90 points: Sweet jasmine and honeysuckle aromas invite one into this dessert-wine experience, made from the producer’s estate-grown Moscato di Canelli grapes. Thick viscous waves of floral orange blossom, honey and apricot contribute a rich rounded palate of light flavor.
- Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast
This brilliantly golden wine draws you in with inviting aromas of passion fruit, honeysuckle, ripe white peach, apricot, jasmine, candied tangerine and lemon zest. It is richly unctuous, but also zingy and zesty. These flavors intensify on the palate, culminating in a satisfying and gratifying finish that goes on and on.
Enjoy on its own for dessert or alongside a fruit tart or grilled peaches with mascarpone and a Balsamic drizzle. Or, place a dollop of: Cambozola cheese on a raisin & rosemary cracker and serve with a toasted pecan.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Despite the ongoing statewide drought, Napa Valley received close to average rainfall in 2015-16. More than 12" fell in March 2016, ensuring that the vines had ample water as they emerged from dormancy. The growing season was considerably cooler than in the previous two vintages, allowing us to harvest beautifully ripened grapes at the end of a long growing season.
The grapes for our Moscato are grown on our Estate St. Helena vineyard in a block adjoining the Napa River. We gently press the grapes and conduct a long, slow fermentation at a very low temperature to maintain the floral and tropical fruit flavors that are the hallmark of Moscato.
Specifications
Size: 375ml
Vintage: 2016
Blend Composition: 100% Moscato di Canelli
Appellation: Estate St. Helena Vineyard, Napa Valley
Benessere is the Italian word for “well being” or “living the good life” and the name reflects a dedication to producing fine, Napa Valley-grown, Italian varietals and a penchant for providing warm, casual hospitality.
That has been the Benish Family mission since 1994 when thirty vineyard acres surrounding the St. Helena winery were planted primarily to Italian varietals. Their distinctive Italian wine portfolio includes two varieties not found at any other Napa Valley winery - Aglianico and Sagrantino. Oter featured wines include: Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Rosato di Sngiovese, Old Vine Collins Holystone Vineyard Zinfandel, Moscato di Canelli, and our proprietary red blend - Phenomenon.
The eclectic, high-quality wine collection combined with a picturesque, vineyard-side setting provides a wine tasting experience unique to the Napa Valley.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Benessere Vineyards Napa Valley Dessert Wine
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $134.99 $11.25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Doh! You caught me unawares. I have just boarded a red eye. Of to go or wine in DC. I will check in on the other side to answer any questions you all have. I love this wine!
I’m sorry—I just saw this message. I have always been a fan of dessert wines but never before coming to Benessere did I have the opportunity to produce one. Moscato has such wonderful aromatics, and producing a wine in a late harvest style allows those aromas and flavors to be fully expressed. I don’t love this wine more than the other wines I produce, but I do love it. Delicious!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Benessere Moscato di Canelli - $25 = 15.62%
We had the pleasure of receiving the golden email earlier this week telling us that we were to be recipients of a bottle of wine to Lab Rat. ddeuddeg picked up the coveted box from our FedEx Depot and found that it was a 2016 Benessere Vineyards Napa Valley Moscato Di Canelli. He popped it into the fridge right away.
We drink quite a number of dessert wines, usually Ice Wines or Late Harvest Wines. I was looking forward to trying this Moscato, figuring that it would be something a bit lighter and I was correct.
On the nose, I got a bit of honeysuckle and jasmine. The palate shows some peach, apricot, and orange flavors with a finish that lingers. As the wine warmed, the flavors became more intense with a nice, rich mouth feel.
This is a very pleasant, enjoyable quaffing wine. We chose to enjoy this wine on its own, without snacks over the course of two evenings. I like this wine a lot. Nicely done, Benessere! This is a great QPR even at regular winery pricing, with Casemates pricing, this is a steal! Thank you, WD for offering another quality wine!
@klezman This is a well-balanced wine. It is not cloying. It does not have that heavy, thick, rather syrupy viscosity that many Niagara wines have. It’s rather a delicate flower—not super sweet and very pleasant on the mouth-feel.
