Etude, Grace Benoist Ranch Pinot Noir, Los Carneros
Etude · California › Los Carneros › United States of America
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
90
/100
Reviews
36
professional
Vintages
No vintages
NV
Community Reviews
4040
Reviews
90.1
Avg Score
95
Highest
Taster #8253
· Sep 27, 2024
91/100
Delicious and full bodied with a long finish.
2018 vintage
Taster #1604
· Dec 25, 2023
92/100
Great nose, floral, red fruits, spice. Gains weight and broadens in the glass. Lively across the palate, with nice long red fruit and acidity on the finish. Great value.
2018 vintage
Taster #1789
· Oct 21, 2023
91/100
30 minute slow ox. Nose: Has the classic Etude slate minerality that I recall. After air time additional aromas of Ludens cherry cough drops show. Palate: Really balanced with a mix of dark fruits and cherries. Good acid and tannin levels contrast the somewhat rich profile and give tension. Finish is elegant. Classy wine that, while Caliesque, still has an almost Burgundian sensibility. Tony Soter may be gone (he is focused on his Oregon projects), but his Etude legacy lives …
2018 vintage
Taster #8678
· Jul 27, 2023
94/100
My first "serious" PN from Carneros actually (more than $20.) Super fun to compare to the Walt Sta. Rita Hills PN I wrote about in my previous note - both CA, same ~$40 price, same vintage, and both made in a generally ripe, dark style. Although I enjoyed the Walt a lot, this Etude was the clear winner for me- not really any less richness, and better balance/focus. Not explosive on the nose but a persistent perfume with notably dark …
2018 vintage
Taster #9279
· Jul 4, 2023
92/100
party favorite. Nicely evolved. Ready to drink
2018 vintage
Taster #4839
· Jun 16, 2023
91/100
Excellent - Shared with friends over fresh bread, cheeses and dinner. We all felt the structure, finish and was right on point. Nicely integrated with subtle fruit, smooth texture, and medium to long finish.
2018 vintage
Taster #4187
· May 29, 2023
92/100
Very nice wine. Medium ruby. Like; nice cherry , floral earthy nose; medium bodied with distinct cherry strawberry and tea flavors. A lengthy pleasant finish. Went week with food.
2018 vintage
Taster #7314
· Mar 30, 2023
93/100
Drinking beautifully - lots of fruit, smooth and well balanced.
2018 vintage
Taster #5344
· Dec 18, 2022
91/100
EArth, minerals, tree bark, and dark cherry on the nose. Soft with decent precision on the palate. Very nicely done.
2018 vintage
Taster #2342
· Dec 16, 2022
95/100
One of my favorite pinots I've had. Quite bold for a pinot with decent sugar to it. A noticeable darker chocolatey spice element and lovely darker cherry. So well made and thoroughly enjoyable, definitely demonstrates the carneros region well. No complaints about this wine.
2018 vintage
Taster #7760
· Dec 11, 2022
89/100
Strawberry, raspberry, molasses and spearmint. Bright, drinkable and would be a crowd pleaser to American Pinot Noir enthusiasts.
2018 vintage
Taster #7948
· Oct 13, 2022
87/100
Too expensive for the quality. Light on the tongue, not much depth, smooth and really great drink for $15-20 but not for $40
2018 vintage
Taster #4294
· Oct 2, 2022
90/100
Intro to Noble Grapes Tasting : Prototypical CA pinot. Starts of bright cherries but then takes a turn towards darker blueberry filling with fresh ripe plums and a bit of baking spice. The finish has a nice mouthwatering aspect as the hint of green comes in with a dose of dirt. It’s good. It’s safe. A bit young, with some aggressive stemmy notes on the finish.
2018 vintage
Taster #5623
· Sep 15, 2022
92/100
Classic bright red fruit notes. A little on the ripe side but only makes for more enjoyable early drinking. Was surprised at the high alcohol (14.1%) it is very well hidden. A delicious Carneros PN
2018 vintage
Taster #2463
· Sep 1, 2022
88/100
Cherry and Fruits, vanilla, oak. Medium bodied.
2018 vintage
Taster #3376
· Jul 30, 2022
88/100
Too quickly gone after 25-35 mins opening.
2018 vintage
Taster #5122
· Apr 27, 2022
89/100
Value Carneros Pinot Noir, which is not something you get to say very often. Light ruby color. Offers cranberry, pine, potpourri and hints of leather and pine. Satin texture, rounded tannins, medium-light body, with intense acidity and tartness in the red fruit on the palate. Mostly has a graceful quality, but slightly disjointed sourness mars the overall experience.
