Bennett Lane Winery

Bennett Lane Winery is perhaps the northern-mostthe multiple critics reports of blueberry pie on the
winery in Napa Valley, situated a full 2.5 miles north offinish which would be both interesting and unique
Calistoga where the two mountain ranges which formindeed.
the valley come together. A young winery withBennett Winery is owned by Randy and Lisa Lynch
plantings only 5-6 years old on average this winerywho were able to purchase the Napa land based on
has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence amongRandy's work as a marketer in the San Francisco Bay
wine drinkers that enjoy California CabernetArea. Randy also seems to be an especially
Sauvignon.interesting owner as he also owns a Nascar West
The winery itself boasts several wines which areteam which helps him to continue living one of his
interesting for their quality and price points, howeverpassions, fast cars. The other notable member of the
the two that stand out are their Cabernet Sauvignonteam at Bennett Lane is their winemaker Rob Hunter
and Syrah. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a Napa classicwho has been making wine in Napa Valley for over
and carries the classic characteristics of a Napa Cab30 years. Most recently on staff at Sterling Vineyards
from the dark cherry and raspberry flavors to theRob has quickly taken to the multifaceted job that a
texture and interesting finish, concluding with thewinemaker takes on at a new winery. According to
price of $95 per bottle. Recently scored at 92 pointsRob he has a similar palate to Randy Lynch, so they
by Wine Spectator this is a solid wine that easily fitsare in agreement that the type of wines they intend
into a category of the top 100 wines of the year asto produce are the bigger, almost jammy wines that
scored by that same magazine. The other notableconsumers in the United States love, wine critics such
wine being produced on the property is their Syrah,as Robert Parker love and that French wine snobs
which has only been produced because a smalldetest.
amount of it was already planted on the propertyNext time you are in Napa, take a few hours out of
and the reviews in the tasting room have beenyour regular routine and spend some time at the
outstanding. This is a full bodied Syrah that consciousbeautiful tasting room and estates of Bennett Lane
wine drinkers will gladly cellar for a few years in orderWinery and the small city of Calistoga.
to let it reach it's full potential, one flavor of note is