Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 1
EDITOR'S
note
Conversation
Starters
T
he dining room at Bâtard in Tribeca was full at noon on a recent Tuesday, when the restaurant is
usually closed. The yellow walls looked brighter than at night, when they contrast less with the
raised pattern of branches in a paler shade, more the color of limestone in a vineyard in Puligny.
Comte Louis Michel Liger-Belair, who farms a domaine centered on La Romanée in Vosne, was
in town to present a project in Oregon, one he had helped found five years ago.
Liger-Belair described the first wine-a blend of fruit from snaking ribbons of vines, selected
to follow the edge of lava flows at different vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, the Chehalem
Mountains and the coast range-alongside a wine from an estate vineyard, Black Walnut, in
Dundee. Both wines were savory, with more mineral than fruit flavor in the tannins, though the
Dundee Hills wine was fuller, richer, more voluptuous.
Liger-Belair had interpreted Dundee's deep, rich soils to do what they do best, creating the
kind of cool-fruited red that's placed the Willamette as the most popular region for pinot noir
in our Annual Restaurant Poll. But it was the intricate matrix of stored power in the blend from
rockier sites that caught my attention. It was unlike any Willamette wine I had tasted before. His
approach, and that of other Burgundy growers working in Oregon, lends a different perspective
on the land and on the wine it might produce. I set out to explore that cultural perspective in an
article for this issue (page 46), as the Willamette becomes an increasingly important source not
only for finely grown red from pinot noir, but whites from chardonnay, pinot gris and riesling
as well.
T
his year, our Restaurant Poll revealed a parallel dialogue between the New World and the Old. A
traditional Rioja, aged for ten years at the winery prior to release as a delicate, energy-infused red,
topped the list of the most popular pours in our respondents' restaurants. The California brands,
long the most popular for rich chardonnays and fruit-forward cabernets, came down a notch-or
did they? In fact, they are likely selling as much wine in the restaurants that feature them as ever
before, while a host of new restaurants have popped up with lists that favor a different style of
wine. What is striking about this moment in wine: There is not a single restaurant that listed R.
López de Heredia Rioja among its top-selling brands that also listed Cakebread, now second in
command of the Restaurant Top 50. The wines exist in separate, parallel universes.
If you wander into one of the restaurants we selected for our NYC50-the best places to eat
and drink in New York City right now-you are likely to find more bottles of old Rioja on the
tables than young Napa Valley cabernet, but that is less a statement of our own preferences than
of structural issues in the market (like cost). The lists at our NYC50 reflect the preferences of
a community of sommeliers taking deep dives into wine, looking for tastes that interact with
the chef 's food in unexpected ways. You might notice that many of these places-though not
all-designed their sound level to allow for conversation, which may be the crucial opening to
bridge from one parallel universe to another.
JOSHUA GREENE
http://www.cristomvineyards.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2018
Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 1
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 2
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 3
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 4
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 6
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 7
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 8
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 9
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 10
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 11
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 12
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 13
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 14
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 15
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 16
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 17
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 18
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 19
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 20
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 21
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 22
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 23
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 24
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 25
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 26
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 27
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 28
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 29
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 30
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 31
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 32
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 33
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 34
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 35
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 36
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 37
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 38
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 39
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 40
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 41
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 42
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 43
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 44
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 45
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 46
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 47
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 48
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 49
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 50
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 51
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 52
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 53
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 54
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 55
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 56
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 57
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 58
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 59
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 60
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 61
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 62
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 63
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 64
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 65
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 66
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 67
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 68
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 69
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 70
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 71
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 72
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 73
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 74
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 75
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 76
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 77
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 78
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 79
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 80
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 81
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 82
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 83
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 84
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 85
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 86
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 87
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 88
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 89
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 90
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 91
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 92
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 93
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 94
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 95
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 96
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 97
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 98
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 99
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 100
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 101
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 102
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 103
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 104
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 105
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 106
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 107
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 108
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 109
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 110
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 111
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 112
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 113
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 114
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 115
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 116
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 117
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 118
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 119
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 120
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 121
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 122
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 123
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 124
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 125
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 126
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 127
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 128
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 129
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 130
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 131
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 132
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 133
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 134
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 135
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 136
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 137
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 138
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 139
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 140
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 141
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 142
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 143
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - 144
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - April 2018 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2018_winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/fall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/drm_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201110
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com