Wine & Spirits - December 2012 - (Page 84)

AMERICAN NEW RELEASES Our blind panels tasted 406 new-release American wines for this issue. Our critics rated 33 as exceptional (90+) and 29 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews North Coast California wines; Luke Sykora reviews Central Coast California wines; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews New York, Oregon and Washington wines. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. C ALI FO RN I A S PARKLING chardonnay. Extended bottle age has brought a sage-like herbal depth to the vibrant fruit. Refreshing and delicious with Dungeness crab. (700 cases) Domaine Carneros, Napa, CA 35 percent chardonnay, this receives a lower dosage than most of Korbel’s cuvées. Its apple and toast ﬂavors are straightforward and satisfying, and the price tag makes it a tempting prospect to serve by the case at a wedding. F. Korbel & Bros., Guerneville, CA CALIFORNIA WHITE ALBARIÑO 419911 419414 | Roederer Estate $ 419882 | Tangent $ 2004 Anderson Valley L’Ermitage Rosé Roederer knows rosé. This one is a blend from the top selections of pinot noir and chardonnay grown at their 540-acre estate in Anderson Valley. The blending team attains the color and ﬂavor depth by including a small amount of pinot noir still wine, one that goes through a long cold soak, then ﬁnishes fermentation oﬀ the skins to minimize the tannic extraction. The result is a rosé that has ﬂavor depth without tasting fruity. It achieves the stylistic goals of Roederer’s wines from Champagne: freshness and ﬁnesse. This wine is delicate, with hints of caramel, subtle earthy complexity and fruit depth to balance it. Fine bubbles carry the ﬂavors on a clean line. Classical, if such a thing can be said of a California sparkling wine. (597 cases) Roederer Estate, Philo, CA 419626 | Iron Horse $ /Magnum 1999 Green Valley Joy! This wine has developed the richness of crème caramel through long aging in magnums. And yet it’s still tight, reﬁned and mouthwatering. There’s a light, herbal complexity to the fruit and a lovely scent of fresh cream underlying it. An extravagant match for sushi. (536 cases) Iron Horse Vineyards, Sebastopol, CA 419629 2011 Edna Valley Paragon Vineyard Albariño (Best Buy) Cool scents of chive and fresh herbs lend a savory bent to this citrusy white. Its clean, tangy line of ﬂavor sets it up for crudo. (3,443 cases) Tangent Winery, San Luis Obispo, CA CHARDONNAY | Gloria Ferrer $ | Gloria Ferrer 2007 Carneros Blanc de Blancs (Best Buy) This wine’s soft pear-like fruit is more about leesy richness than freshness. It’s a mild, smoky sparkler for aperitifs. (4,878 cases) Gloria Ferrer Vineyards, Sonoma, CA 419910 419723 $ | Roederer Estate | Lincourt $ $ 2004 Carneros Extra Brut Reserve Cuvée A sophisticated sparkler, this has rich undertones adding resonance to the dry, mouthwatering mineral austerity. It’s pale with scents of patisserie and ginger developed over long bottle aging. A blend of two-thirds pinot noir and one-third chardonnay, this has the substance and ﬁnesse to pair elegantly with dinner, especially if it’s roast ﬁsh with wild mushrooms. Available only at the winery or through its club. (818 cases) Gloria Ferrer Vineyards, Sonoma, CA 419268 NV Anderson Valley Brut Rosé (Best Buy) This wine’s bright and simple ﬂavors have joyous eﬀervescence on their side. It’s a rich pink with scents of apple skin as well as strawberries and cream. For toasts. Roederer Estate, Philo, CA | Domaine Carneros 2011 Sta. Rita Hills Steel Chardonnay (Best Buy) This is cool, intense, acid-driven chardonnay. Unimpeded by oak or malolactic fermentation, the fruit has the tangy cut of a pineapple on the edge of ripeness, while still holding plenty of concentration thanks to the notably long hangtime of 2011. The saline minerality of Lincourt’s two windbattered Santa Rita Hills vineyards is on full display, and it’s also a steal—an honest, terroir-driven wine for under $20. Buy a case and drink it over the next several years with seafood. Lincourt Vineyards, Los Olivos, CA 419155 $ 419789 | Broadside $ 2006 Carneros Blanc de Blancs La Rêve Bright, tight and citrusy, this sparkler has a cool balance and lasting complexity. Taittinger’s prestige cuvée in Champagne is a Blanc de Blancs, so when the family set out to create a parallel in California, they based it on 84 W I N E & S P I R I T S D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 | Korbel $ 2009 Russian River Valley Natural (Best Buy) Made from 65 percent pinot noir and 2010 Paso Robles James Berry Vineyard Chardonnay (Best Buy) This chardonnay comes from 35-year-old Wente selection vines grown at a rocky, limestone-laced site. In 2010 those vines delivered an open and sunny chardonnay. It’s creamy but clean, http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.roedererestate.com/TechSheet.php?Wine=1247 http://www.ironhorsevineyards.com http://www.lincourtwines.com http://www.korbel.com

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

Wine & Spirits - December 2012
Editor's Note
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Happenings
Books
Spirits
The Light in Douro
Sushi & German Riesling
Tokaji Myths
Napa vs Bordeaux: A Seismic Shift
A Tale of Two Vintages
Dinner with Barolo
Extreme Values
Tastings Overview
Champagne
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
German Riesling
Alsace
American New Releases
International New Releases
Faces at the W&S Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2012