Isabella B.
Yelp
[I'm visiting the wineries as mentioned in "The Definitive Paso Robles Wine Guide", as curated by Josh of Vinohead. This curated list is an excellent cross-section of the renowned wineries in Paso Robles.]
When I discovered this list through the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance FB page I was very pleased that Benom made it on this list. This proves a few things: 1) Benom as a wine brand can stand on its own and doesn't need to follow on the coattails of Clos Solène (a sister winery also on the list) and 2) I kinda have a good track record for discovering awesome wine and wine tasting experiences in Paso (as this and 4 other "favorite" wineries made this list). So far Benom is one of my 2 most favorite wineries in Paso and I plan on keeping my membership for as long as I can. I'm also pretty familiar with Clos Solène's offerings (also wine club member); I prefer Benom's reds and Clos' white/rose to each other.
On my 2nd visit they moved to a bigger space - their neighbors are fellow lister Levo Wine. This allows multiple parties to conduct tastings at once in both the indoor and outdoor space. This time Katie (also the wine club manager) conducted my tasting, with Arnaud dropping by to say hi at some point. Both run operations well yet treated me as if I was a part of the family. (As an aside, Katie recommended me 2 restaurants in SYV that were spot-on in another visit a few months later).
As a wine club member my tasting was complimentary with two additional pours of their Spring Release, Muze and Hoc. I picked up 2 Muze and 2 Hoc as part of my allotment.
So over the course of October-June I have cracked 2 bottles:
- 2018 Les Deux Frères (59% Grenache, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Tempranillo). I broke this at Les Petites Canailles (aka Arnaud's brother-in-law's restaurant) over a braised beef cheek. Being a rich dish the wine managed to cut through the richness of the dish and enhanced the sauce. Compared to Origin it is also the more approachable wine.
- 2018 Hoc (48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 17% Carignan). The wine that made me join the wine club "on first sip" and one of my most favorite wines in Paso. It is unique in the sense that it is unusual to see a Cabernet/Syrah blend. Old World sensibilities don't recommend blending wines from totally different regions (ie Bordeaux and Rhône) yet the fruit-forward Syrah mellows out the tannins from the Cabernet. I broke this for a Father's Day lunch at a Brazilian churrascaria and it's certainly a good alternative to Malbec as a pairing for rich meats. BUT unlike Deux Frères it does need to breathe a bit before serving.
I'm still waiting for the right time to crack 2018 Origin (100% cab) as when I tasted it in Feb 2021 it was still a bit too young. The approach to this wine is that the cab is made in the French style, so more subdued than typical California cab presentation.
I'm still relatively new in the PR wine journey but Benom's been instrumental in helping me not only learn more about wine in general but also making me realize just how awesome Paso Robles wines can be. There's a reason why I consider Paso Robles my favorite wine region in the world - the winemaking in the premium market is just absolutely superb. Many thanks to Arnaud and Katie for providing a wonderful experience both visits - I look forward to future visits as well as future allocations.