Born in Amersfoort, Holland, Bernardus Marinus "Ben" Pon was a Dutch businessman, Olympian and race car driver. Ben acquired an appreciation for wine because of his European heritage. He abandoned sports car racing in lieu of his interests in a wine distribution company. During his travels to Carmel Valley, California in the 1980’s, he decided to establish his residence there and later founded Bernardus Winery in 1992. He would craft a Bordeaux-styled red blend designated as “Marinus” along with a portfolio of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. His legacy continued after his passing in 2019.

The 2022 Bernardus Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir glistens in the glass with a bright ruby hue. There is an enticing array of black and golden raspberries intermixed with red licorice, cola and freshly roasted espresso. The amount of ripe currant fruit and sweet toasted oak gently integrates with the underlying minerality and juicy acidity offering plenty of complexity to this bottling. This wine is in a youthful stage and will continue to evolve with additional aging.

By W Peter Hoyne