Oh dear God I love Riverbench so much.  The whole Santa Maria Valley thing just blows me away lately after years of wonking for RRV and Carneros and Anderson Valley.

Medium dark, pretty dark for a Pinot, nose of melted chocolate and fresh-baked bread with sharp nuances of cola, acid and a spot of alcohol.  In the mouth, miserably ripe berry fruit with a touch of briar and biting acid.  Ample tannin wrapping up the massive finish.  One of my favorite SMV’s, and this is my favorite of the Riverbench issues.  “Tributary” is nice, “Mesa” is nice, but “One Palm” does it for me.  The entry-level one: “Santa Maria Valley”  is also high on my list.  Really, there’s very little NOT to love about Riverbench.

2012 RIVERBENCH Pinot Noir One Palm Santa Maria Valley Santa Barbara Co. 14.8

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