Wine & Spirits - October 2012 - (Page 78)

AMERICAN NEW RELEASES Our blind panels tasted 589 new-release American wines for this issue. Our critics rated 78 as exceptional (90+) and 50 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews wines from California; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews wines from Missouri, New York, Oregon and Washington. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. C ALI FO RN I A W HITE GEWURZTRAMINER with a grilled chicken Caesar. Frog’s Leap, Rutherford, CA 418199 | Geyser Peak $ 2011 Russian River Valley Block Collection River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) Full-bodied and creamy with the slightly vegetal ﬂavor of lime pith, this wine has enough tight acidity to clean up after sashimi. (1,500 cases) Geyser Peak Winery, Geyserville, CA 418247 418493 | Robert Craig $ | Arista $ | Castle Rock $ 2011 Anderson Valley Ferrington Vineyard Gewurztraminer There’s a ﬁrm snap to this wine’s acidity, carrying a ﬂoral scent of peach blossoms straight through to the end. This is light and fresh, a crisp white for speck and other cured meats. (225 cases) Arista Wines, Healdsburg, CA 2011 Mendocino County Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) Pleasantly aromatic, this picnicready sauvignon blanc is both tangy and gentle, like a white peach. Serve it with chicken salad sandwiches. Castle Rock Winery, Calistoga, CA CALIFORNIA RED SAUVIGNON BLANC CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon This wine’s black tannins, tart pomegranate ﬂavors and forest spice transform over the course of a day into a sophisticated cabernet with the lean musculature of mountain-grown fruit. There’s a cedar and bay laurel scent that builds out of the smooth tannins, while freshness drives the wine through a long ﬁnish. Cellar this to decant for grilled rack of lamb. (1,004 cases) Robert Craig Winery, Angwin, CA 418482 | Clos Du Val $ 418736 | Quivira 418540 $ | Mount Eden 2008 Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon This captures the sumptuous layer cake of tannins that SLD cabernet can give. The fruit is pomegranate-black, the wine spicy and as fat as a duck, the seared breast of which would make a ﬁne complement. Clos Du Val’s cabernets tend to age well, and this bold, rich vintage will likely follow suit. (2,300 cases) Clos du Val Wine Co., Napa, CA 418498 $ | Stag’s Leap 2011 Dry Creek Valley Fig Tree Vyd. Sauvignon Blanc A crisp sauvignon packed with ﬂavors of fennel and lime, this wine’s length will meld with sea bass grilled with fennel. (862 cases) Quivira Vineyards and Winery, Healdsburg, CA 418485 | Frog’s Leap $ 2011 Rutherford Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) Broad, ripe and juicy, this wine’s tart acidity drives it past the sweetness of its apricot ﬂavors. Chill it to serve 78 W I N E & S P I R I T S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Tightly built, focused on tart, woodland cherry ﬂavor, this ﬁnds a fresh balance between juicy and ﬁrm. Oak adds richness to the tannins, tilting the balance in their direction, but the fruit has a cool persistence that isn’t about to give up. If you like coastal cabernet (what else would you call a Médocain blend?), this is a Paciﬁc red that belongs in your cellar. (1,218 cases) Mount Eden Vineyards, Saratoga, CA Wine Cellars $ 2009 Napa Valley Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon A warm, Mediterranean style of cabernet, this is sunny and stony with an herbal spice. Tart black cherry fruit warms the palate, as does the rustic grip of the tannins. Is it old-fashioned in the sense of Italianate styles of the past, or is it a less stylized, unmediated expression of Napa Valley’s contemporary climate? Something to ponder over a glass and a bowl of pasta with boar sugo. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Napa, CA http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://robertcraigwine.ewinerysolutions.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showdrilldown&productid=a0e4405e-a75e-68ea-5732-88afa9fb7f2c&ProductCategoryID=a0886cbc-1b78-7bfe-4c26-84e1875070fe&WineryID=a08850a9-1b78-7bfe-4c7a-f1709b7f2f33&WineTypeID=&ProductType=&wineVarietalID=&wineRegionID=&vintage=&lowprice=&highPrice=&WineBrandID=&WineAppellationID=&lowletter=&highletter=&OrderBy=PXPC.DisplayOrder%20Asc,%20P.ProductName%20ASC&ShippingState=CA http://www.aristawinery.com/Our-Wines/Current-Release https://store.quivirawine.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=SBFT11A http://onlinestore.mounteden.com/storefront.aspx

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