@bahwm Thanks!
This sounds interesting…although I do like the thick viscosity of icewine, not all dessert wine should be icewine! molarchae will be the decider here, I’m sure.
Nope. Same as at the beginning of Casemates. Mon/Wed/Fri at Midnight ET changeover.
Only change is if something sells out very early (Harvest Moon offer last Friday), and they put something else up (La Encina Centenaria Monastrell from Alicante Spain on Saturday) for the remainder.
@bahwm@MarkDaSpark@michaepf Last Friday marked the first 24-hour Friday deal, a change from having the Friday deal last through the weekend. The main sale page mentions that is is a 24-hour deal.
@bahwm@InFrom@MarkDaSpark@michaepf
Henceforth, expect 24 hour deals on Friday.
The day for deals of limited production that wouldn’t last a two or three day offer.
It’s the new normal.
@michaepf Offers are generally on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Except for one-day deals, as this one and last week’s one. That is said at the top of the site. Generally speaking: you receive an email with the deal the last day of the deal. If you get the email, that’s the last day to buy.
As reported above, we tasted this wine over 2 evenings, but the first evening was after a dinner consisting of a somewhat sweet and very fragrant dinner of Turkish lamb and quince stew, accompanied by a bottle of 2002 Jade Mountain Syrah. Given that kind of competition, this wine fared very well in place of any other dessert. We enjoy dessert wines, and they are readily found in our area, with some of the finest ice wines in the world within an hour’s drive. I got more on the palate than on the nose: pears and peaches, apricots, maybe even quince. Some tropical and citrus notes I can’t pinpoint. A really well-balanced wine, not overly syrupy and sweet, very enjoyable on its own, as we finished the bottle the second evening. At the winery price, it compares very favorably to what we’re used to paying for quality ice wines in our region. At this price, as WD likes to say, it’s a screaming deal, especially for the quality of the wine.
@InFrom you are right, I’m being unfair. I know the Dindarello very well, and I tasted it in many occasion and many vintages. I found the Dindarello structured enough to sustain heavy cheeses and even chocolate cakes. I don’t know this one, so I can’t speak from experience. I was just expressing a preference for the Dindarello (which is a passito of moscato, as this one - so I’m not comparing apples with oranges but, still).
And maybe I’m all wrong, and this is not even a passito. In that case - in case this is not a passito - it’s strange that a small bottle goes for that much.
Anyway, in my opinion a dessert wine should have structure enough to sustain the “heavyness” of butters and creams, and acidity enough to clean the palate. Sweetness can be an issue though, because it has to pair with a very sweet palate already.
@InFrom@salpo I believe this wine meets your criteria for balance, but I made it so I am biased. It is not a passito in the sense of grapes drying after being picked. But they do dry on the vine. I am on the road and don’t have my harvest starts in front of me, but this usually comes in at about 32 Brix, and the press yield are very low thanks to the dehydration
So I know if this comes up again, for my reference-VERY sweet even by my standards. Good for Owen’s brunch, but I’ve had simple syrups less sweet. Borderline on ice wine territory.
Tasting Notes
- Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast
This brilliantly golden wine draws you in with inviting aromas of passion fruit, honeysuckle, ripe white peach, apricot, jasmine, candied tangerine and lemon zest. It is richly unctuous, but also zingy and zesty. These flavors intensify on the palate, culminating in a satisfying and gratifying finish that goes on and on.
Enjoy on its own for dessert or alongside a fruit tart or grilled peaches with mascarpone and a Balsamic drizzle. Or, place a dollop of: Cambozola cheese on a raisin & rosemary cracker and serve with a toasted pecan.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Despite the ongoing statewide drought, Napa Valley received close to average rainfall in 2015-16. More than 12" fell in March 2016, ensuring that the vines had ample water as they emerged from dormancy. The growing season was considerably cooler than in the previous two vintages, allowing us to harvest beautifully ripened grapes at the end of a long growing season.
The grapes for our Moscato are grown on our Estate St. Helena vineyard in a block adjoining the Napa River. We gently press the grapes and conduct a long, slow fermentation at a very low temperature to maintain the floral and tropical fruit flavors that are the hallmark of Moscato.
