Bénetière has become one of our pillars in the Northern Rhône.
There are two, maybe three, traditional Côte-Rôties that we focus on. Out of these, Bénetière is the biggest headache. With only 2.5ha, finding Bénetière is difficult.
The small production is quickly snapped up by insiders who seem to easily get obsessed with Bénetière. In Côte-Rôtie, Bénetière may very well be without peer in terms of balance, detail and streamlined mineral elegance.
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It's easy to suspect that Bénetière isn't better known due to the domaine's very modest size. The limited quantities place a major cap on the exposure that the wines get. There's good and bad to this. The wines are hard to find, but if supply were better it's a safe bet that the wines would have blown up and prices would have followed. The way things stand today, Bénetière delivers impressive value for Côte-Rôtie.
Côte-Rôtie is famous for being the most Burgundian expression of Syrah. Bénetière highlights these qualities with its lithe frame of jet-black minerals, floral notes and dark fruits. There's intensity, for sure, but the presentation is nimble and bright. Bénetière gets you incredibly close to the beating heart of Côte-Rôtie and its profound beauty.
The 2012 is a gorgeous example of what Bénetière achieves with his Côte-Rôtie Cordeloux. This is a vintage that we love in the Northern Rhône. The wines have a brightness and snap, but also have beautifully silky tannins. The balance and fineness really bodes well for how the wines will age.
Expect plenty of lift from the 2012 Cordeloux along with a bold smoky mineral imprint. There's an incredible energy to the finessed and persistent core. Bénetière's traditional sensibility is evident in the structure and subtly interwoven complexity.
Past Bénetière offers have met with quick sell-outs. The lower yields in 2012 has made quantities even more dismal than usual. Please give us your ideal order and we'll try our best.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits