The top 10 wines in the US press

Eric Asimov at the New York Times led a wine panel tasting of 20 Italian Dolcettos, but which one came out on top?

Asimov said that the tasting was a very enjoyable one, so much so that the panel had “liked more wines than we had room for in our top 10”. But these situations require a certain amount of ruthlessness and eventually Asimov and his fellow tasters were able to pick out their favourites.

Over on the other side of the country Jon Bonné, the wine editor with the San Francisco Chronicle, listed his top 10 wines of 2012, as did Bloomberg’s Elin McCoy. Click through the following pages to find out which wines these two, and others are recommending.

2010 Luigi Einaudi, Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore

Asimov said the tasting panel was thrilled by the high quality of the 2010 and 2011 Dolcettos tried and found, “we liked more wines than we had room for in our top 10″. But the panel did pick a favourite:

Asimov wrote: “Of the many bottles we liked, none appealed to us more than the 2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore from Luigi Einaudi, with its superb structure and beautiful balance between sweet, bitter and earthy flavours.”

2010 Anna Maria Abbona, Dolcetto di Dogliani

Asimov added: “Our number two bottle, the 2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani from Anna Maria Abbona, showed a different style, so fresh and lively it seemed to want to leap out of the glass, yet also well balanced.”

2011 Emmerich Knoll Schutt Smaragd Wachau Riesling

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné, fresh from his New Year’s Eve Champagne duelling, picked out his top 10 wines from 2012. Fifth on Bonné’s list was this Riesling, about which he wrote: “While this wine should be a drama queen, especially in a ripe vintage, it’s subtle and thoughtful, with coriander, exotic fruit and almost tisane-like nuance. A masterwork.”

2009 Morning Dew Ranch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

Bonné’s favourite wine of 2012 was this Pinot Noir, from California’s Anderson Valley. Bonné wrote the wine is, “ a reminder of the things that made [Burt] Williams a patron saint of Pinot: a sexy tinge of oak, woodruff aromas and the deep (but in no way overdone) cherry skin and mineral power that has marked Williams’ work. It was a sign of all that is good and honourable about California Pinot Noir – and a wonderful coda from one of the purest talents the state has seen.”

2009 Bosco Agostino Barbera d’Alba ‘Volupta’

S. Irene Virbila, writing in the LA Times, picked this Italian red as her wine of the week, writing: “Barbera doesn’t get much better than this — lush and velvety, with polished tannins and a rich perfume of dark plums and cherries. Its lively acidity pairs beautifully with fatty foods.”

2009 Purple Star Syrah

In the Seattle Times, Paul Gregutt picked this as his wine of the week, writing: “Don’t let the cheesy label turn you away from this outstanding Syrah, from Olsen Vineyards fruit. Blackberry, cherry, pepper and fine-grained tannins combine in a well-crafted wine with good length and a clean finish.”

2010 Clos du Mont-Olivet Montueil-la Levade

Dave McIntyre, writing in the Washington Post, was considerate of possibly budgetary constraints that January can throw up, and so offered his readers “because sometimes we just don’t want to spend a wad of dough to score a good vino”.

MacIntyre picked this Côtes du Rhône, writing: “The 2009 vintage of this mini-Châteauneuf-du-Pape was fantastic, and this 2010 follows closely in its footsteps. The wine is ripe and full of bing cherry and cocoa flavors, plus an appealing citrusy component of dried orange peel before its earthy, complex finish.”

2009 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

Although you might think that it doesn’t get too nippy in Miami, it appears that Miami Herald writer, Fred Tasker, is in touch with those of us having to wrap up warm. He wrote: “In winter, wine lovers’ thoughts turn to port. Visions dance in our heads of post-prandial pleasure, of sitting in plush leather chairs with a generous glass, a chunk of well-aged Stilton or Cheddar, a handful of walnuts and a plate of dried fruit.”

The Taylor Fladgate, is one of three Ports that Tasker “highly recommends”, writing, “inky color, intense floral and mint aromas, powerful flavours of black raspberries, spice and bitter chocolate, muscular tannins benefiting from long aging, long, smooth finish”.

2011 Copain Wines Trousseau

Bloomberg’s Elin McCoy, told her readers that she had, “sampled more than 4,000 wines in my search for the recommendable”. She then listed her top 10 wines of 2012, with this wine her “surprise of the year”. McCoy wrote: “This light, intriguing, positively gulpable red from one of California’s top Pinot Noir winemakers, Wells Guthrie. Trousseau, an obscure grape from France’s Jura region, is the new, new thing in Sonoma. Guthrie coaxes out all its spice-and-earth deliciousness. For a first release, this is a huge success. More California Trousseau, please.”

2010 Terres d’Avignon Réserve des Armoiries

North of the US border, in Canada, Beppi Crosariol’s takes to the New Year’s resolution to “drink less but better”, but as he writes in The Globe and Mail, “in January, when credit-card bills pile up, I’m more in the mood to revise that mantra.

Drink less-expensive but better.” Crosariol goes on to pick out a range of wines for under $20, with this wine scoring highest. He wrote: “Succulent and ripe, this complex Côtes du Rhône red delivers berries with a slightly sweaty, smoked meat essence along with lots of superfine tannins for a dry finish. Try it with roast lamb or chicken or cellar it for up to six years.”