2018 vintage
Taster #6355
· Apr 14, 2022
91/100
- Garnet color.
2018 vintage
Taster #6589
· Apr 9, 2022
90/100
Cherry notes on the nose, black fruit and raspberry on the palate with a spice and vanilla finish.
2018 vintage
Taster #5396
· Apr 6, 2022
92/100
Very Nice Pinot Noir. Great from the first taste.
2018 vintage
Taster #2006
· Feb 4, 2022
Earthy / Spice / Floral / Red fruit / Smoky / Cedar / Bright acidity / Balanced / long finish / 14.1 abv Carneros / GBR offers Volcanic rocky well drained soils / Burgundian nose.
2018 vintage
Taster #5396
· Jan 4, 2022
Very Nice Pinot for $30.00
2018 vintage
Taster #8253
· Dec 4, 2021
89/100
Muted fruit that lacks complexity, with almost no finish to remark on. Not up to the level of prior Etude vintages
2018 vintage
Taster #6171
· Nov 19, 2021
Lively, but not super deep in character. But now open three days.
2018 vintage
Taster #4934
· Nov 16, 2021
91/100
Was even better on day 2.
2018 vintage
Taster #3670
· Oct 10, 2020
90/100
Light garnet in color. Nose of graphite, earth, and stone. Second nose of strawberry, raspberry, caranberry, and rose pedal. Light on the palate and delicate. Light fruit and almost no tanins.
2015 vintage
Taster #3691
· Jan 11, 2020
Good structure: moderate tannins give structure on entry, then melt in the mouth. Mild, persistent acidity. Flavours of forest floor, raspberry, and leather.
2015 vintage
Taster #1868
· Nov 30, 2019
87/100
I did not enjoy it. Some nuances and depth that was nice, but lacking something
2015 vintage
Taster #7739
· May 18, 2019
87/100
Overated for the price point
2015 vintage
Taster #0074
· Mar 23, 2019
89/100
A bit closed day 1 but opened better day 2. Not as exurberent as I expected.
2015 vintage
Taster #4534
· Dec 23, 2018
88/100
Very nice and smooth. No need to decant, does wonderfully as a pnp.
2015 vintage
Taster #2712
· Dec 14, 2018
90/100
PnP. Dusty macerated strawberries with a hint of flowers on the nose. Tart red fruits with dried herbs on the palate. Medium plus acid, medium plus tannin. Evolved over the evening.
2015 vintage
Taster #8873
· Aug 12, 2018
86/100
Fruit medium bodied mild tannins unbalanced
2015 vintage
Taster #9157
· Jun 16, 2018
87/100
Pretty simple pinot. Lacks complexity and the fruit is a little flat. Paid $20 a the winery (it was on sale). Won't buy again.
2015 vintage
Taster #8413
· May 21, 2018
91/100
Bottle off the wine list over lunch at Bistro Don Giovanni. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of red flowers, sweet red cherries, sweet baking soices, some emerging earth. Developing. On the palate, dry, juicy high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.2%), supple medium tannins, medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet red cherries, strawberries, red plum, sweet baking spices, pepper spice, sour cherry + light cola and some chalky earth …
2015 vintage
Taster #0607
· Feb 19, 2018
90/100
Served with grilled steak au poivre. This is a very good California Pinot Noir. Full bodied, berries and spice with a good finish. I generally prefer Oregon Pinot Noirs, but this is a good one.
2015 vintage
Taster #9986
· Feb 10, 2018
87/100
Enjoyed at Flemings with Rob and Christie...solidly made with some care (you can tell by the nicely layered sweet spice oak notes) but the fruit is a little tight and reticent.
2015 vintage
Taster #9565
· Jan 26, 2018
91/100
Nothing wrong with this thing, Supple, ripe-easy and good...drink it! A re buy.
2015 vintage
Taster #2955
· Jan 15, 2018
92/100
A consistently solid Pinot, but this is a particularly good vintage. Elegant. Red berry and cola predominate.
2015 vintage
Taster #6290
· Jul 12, 2017
91/100
I found this to be very enjoyable. Lighter side of medium bodied, translucent garnet with upfront spicy wild raspberry and ripe, juicy strawberry along with an underpinning of earthiness. Great balance of fruit, acid, and tannin culminating in a long finish. Would purchase again for <$30 per bottle.
2015 vintage