Top 10 wines in the US press

Elin McCoy tells us about a little known grape variety that is now, “a hot vino-geek item in California”, while Paul Gregutt picks his favourite wines from Washington and Oregon.

Writing for Bloomberg McCoy said: “On a tasting trip to Italy’s Friuli region in 2005, Napa Valley viticulture whiz Steve Matthiasson had an “aha” moment. He fell in love with Ribolla Gialla, a local white grape.

“This little-known variety is now a hot vino-geek item in California, with at least five winemakers producing it. Its rise neatly jibes with the vogue for obscure varieties showing up on trendy restaurant lists.”

Looking at the top 100 wines from Washington and Oregon, Paul Gregutt in the Seattle Times writes: “To compile this list I have searched through a year’s worth of tasting notes and selected one wine each — the highest scoring — from 100 different wineries. It is my goal to be inclusive, which is why every winery gets just a single spot on the list.

“The wines listed here were reviewed between November 2011 and September 2012. All told, about 2,000 wines were tasted and scored in that time.”

Steve Matthiasson Ribolla Gialla 2010 ($45)

McCoy said of this wine, “sipping Matthiasson’s 2010 bottling at a weathered wooden table on his farm behind a Napa subdivision, I find it deliciously nutty and spicy, with a unique stony, mineral character.”

Cayuse 2009 En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah ($75)

This wine topped Gregutt’s Top 100 wines from Washington and Oregon, he does admit that there is a correlation between cost and quality on his list. He said: “Almost always, wines cost more when they cost more to produce. Better grapes, better barrels, better corks and bottles, more bottle age, all add to the expense of production.”

Benanti Etna Rosso di Verzella 2009

Eric Asmiov in the New York Times picked a selection of autumn wines that are available for less than $20. He said of this wine, “I’m fascinated with the wines of Mount Etna, grown in the foothills of a highly active volcano, where belching steam and flowing lava are regular features. Nerello Mascalese, the main red grape of Etna, seems to harness that energy, brimming with flavors of bitter cherries and stony earth. This is fresh and lightly textured yet rich and persistent, rough and rustic yet charming and expressive.”

Mastrojanni Rosso di Montalcino 2010

Asimov also picked out this wine, writing, “Sangiovese is a grape that touches me deep inside. This Rosso di Montalcino from Mastrojanni is indeed pure and honest, tannic yet approachable with bright cherry flavours that really could come from nowhere but the heart of Tuscany.”

2011 Holly’s Hill El Dorado Viognier ($20)

Jon Bonné in the San Francisco Chronicle helped his readers prepare for Thanksgiving with some wine pointers. He said of this Viognier, “the Cooper family has a particular knack for white Rhône-style wines from their sweeping hillside site outside Placerville. This is quintessential foothills mineral-driven aromatics at work: Flourishy and floral, with scents of sachet, ginger, beeswax and mandarin orange, and all the mineral tension of the mountains.”

2011 Kinero Rustler James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles Roussanne ($30)

Bonné also recommended this wine, saying, “Paso Robles’ Anthony Yount continues to mount a case for Paso whites with this serious, intense bottle. With three days on the grape skins, from a late, botrytis-affected harvest, it shows an exotic side: macadamia nut, dragonfruit, pineapple.”

2010 Brassfield Eruption High Valley Red Wine

Irene Virbila in the LA Times picked a wine that you should have with “beef ribs or mighty burgers”. She added: “The blend is Syrah, Tempranillo, Malbec, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, and — ta dum — Zinfandel, with Syrah at the highest percentage, 22%. This is a rich, full-bodied red with bright fruit and flavours of tobacco, earth and chocolate. Tannins are supple, the flavours tightly knit. Consulting winemaker David Ramey nails it on this one.”

Fiano de Avellino 2007 ($20)

In the Wall Street Journal Will Lyons visited Italian wines, writing of this wine, “this is a delightful glass of wine, packed full of character whose string aromatics and full texture will pair well with vegetarian or fish-based pizza. Clear and bright it sits in the glass with a golden colour … sipped the flavour is full and savoury.”

Corte Adami 2011, Soave ($13)

The Washington Post’s Dave McIntyre picks out his favourite wines that won’t break the bank. He said this wine is a, “terrific little white wine is ideal for sipping alone or with antipasti or light seafood dishes”.

2010 Buena Vista Sonoma Merlot ($15)

Fred Tasker in the Miami Herald featured the Buena Vista winery, he wrote: “Few California winemakers boast a history as colourful as that of Buena Vista Winery of Sonoma. Theirs is a story that spans two centuries and brings together colourful European nobility, a veteran of the Russian Revolution and a top-ranked French wine producer.” He said the wine was, “spicy black cherry and black pepper aromas and flavours, full-bodied, smooth, long finish.”