Wine & Spirits - October 2012 - (Page 76)

YEAR’S BEST SHIRAZ | Fowles Wine $ 2008 Strathbogie Ranges Ladies who Shoot their Lunch Shiraz^From the coolclimate granite highlands northeast of Melbourne, this shiraz has the dark spice of fennel sausage and brighter ﬂoral and citrus notes to the fruit. It’s an unusual style, fresh and mouthwatering, and probably delicious with the game birds nabbed by anyone out shooting for lunch. Fowles Wine USA Inc., Calistoga, CA YEAR’S BEST BIERZO & GALICIA RED Our blind panels tasted 49 new-releases reds from Bierzo and Galicia over the past 12 months. Our critics rated 17 as exceptional (90+) and 11 as Best Buys. Patricio Tapia reviews wines from Castilla y León; Joshua Greene reviews wines from Galicia. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. W E ST E RN A USTRALIA 109037 | Plantagenet $ 2009 Mount Barker Shiraz^This savory red seems dense at ﬁrst, with a spark of energy in its tannins that feels refreshing. The scent shifts from dried to fresh ﬂowers, the delicacy of the ﬂavors becoming apparent with air. Grown on the gravelly loam soils at two of Plantagenet’s oldest vineyards, including vines planted in the late ’60s and early ’70s, this is an intriguing shiraz to follow and enjoy as it develops in the cellar. Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA BIERZO | Godelia $ 2010 Bierzo Viernes Mencía (Best Buy)^ At ﬁrst this may seem lightweight and simple, but consider how it evolves in the glass. Its structure grows increasingly tense, edged with a cut of acidity and tart cherry ﬂavors. A reﬁned approach to Bierzo’s reds. Europvin USA, Van Nuys, CA 183968 | Dominio de Tares $ 184051 | Luna Beberide $ 109092 | Plantagenet $ 2009 Great Southern Omrah Shiraz (Best Buy)^A fragrant and zesty shiraz, this has the scent of crushed green peppercorns and the stark beauty of ﬂowers growing directly out of rock. Its red fruit lasts with an earthy tension, the wine approachable now and over the next several years. For grilled lamb. Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA 2009 Bierzo Art^What I love about this wine is its depth, the strength that the tart red fruit ﬂavors project in the mouth, occupying the center of the palate with their freshness. Oak is present but feels integrated, providing one factor in the solid foundations of this wine’s structure. This is made from old vines grown in clay and slate near Valtuille. Grapes of Spain, Lorton, VA 184486 2008 Bierzo Cepas Viejas Mencía (Best Buy)^The purity of this mencía’s fruit leaves a fresh impression, like juicy blackberries oﬀ the vine. Oak plays a central role in the wine’s structure, but the fruit prevails, ripe and voluptuous. Opici Wines, Glen Rock, NJ 183960 | Dominio de Tares $ | Descendientes de J. Palacios 2007 Bierzo Bembibre^The wood, for the time being, does not allow the beauty of this wine’s fruit to show. But it you give it a day of air—or one two to three years in the cellar—you’ll ﬁnd a heart of ripe red cherries beating in a powerfully structured wine. For lamb. Opici Wines, Glen Rock, NJ $ SOUTHEASTERN AUSTRALIA 108915 | Kalbarri $ 2011 South Eastern Australia Bin Select 667 Shiraz (Best Buy)^A light, brisk shiraz, this has an earthy scent of green peppercorns and cool notes of strawberries. It’s the opposite of an Aussie powerhouse, and a bargain if you like a crisp, cool-climate style of shiraz. Winery Exchange, Novato, CA I 2009 Bierzo Villa de Corullón^The earthy side of this wine stands out with notes of dust and rocks. Time in the glass brings out the fruit, a charismatic cherry note emerging to balance the austerity of the tannins. This is blended from vineyards in Corullón, in the southern mountains of Bierzo, where the soils are rich in black slate. The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA 184013 184001 | El Pájaro Rojo $ | Losada Vinos de Finca $ 2008 Bierzo Altos de Losada La Bienquerida^Flavors of sour cherries and earth coalesce around a central spine of acidity in this long-lived mencía. It’s a tight red, packed with an inner strength that feels like it could explode at any moment. Put it away for ten years in the cellar. Classical Wines, Seattle, WA 184351 2011 Bierzo Mencía (Best Buy)^A rich and unctuous mencía, this has a ﬂuency in the mouth, deploying its ripeness, completely covering the palate with caramelized and voluptuous ﬂavors. For grilled meats. Classical Wines, Seattle, WA 184010 76 W I N E & S P I R I T S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.grapesofspain.com http://www.oldbridgecellars.com/Plantagenet/home.asp http://www.classicalwines.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2012

Wine & Spirits - October 2012
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered: Jordan Mackay on Microlists
Skin Deep
Books: Josh Greene interviews Julia Harding, MW, about Wine Grapes
Spirits: Wild new whiskies, by Lou Bustamante
Best New Sommeliers 2012
Structured California Chardonnay
Nuits Blanches
Bourbon & Country Ham
New & Notable Bay Area Restaurants
Extreme Values: Great Buys for $10 or Less
Overview
American Chardonnay
Red Burgundy
Australian Shiraz
Bierzo & Galician Reds
American
Imported
Levi Dalton on Chinato

Wine & Spirits - October 2012