Top 10 wines in the US press

Eric Asimov recommends a rosé “you can enjoy as an aperitif and throughout a meal” and Dave McIntyre picks out an “electric and elegant” Chilean red.

New York Times wine writer Asimov led a tasting panel through a range of rosés, writing: “The current state of rosés says quite a bit about the workings of fads and fashions. If you spoke to sommeliers about rosés a decade ago, the conversation would have focused on the frustration of persuading an unwilling public to give them a try. Now, the public in the summer wants little else.”

He added: “The enemy has never been rosé itself. What the sommeliers resist, because they love wine so much, is unthinking drinking. That is, the unconscious gravitation toward a familiar or unthreatening sort of wine because it is the path of least resistance.”

Click through the following pages to find out more about which wines came out on top in this tasting, plus other wines recently recommended by US wine writers.

Rolland & Galarreta Ribera del Duero

This wine was recommended by Will Lyons in the Wall Street Journal, who wrote: “A blend of mainly Tempranillo and Merlot from one of Spain’s most exciting regions, it has a dark, ruby sheen. The first note you smell is spices and plump cherry. One sip and there is Mt Rolland’s telltale suppleness and smoothness, with silky tannins and a good weight.

Wildebeest from Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley 2010

In the Detroit News, Sandra Silfven picked out this wine, writing: “The ‘Wildebeest’ is a blend of 77% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. It has delicious, youthful, approachable fruit. It’s the real deal with great body, acidity, supple tannins and refined and focused flavours. It’s not sweet and jammy — but complex with all the puzzle pieces fitting nicely. It offers up notes of strawberry and white pepper, cherry and cranberry, and cassis and blueberry.”

Cousiño-Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This is one of the Chilean wines recommended by Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post. He wrote: “This stylish wine has always been my benchmark for expressive yet inexpensive cabernet sauvignon. (Its price has crept up in recent years, but it often can be found on sale.) Don’t worry if you discover a forgotten bottle in your cellar: This one ages well.”

Merino Syrah 2012

McIntyre also recommended this wine, writing: “Electric and elegant, this Syrah is blended with 3% Viognier in the Côte Rôtie fashion to give its aromas a lift. It is lean and focused in its black-fruit flavours and its minerality. The wine shows what Syrah can do on limestone soils in a cool climate.”

Le XI Terre, Custoza Superiore DOC 2010

Rebecca Murphy, in the Dallas Morning News, described this as “an elegant white wine with great structure and finesse.” She added: “It’s a blend of eight grape varieties. It has layers of flavours: yellow plum, apples and lemons with floral, herbal and chalky notes. In the mouth it’s creamy and light-bodied with zesty citrus acidity. It’s perfect for a baked or sautéed white fish or pasta with clam sauce.”

Commanderie de Peyrassol Côtes de Provence Rosé 2012

This wine was ranked top by Eric Asimov’s tasting panel in the New York Times. He wrote: “This bottle is the Commanderie’s entry-level rosé, generally a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, and it epitomises the pale, mineral-inflected wine for which Provence has become famous.”

He added: “Pale onion skin, firm, crisp and balanced, with floral and mineral flavours that linger.”

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2012

Asimov wrote that this wine, which ranked second in his tasting panel, “was a classic Bandol from Château de Pibarnon, denser and more complex, though perhaps not as light on its feet as the Peyrassol.”

He added: “The Bandols are age-worthy rosés, the sort of wines you can enjoy as an aperitif and throughout a meal. Glowing salmon colour, dense, complex, earthy and not at all shy, with layered flavours.”

2011 Braida Montebruna Barbera d’Asti

Irene Virbila picked out this wine for her readers in the LA Times. She wrote: “The 2011 Braida Montebruna Barbera d’Asti is lighthearted but also has palate-cleansing acidity.”

She added: “The 2011 Montebruna is almost violet in colour. It comes from a vineyard in Rochetta Tanaro and is lighthearted enough for pasta dishes. But with its palate-cleansing acidity, it’s ideal with charcuterie or salumi. Open up a bottle for some grilled sausages or pork chops. Or to enjoy with cheese after the meal.”

2009 Château Tiregand Pecharmant

Bill St John, in the Chicago Tribune, wrote of this wine: “Almost half Merlot, with the balance in the Cabernets and some Malbec; lots of density for the money, of both tannin and fruit, but its chewiness simply a cry for rich eats such as roast or grilled meats.”

2010 Emeritus “Hallberg Ranch” Pinot Noir

This wine was recommended by Mark Tarbell in the Arizona Star, who wrote: “Pinot is the perfect rounder wine. It can be great for sipping and, when made right, is flexible with food. This is the most impressive wine they’ve made yet. Pinot is loved for its balance, elegance and good acidity; for structure with a delicate character and finish. This wine is all of those things with the added benefit of having Russian River Valley fruit. This wine is not rich and powerful; it is stunning.”