Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 39

W&S 2018 All-Stars
PICNIC REDS

Cleto Chiarli
What's a picnic without cold cuts, and what goes better with salumi
than Lambrusco? Cleto Chiarli has been making it since 1860, and produces a range of fizzy reds, from the lightly tart Sorbara, a partner for
prosciutto, to the dense and chewy Pruno Nero, which will stand up to
a fatty mortadella. (Dalla Terra, Napa, CA)

Georges Dubouef
Look beyond Nouveau to find Beaujolais with depth and nuance. The
Dubouef family has built a wide portfolio of cru and single-vineyard
bottlings, including fruit from some exceptional growers. In the under$20 range, look for Dubouef's Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie and St-Amour
especially. (Quintessential, Napa, CA)

Castel Sallegg
Schiava is one of summer's great pleasures. The variety thrives in Alpine
regions like Alto Adige, where Castel Sallegg farms vines on the hills
near Lake Caldaro. Schiava's translucent ruby color and smoke-tinged,
snappy red-berry flavors are so quaffable the locals drink it for breakfast; chill Castel Sallegg's Bischofsleiten for a plate of speck. (Premium
Brands, NY)

Kirkland
Costco, the country's largest wine retailer, bottles wine under the Kirkland label, with selections ranging from Rutherford to Gigondas, but its
game is strongest in its home region, the Pacific Northwest. Its juicy, graham-cracker-scented 2015 Willamette Pinot was one of the best valuepriced pinots we reviewed this year, perfect for a charcuterie spread.

Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)
It's not Lafite-Rothschild, but the Baron's Légende line offers a true
taste of Bordeaux for several hundred dollars less. The white is crisp and
lemony, ready for aperitifs; the red is appropriately lean and herbal, for
steak frites. The "second" wines from their Corbières property, Château
d'Aussières, are bargains as well; the Blason red is built for grilled lamb
and ember-roasted potatoes. (Shaw-Ross Int'l, Miami, FL)

Paul Mas
Jean-Paul Mas runs his company the way he once drove race cars: fast
and smart. With nine estates across the south of France, he offers something for every occasion, from liter bottles of thirst-slaking Côté Mas
rosés to earthy syrahs from Château des Crès Ricards, plus refreshing
sparklers made in Crémant de Limoux. (Esprit du Vin, Syosset, NY)

Steele
Jed Steele put down roots in Kelseyville, first with Kendall-Jackson, then
with his own winery 25 years ago, long before Lake County became
a value-oriented alternative to tonier north-coast appellations like
Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino. He tailors his Shooting Star wines as
sunny whites and reds, including a bright, cherry-scented blaufränkisch.

La Celia
Part of the Chilean group San Pedro, La Celia was one of the first wineries to grow grapes in the heights of Argentina's Uco Valley. Today those
high-altitude vineyards turn out floral and refreshing reds, like the lively,
herb-scented Reserva Malbec-Cabernet Franc and the restrained Pioneer Cabernet Sauvignon. (Apollo Fine Wines & Spirits, Freeport, NY)
WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2018

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