Wine & Spirits - February 2013 - (Page 65)

AMERICAN NEW RELEASES our blind panels tasted 531 new-release american wines for this issue. our critics rated 53 as exceptional (90+) and 39 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews northern California wines; Luke Sykora reviews California Central Coast wines; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews new York, oregon and Washington wines. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. Ca li fo rn i a W hit e Chardonnay with citrus-loaded acidity on overdrive. That precise acidity needs some time to integrate with its oak and lees, allowing the more succulent suggestions of custard to come to the fore. With some time in the cellar, this would be an energetic foil to miso-roasted black cod. § Chanin Wine Co., Santa Maria, CA ral green pear. It grows more sophisticated with air, a savory honeycomb scent lending depth. For roast chicken rubbed with smoked paprika. (309 cases) § Ram’s Gate, Napa, CA 420120 2010 Edna Valley Oliver’s Vineyard Chardonnay ^ Scents of apples and brown butter suggest opulence. While this is rich, framed by grippy oak and the butterscotch signature of lees, it’s surprisingly fresh, the fruit driving past its stylized frame to offer clean flavors of green pineapple, lime and white flowers. Try it with rabbit in a cream sauce. (338 cases) § Talley Vineyards, Arroyo Grande, CA 90 | talley $32 419757 96 | Chanin $35 2010 Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay ^ Gavin Chanin sources this wine from Bien Nacido’s W Block—some of the oldest vine material in the Santa Maria Valley. The Miller family planted the stony benchland to riesling in 1973, then grafted it over to Clone 4 chardonnay in 1990. (Chanin discovered this parcel of vines while working as an assistant winemaker at Au Bon Climat and Qupé, which share a winery on the property.) In 2010, the vines’ deep root systems grew a complex, resoundingly vinous chardonnay. Its flavors are reminiscent of particularly fine oolong tea, with refreshing herb and floral scents over a nutty, mineral bass line. At turns bombastic and lifted, powerful and nuanced, it’s a symphonic performance, with a sinewy texture that has plenty of room to evolve. § Chanin Wine Co., Santa Maria, CA 419907 2010 Carneros Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ With its green pear and pale nectarine flavors, this wine has purity of fruit to balance its light oak tannins. The finish is smoky, hinting at roast corn. For roast sea bass. § Clos Du Val Wine Co., Napa, CA 419061 2008 Russian River Valley Dobles Lias Don Miguel Vineyards Chardonnay ^ A savory style of chardonnay with musky scents of honey and almonds, this melds leesiness and oak scents in an earthy finish. The fruit feels cool, the texture gentle. For a veal chop. (315 cases) § Marimar Estate, Sebastopol, CA 419890 2011 Santa Maria Valley Block UU Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay ^ Block UU is the same as W Block (the source of Chanin’s chardonnay above). This wine is a blend of the original Clone 4 material and newer chardonnay selections planted in 2002 and 2003. This has a mouthwatering pineapple tang, along with biscuity lees and mineral qualities that give it a savory edge. For pan-roasted sea bass. (1,100 cases) § Foxen, Santa Maria, CA 420177 91 | Clos Du Val $25 419934 91 | Marimar estate $45 2011 Santa Barbara County Reserve Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ Here’s a classically styled Central Coast chardonnay with a friendly price tag, its energetic lemon and caramelized pineapple flavors forming an intense core of fruit. It shows plenty of oak, too, but the fruit wins in the end. For ginger chicken. § Martin Ray Winery, Santa Rosa, CA 88 | angeline $15 Gewurztraminer 419407 2011 Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer (Best Buy) ^ A clean, spicy style of gewurz, this is pungent rather than perfumed, hinting at tea rose and parsnip in its pointed acidity. The texture is creamy, the richness cut by a spark of flintiness. It will pick up on the five spice in Chinese sausage. (1,100 cases) § Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga, CA 92 | Castello di amorosa $23 90 | foxen $32 Pinot GriGio 420205 2011 California Pinot Grigio (Best Buy) ^ This is indeed a plump pinot grigio, its straightforward varietal flavors of wheat and lemon lengthened by pleasant acidity. For a fish fry. § Fat Cat Cellars, Napa, CA WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2013 65 419758 84 | fat Cat $10 91 | Chanin $35 2010 Santa Barbara County Los Alamos Vineyard Chardonnay ^ From the sandy soils of Los Alamos Vineyard, this is a wiry wine, 2010 Russian River Valley Ulises ValdezDiablo Vineyard Chardonnay ^ This takes time to evolve past its oak scents toward flo- 90 | ram’s Gate $64 http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.chaninwine.com http://www.closduval.com/closduval.php http://www.angelinewinery.com http://www.chaninwine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2013

Wine & Spirits - February 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Austral Spirits
Petite Conversion
Sydney’s Sommelier Hangouts
Pinot Noir at the 46th Parallel
Extreme Patagonia
W&S Centerfold – Kimchi & Red Wine
Extreme Values
Introduction
Rhône Valley Reds & Whites
US Syrah
US Zinfandel
Catalan Wines
Chilean Cabernet & Carmenère
Argentine Malbec & Blends
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
New Books

Wine & Spirits - February 2013