Specifications
Price Comparison
$$355.94/case (including shipping) at Benessere Vineyards
About The Winery
Winery: Benessere Vineyards
Benessere is the Italian word for “well being” or “living the good life” and the name reflects a dedication to producing fine, Napa Valley-grown, Italian varietals and a penchant for providing warm, casual hospitality.
That has been the Benish Family mission since 1994 when thirty vineyard acres surrounding the St. Helena winery were planted primarily to Italian varietals. Their distinctive Italian wine portfolio includes two varieties not found at any other Napa Valley winery - Aglianico and Sagrantino. Oter featured wines include: Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Rosato di Sngiovese, Old Vine Collins Holystone Vineyard Zinfandel, Moscato di Canelli, and our proprietary red blend - Phenomenon.
The eclectic, high-quality wine collection combined with a picturesque, vineyard-side setting provides a wine tasting experience unique to the Napa Valley.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, November 29th - Monday, December 3rd
Benessere Vineyards Napa Valley Dessert Wine
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $134.99 $11.25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Benessere Moscato di Canelli
It’s a miracle! Dessert wine that ships to my state!
Doh! You caught me unawares. I have just boarded a red eye. Of to go or wine in DC. I will check in on the other side to answer any questions you all have. I love this wine!
@BenessereMatt
So why particularly as the Vinter do you love this wine when compared to what else you produce?
@Cerridwyn, Hi!
I’m sorry—I just saw this message. I have always been a fan of dessert wines but never before coming to Benessere did I have the opportunity to produce one. Moscato has such wonderful aromatics, and producing a wine in a late harvest style allows those aromas and flavors to be fully expressed. I don’t love this wine more than the other wines I produce, but I do love it. Delicious!
Matt
@BenessereMatt
Thanks
I look forward to trying it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Benessere Moscato di Canelli - $25 = 15.62%
We had the pleasure of receiving the golden email earlier this week telling us that we were to be recipients of a bottle of wine to Lab Rat. ddeuddeg picked up the coveted box from our FedEx Depot and found that it was a 2016 Benessere Vineyards Napa Valley Moscato Di Canelli. He popped it into the fridge right away.
We drink quite a number of dessert wines, usually Ice Wines or Late Harvest Wines. I was looking forward to trying this Moscato, figuring that it would be something a bit lighter and I was correct.
On the nose, I got a bit of honeysuckle and jasmine. The palate shows some peach, apricot, and orange flavors with a finish that lingers. As the wine warmed, the flavors became more intense with a nice, rich mouth feel.
This is a very pleasant, enjoyable quaffing wine. We chose to enjoy this wine on its own, without snacks over the course of two evenings. I like this wine a lot. Nicely done, Benessere! This is a great QPR even at regular winery pricing, with Casemates pricing, this is a steal! Thank you, WD for offering another quality wine!
@bahwm you know our question… How does the acidity compare to the standard Niagara dessert wine fare? We like our wines to have nice acid balance !
@klezman This is a well-balanced wine. It is not cloying. It does not have that heavy, thick, rather syrupy viscosity that many Niagara wines have. It’s rather a delicate flower—not super sweet and very pleasant on the mouth-feel.
@bahwm Have you tried the Dindarello by Maculan (also a passito from Moscato grapes)? How does this compare to that one?
@bahwm Also: does it have body enough to stand a good, heavy cheese? Like a Camembert or Gorgonzola?
@salpo I have not tried it, so I’m afraid I can’t say. I’m keep my eyes open though!
@bahwm Thanks!
This sounds interesting…although I do like the thick viscosity of icewine, not all dessert wine should be icewine! molarchae will be the decider here, I’m sure.
@bahwm @salpo good question. I certainly think it does. I like how it responds toa blue like Gorgonzola or Cambozola.
Bummer. Was gonna ask some coworkers tomorrow about the Dolcetto. I guess the deal lengths changed at some point?
@michaepf
Nope. Same as at the beginning of Casemates. Mon/Wed/Fri at Midnight ET changeover.
