is principally a house of pinot noir, but the boutique winery also produces chardonnay, zinfandel and grenache. Located at 3339 Hartman Road, the winery is open daily for tastings, but by appointment only.

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.

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Wine of the Week: Scouting for the tastiest mixed reds

Wine writer Peg Melnik had a blind tasting this week, and the flight included a range of reds ­- from pinot noir, to old vine zinfandel, to a merlot-based blend. While the flight showed some tasty contenders, our wine of the week winner is the Benovia, 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir at $38. It’s a smart buy because it shows great complexity at that price point.

TOP PICK

2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, 14.1 percent alcohol, $38. ????

1/2: This pinot noir has great bones (structure), crisp acidity, and gorgeous fruit, but what makes it a standout is its complexity. It’s a touch earthy and it has a nice undercurrent of spice. This pinot noir reels you in for another taste. It’s striking.

Other impressive wines

Carol Shelton’s Wild Thing, 2012 Mendocino County, Old Vine Zinfandel, 14.5 percent, $21. ????:

Carol Shelton is gifted at making jammy zinfandels. Bold fruit of cherry and raspberry upstages the licorice and spice, but for those who crave jammy flavor, it works. Well done.

Anaba, 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 14.3 percent, $34. ????:

This supple pinot has a great mouth-feel, crisp acid and bright fruit. It’s our wine-of-the-week runner-up because it has so much going for it. Anaba is named after the “Anabatic winds” that sweep in the valleys and hills, cooling the vines. The crisp acidity in this pinot makes it seem as though they’ve captured the wind in the bottle.

Roth, 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 14.5 percent, $28. ???

1/2: An aromatic, approachable pinot noir. Aromas and flavors of violet, Bing cherry, raspberry and vanilla. A solid pinot noir for the price.

Medlock Ames, 2012 Alexander Valley Red, 13.5 percent, $32. ????:

This is a tasty blend that comes with a crisp kiss of cranberry. It’s juicy and layered. Notes of black cherry, cocoa and French vanilla. Medlock Ames knows how to make the most out of merlot. The blend is 58 percent merlot, 33 percent cab franc and 9 percent cabernet sauvignon. Lovely.