Wine & Spirits - April 2013 - (Page 118)

US NEW RELEASES our blind panels tasted 304 new-release US wines for this issue. our critics rated 35 as exceptional (90+) and 29 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. 88 | Y rousseau Ca li fo rn i a S pa rkl in g 420554 90 | Schramsberg $200 1997 California J. Schram Late Disgorged ^ Schramsberg’s 150th Anniversary Release, this ambitious sparkler has gained creaminess with age. Its firm structure presents sour cherry and toasted wheat flavors. A hint of sulfur shows at the beginning and the end, but overall it’s fresh and refreshing. (147 cases) § Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga, CA Ca li fo rn i a W hit e Chardonnay 420488 93 | rochioli $46 2011 Russian River Valley Estate Grown Chardonnay ^ Hidden within its oak, there’s a clean, fresh intensity to this wine that shows in the lasting flavor. Decant this if you open it now, allowing the oak to transform into a toasted hazelnut scent, itself melting into the succulent pear and apple raciness of the wine. The light green-apple color and impressive depth of flavor suggest long development ahead in the cellar. (800 cases) § J. Rochioli Vineyards, Healdsburg, CA 420477 88 | Clos Du Bois $15 2011 North Coast Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ Biscuity lees guide this chardonnay’s pearpale fruit, making it feel gentle and supple. It’s lifted by floral, chamomile-like scents and mouthwatering acidity. For shrimp dumplings at dim sum. § Clos Du Bois, Geyserville, CA 420781 88 | White oak $24 2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ Deep gold in color and flavor, this has sweet butter scents and warm toastedgrain flavors. For veal.§ White Oak Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg, CA 420831 118 WINE & SPIRITS APRIL 2013 $27 2011 Russian River Valley Old Vines Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ Orange-citrus scents develop out of this mineral-laden white. It’s gamey, with scents of pork and pale flavors of coconut meat. A firm white for roast veal. (120 cases) § Y Rousseau Wines, Napa, CA Sauvignon BlanC 420780 92 | White oak $16 2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Best Buy) ^ A fresh sauvignon with yellow fruit that’s fat enough to match sea scallops, this wine’s litchi and chamomile flavors follow a crisp line. It’s a clean, fruitdriven style with an underlying earthy acidity that carries the wine without sharpness. (650 cases) § White Oak Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg, CA Ca l ifornia reD 420774 89 | Worthy $29 2009 Napa Valley Sophia’s Cuvée (Best Buy) ^ Tightly built and lithe, this blend of Bordeaux varieties has a gamey edge to its flavors. The sweet tannins give it the feel of an elegant, claret-style zinfandel. For steak frites. § Worthy Wine, St. Helena, CA CaBernet Sauvignon CaBernet BlendS 420563 93 | Conn Creek $55 2008 Napa Valley Anthology (Best Buy) ^ This takes a fresh approach to classical Napa Valley cabernet, a sleek, cool and delicious red, layering scents of violets, berries and oak. There’s a resonant complexity to its depth of flavor, a full-on ripeness with no hint of raisining. Mike McGrath blends this from a wide range of vineyard sources throughout Napa Valley, including Stagecoach on Atlas Peak, Truchard in Carneros and Frediani in Calistoga. The wine is mainly cabernet sauvignon (66 percent), along with malbec, merlot and smaller amounts of petite verdot and franc, the combination supple and very easy to drink. (3,200 cases) § Conn Creek Winery, St. Helena, CA 420546 90 | Conn Creek $55 2009 Napa Valley Anthology (Best Buy) ^ A broad cabernet with clean fruit providing plenty of flesh over its structure, this is infused with smoky tannins. It’s that tannic impression that lasts for now, though time may lengthen the fruit flavors and build on their simple lines. (2,950 cases) § Conn Creek Winery, St. Helena, CA 420849 92 | Stonestreet $45 2009 Alexander Valley Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Graham Weerts blends this wine from a range of blocks along the main ridgeline of the Alexander Mountain Estate, rising from 1,200 to 1,800 feet. In 2009, the fruit ripened to black cherry and chocolate depths, a dense, juicy and silken cabernet that needs little more than a thickcut sirloin. § Stonestreet, Healdsburg, CA 420767 91 | axios $125 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This blend, made by Robert Egelhoff, emphasizes mountain fruit (a portion of the blend comes from Bianchini Vineyard, steep terrain on Atlas Peak) in foresty scents of conifer and deep, umami tannins. The wine’s structure is tight and firm enough to hold all the heady fruit, focusing it through a lasting flavor of smoke and porcini. Decant it for a steak. (400 cases) § Axios Wines, Napa, CA http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.axioswine.com http://www.stonestreetwines.com/wines/mountain-estate/2009-monument-ridge-cabernet-sauvignon.aspx http://www.closduboiswinestore.com

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

Wine & Spirits - April 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered The Digital List
Cognac: The New Wave
The Funky Bits: Alice Feiring on terroir expression in Comté
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru
Pinot Noir’s Nerve Center
Where Tuscany Meets Liguria
Insider Chianti
Where to Eat & Drink in New York
24th Annual Restaurant Poll
Introduction
US Pinot Noir
Austria
Portugul Reds
White Burgundy
Loire
Tuscan Reds
US New Releases
Imported New Releases
Extreme Values

Wine & Spirits - April 2013