2015 Bodega Rancho Red Wine Bennett Valley Sonoma County 750 ml

It took a word-of-mouth invitation, a back-channel introduction, and five months of legwork to land the 2015 Bodega Rancho Red Wine. Now we’ve got this stunning Rhône-style red, crafted by an up-and-coming winemaker with a deep Caymus connection.

Bottled after three years in barrel, this 2015 is Bodega Rancho’s current release, and it’s sublime right now. Bursting with aromas of sun-kissed blackberry, rosemary, and cracked pepper, its ripe fruit, bold structure, and long finish make it excellent on its own—and absolute perfection with a flank steak sizzling fresh off of a Weber kettle. 

We’re ecstatic to share this under-the-radar blockbuster with Wine Access members. At this price, buying plenty is a low-risk, high-reward proposition.

Our introduction to Bodega Rancho came at a small barbecue on the Fourth of July—our winemaker buddy greeted us with a glass when we walked into his backyard. We complimented the wine, thinking we were sipping one of his $80+ creations, then tilted the bottle back to get a better look. Our friend, his mouth full of steak, tapped the bottle with his grill tongs, then pointed them toward the man who’d brought it. 

We wasted no time in chatting up Derek Beitler, who’s got a bit of royal Napa Valley blood in his veins: His uncle is Chuck Wagner of Caymus, and when he was growing up in Southern Oregon, he’d come down in the summers to work in the Caymus cellars. 

When it came time to strike out on his own, Derek gravitated toward the Rhône varieties, and fell in love with Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley, a tiny “unsung” AVA of just 700 acres. “It’s unique and it’s small, and gets overshadowed by other places,” Derek told us, as he launched into what he loves about the area, which is next to the much hotter Sonoma Valley. “It’s got morning and evening fog, and gentle, warm, sunny days.” 

The 2015 hails from two of Derek’s go-to vineyards in Bennett Valley: 61% of the blend comes from the Syrah-lover’s paradise of the Vivio Vineyard, on the Valley’s western slope, while the Grenache comes from the Jemrose Vineyard on the eastern slope. After harvest, the wine gets the cellar treatment that Derek has developed through experience. 

“The hard lesson I’ve learned is that Syrah and cool-climate wines really benefit if you have the means and the bandwidth for that extra barrel time. Cool-climate Syrahs can have some edges on them. But after three years in barrel, the 2015 is really approachable.” He paused. “It’s almost crowd-pleasing.” 

“Almost?!” We couldn’t help blurting it out, as just about every reveler in the backyard had a glass full of Derek’s wine. They were lucky he brought a case, because he only made 500, and you can’t find them anywhere on either side of the Mayacamas. 

Today, the only place you can grab a bottle is on Wine Access. So here’s to summertime in Napa Valley—and the extraordinary deals that wonderful season can bring.