Only change is if something sells out very early (Harvest Moon offer last Friday), and they put something else up (La Encina Centenaria Monastrell from Alicante Spain on Saturday) for the remainder.
@MarkDaSpark @michaepf This is a 24 hour deal. My guess is that it won’t last 24 hours—I think they only made 151 cases.
@bahwm @MarkDaSpark @michaepf Last Friday marked the first 24-hour Friday deal, a change from having the Friday deal last through the weekend. The main sale page mentions that is is a 24-hour deal.
@bahwm @InFrom @MarkDaSpark @michaepf
Henceforth, expect 24 hour deals on Friday.
The day for deals of limited production that wouldn’t last a two or three day offer.
It’s the new normal.
@michaepf Offers are generally on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Except for one-day deals, as this one and last week’s one. That is said at the top of the site. Generally speaking: you receive an email with the deal the last day of the deal. If you get the email, that’s the last day to buy.
/giphy curvy-thundering-prawn
As reported above, we tasted this wine over 2 evenings, but the first evening was after a dinner consisting of a somewhat sweet and very fragrant dinner of Turkish lamb and quince stew, accompanied by a bottle of 2002 Jade Mountain Syrah. Given that kind of competition, this wine fared very well in place of any other dessert. We enjoy dessert wines, and they are readily found in our area, with some of the finest ice wines in the world within an hour’s drive. I got more on the palate than on the nose: pears and peaches, apricots, maybe even quince. Some tropical and citrus notes I can’t pinpoint. A really well-balanced wine, not overly syrupy and sweet, very enjoyable on its own, as we finished the bottle the second evening. At the winery price, it compares very favorably to what we’re used to paying for quality ice wines in our region. At this price, as WD likes to say, it’s a screaming deal, especially for the quality of the wine.
If I ever go Moscato passito, I go Dindarello by Maculan. That’s a proper dessert (and cheese!) wine. Sorry Mediocre!
@salpo And in your opinion this one isn’t a “proper” dessert wine why, exactly?
@InFrom you are right, I’m being unfair. I know the Dindarello very well, and I tasted it in many occasion and many vintages. I found the Dindarello structured enough to sustain heavy cheeses and even chocolate cakes. I don’t know this one, so I can’t speak from experience. I was just expressing a preference for the Dindarello (which is a passito of moscato, as this one - so I’m not comparing apples with oranges but, still).
And maybe I’m all wrong, and this is not even a passito. In that case - in case this is not a passito - it’s strange that a small bottle goes for that much.
Anyway, in my opinion a dessert wine should have structure enough to sustain the “heavyness” of butters and creams, and acidity enough to clean the palate. Sweetness can be an issue though, because it has to pair with a very sweet palate already.
@InFrom @salpo I believe this wine meets your criteria for balance, but I made it so I am biased. It is not a passito in the sense of grapes drying after being picked. But they do dry on the vine. I am on the road and don’t have my harvest starts in front of me, but this usually comes in at about 32 Brix, and the press yield are very low thanks to the dehydration
@BenessereMatt @InFrom Oh, so it is like an Amarone, where the sugars are concentrated by leaving the grapes to dry a bit on the vines! Nice!
@bahwm pushed me over the edge.
/giphy glorious-dubious-grog
Yummy.
/giphy slim-matchless-gravy
@smittypap OK, pop quiz: What sparkling wine is shown in the above gif? (note: I don’t have the answer)
@davirom @smittypap I can’t stop staring at that darn thing. Mesmerizing.
@davirom @smittypap Looks like a fake bottle of Cristal
/giphy accused-bold-walrus
In for a case and willing to share if you’d like some @bahwm, @ddeuddeg or any other WNY folks.
Rats convinced me!
/giphy abounding-typical-division
I’m in! Should be good for the holiday season.
/
/giphy generous-threatening-history
In for 6. My stepdad loves dessert wines of this ilk – hopefully I get a hero’s welcome when I bring these.
So I know if this comes up again, for my reference-VERY sweet even by my standards. Good for Owen’s brunch, but I’ve had simple syrups less sweet. Borderline on ice wine territory.