Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 44

TOP 100

VALUES
OF THE YEAR

Our blind panels tasted 15,521 wines during the past 12 months. Our critics-Patrick J. Comiskey,
Joshua Greene, Stephanie Johnson, Sarah Sutel Looper, Patricio Tapia and Tara Q.
Thomas-selected these 100 as the best performers priced $15 or less. We present the wines by
category (sparkling, white, rosé, red and dessert); by score, descending; by price, ascending; then by
winery. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

92 | Domaine Les Hautes
Noelles

S PA RK L I N G
217932

90 | Paul Cheneau

$15

89 | Segura Viudas

$15

Cava Brut Rosé ^ Delicious and refreshing to
the core of its red fruit flavors, this Cava is
dominated by cherry and fresh strawberry
notes. The bubbles are tense, the acidity firm,
ending on an unusual note of tea leaves. This
needs teriyaki chicken. (W&S 8/17) § Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY
221477
Cava Reserva Gran Cuvée Brut ^ The delicious green-apple flavors of this wine hide
more delicate scents of lime, spice and fresh
herbs. It's simple and juicy, with a thin line
of bubbles to refresh a salade niçoise. (W&S
8/17) § Freixenet USA, Sonoma, CA
510209

88 | Dom. Ste. Michelle

$15

Lambrusco di Sorbara L'Onesta ^ Notes of
toasted hazelnuts and chestnut cake swirl
through flavors of red plum in this unusual
Sorbara. It's funky and savory, an interesting match for hard sheep's cheeses with
olives and onion marmalade. (W&S 8/17) § T.
Edward Wines, NY
222841

85 | Adriano Adami

$15

Prosecco Treviso Brut Garbèl ^ Crisp, dry
and saline, this is a clean, bright refresher
for beachside drinking. § Dalla Terra, Napa, CA

W HI T E
222733

92 | Quinta da Lixa

$13

2016 Vinho Verde Aromas das Castas
Alvarinho-Trajadura ^ At one of our tastings, our panel tasted a dozen 2016 Vinho
Verdes and recommended three of them; all
three were made by Quinta da Lixa, and all
overdelivered at their price. This one is richly
fruited, with notes of fresh peach and deeper
tones of papaya. It's dry and flinty, a little
briskness added by some CO2, refreshing
and just dressy enough for a summer wedding. (W&S 8/17) § Grape2Glass, Newark, NJ
227686
44

WINE & SPIRITS

2015 Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie
Les Parcelles ^ Jean-Pierre Guedon's domaine
is based near the mouth of the Loire, where
the sea influence is strong. He selects this
wine from vines that are more than 30 years
old, farmed organically, and everything
about it touches on the Atlantic-seaweed,
brine, seashell broth, the rocky scent of a
freshly shucked clam. Its savory length would
match oysters in winter or fried cod in spring.
(W&S 4/18) § Michael Skurnik Wines, NY

JUNE 2018

herbal scrub mixing with a palate-whetting
salinity. The time on the lees gives the wine
impressive body for a picpoul, a roundness
that's a pleasant counter to the bright, tart
acidity. § Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, NY

508915

$13

NV Columbia Valley Brut Rosé ^ Pale and
intriguing, this sparkler smells and tastes of
tart cherries, with a firm acid structure. Put a
bottle on ice for a party. (W&S 4/18) §
222054

86 | Fratelli Carafoli

$14

121637

92 | Black Cottage

$15

2017 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ^ Like
crunching into a celery stalk, this young,
vibrant wine is refreshing up front and mellow in its finish. Notes of quinine, lime and
parsley add breadth. It's slinky and silky,
evoking platters of salt-baked cod. (W&S
4/18) § Domaine Select Wine & Spirits, NY
121766

91 | te Pa

$12

2016 Marlborough Koha Sauvignon Blanc ^
Balanced between sweet and savory notes,
this easygoing white showcases seawater
salinity and scents of kaffir lime, white flowers and tangerine blossoms. Its taut, brisk
acidity makes it a pairing for garlicky clams.
(W&S 4/18) § Select Fine Wine Imports, Traverse City, MI
228775

91 | Domaine Gaujal
de Saint Bon

$13

2016 Picpoul de Pinet Cuvée des Dames ^
Anne-Virginie Arnaud-Gaujal runs this family estate with her mother, Simone. By working with low yields in the appellation's claylimestone soils, and leaving the wines on the
lees six to eight months after fermentation,
they turn out vivid, concentrated Picpoul de
Pinet. The 2016 is as refreshing as a dip in
the Mediterranean, notes of lemon zest and

91 | Dr. Konstantin Frank

$15

91 | Reichsgraf
von Kesselstatt

$15

91 | Stadt Krems

$15

90 | Brancott Estate

$13

2016 Finger Lakes Grüner Veltliner ^ Salty
and green, with a scent of lime blossom and
a savory suite of flavors that are both floral
and leafy, this wine runs parallel to the variety as it's grown in Austria but manages to
glance off those attributes...green, but in a
different way, angular, but not quite the same
angle. Uncork for sweet-pea risotto. (W&S
12/17; 965 cases) §
226304
2016 Mosel Pinot Blanc ^ Tangy acidity
carves a racy line through this creamy, fullbodied pinot blanc, leaving notes of lavender
and meadow flowers in its wake. It's lithe and
spicy, with a slightly oily texture to play off
of seared mackerel or bluefish. (W&S 2/18) §
Opici Wines, Glen Rock, NJ
227280
2016 Kremstal Grüner Veltliner ^ This packs
far more flavor than you'd expect from the
price, with an almost oily concentration
to its lemony fruit. It's the notes of stone,
herbs and bitter greens that lift the wine, giving it a refreshing alpine feel. (W&S 4/18) §
Craft+Estate/The Winebow Group, NY
219399
2016 Marlborough Flight Song Sauvignon
Blanc Bounding with energy, this thirstquencher has a distinctive clam-shell brininess and high notes of sour lime. Pretty pas-

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