Top 10 wines in the US press

Jon Bonné recommends a Pinot Noir that’s a “great balance of style and vintage”, while Will Lyons picks out “an absolutely stunning wine”.

In looking at Californian wines from 2011, Bonné wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: “At least as California Pinot Noir goes, consider 2011 the year of the great schism. I was reminded of this schism the other day when discussing the vintage with several winemakers, most of them working out on the far reaches of the Sonoma coast.”

He added: “They could not have been more pleased with 2011. This is, shall we say, a minority opinion. For 2011 was the year without a summer.”

When it came to the actual wines, Bonné wrote: “The best of the 2011 Pinots from the Sonoma Coast are radiant, almost iridescent wines; they quietly glow with their flavours more than directly state them, as the best Pinot Noir should.”

Click through the following pages to find out which wines these, and other, wine writers in the US press have recommended over the last week.

Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This wine was recommended by Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post. He wrote: “A ‘great value’ in a Napa Valley Cabernet? This delicious example shows it can be done: textbook Cab with blackberry and mint flavours, finishing with subtle tannins that give it gravitas. Excellent for steaks or burgers on the grill.”

Clos du Mont-Olivet ­Montueil-la Levade 2011

McIntyre also recommended this wine, writing: “For the past few vintages, this has been one of my favourites from Côtes du Rhône. It’s still a bit brash and in-your-face, with its juicy cherry and plum fruits, but it will only get better with a bit more bottle age. Buy several; enjoy some now with your late-summer cookouts and keep a few for your winter stews.”

Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

In the Detroit News, Sandra Silfven recommended this wine to her readers. She wrote: “Priced at $18, the Sonoma County Cab is the big tease to pull you into the brand. What a wine for the cost. It offers approachable, bold flavours infused with oak and acidity to hold the package together. Think cherry, raspberry, plum, vanilla, dark chocolate. Grapes are sourced from Stefani Ranch and Frei Brothers in Dry Creek and Barrelli Creek Ranch in the Alexander Valley. The cold, rainy, fickle 2011 vintage gave growers fits, but the wines have the acid to age.”

Charles and Charles, Columbia Valley, Rose 2012

Rebecca Murphy wrote in the Dallas Morning News that this is a “lighthearted yet serious wine made primarily of Syrah from Washington state.”

She added: “It is downright delicious, with bright, juicy cherry and strawberry flavours with a bit of Syrah’s savoury character and vibrant acidity to keep your taste buds begging for more. It’s perfect for sipping by the pool, or try it with chicken or pork tacos.”

2011 Patz & Hall Jenkins Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

This is the wine that Jon Bonné described as “A great balance of style and vintage”, in the San Francisco Chronicle.

He added: “Patz & Hall fans want magnitude in their wines, and this doesn’t disappoint. But it’s fascinating to see the winery’s take on the vintage, specifically from this site just outside Sebastopol. Dense, with almost dank earthy aspects and a dose of oak (60% new) but also with remarkable energy – juicy cherry fruit and a saline side.”

2011 Don & Sons Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Bonné also recommended this wine, writing: “The standout in our flight of value-priced Sonoma Coast bottlings, in this case from a mix of Petaluma Gap and Carneros plantings. Delicate and uncomplicated, with some roasted fruit flavours, but also a floral, red-raspberry aspect and ample flesh.”

Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe 2003

Will Lyons recommended this wine in the Wall Street Journal, writing: “An absolutely stunning wine, underlining the success of Saint-Estèphe in 2003. It is the silky texture of this ripe, plummy wine that appeals, and its fresh, powerful flavour.”

2012 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

In the LA Times and with Labor Day approaching, Irene Virbila, recommended this as an, “all-American white to pour as an aperitif with that bowl of guacamole or toasted almonds.”

She added: “A great buy for the price, this Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is cool and refreshing, with aromas of lemon grass and grapefruit. Dry and mineral-driven, it’s ever so slightly pétillant and a match for grilled fish, Maine lobster or shrimp. Throwing some sardines or fresh anchovies on the barbecue? Have them with a glass of the Honig Sauvignon Blanc.”

RdV Vineyard Lost Mountain 2010

Katie Kelly Bell, picked out this wine in Forbes, writing: “Complex, dense and rich with layers of spice and black fruit stitched together with vitality and freshness, you’ll never get bored drinking this wine. Blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with about 30% Petit Verdot.

2007 Carmel Vineyard Mediterranean

In the Chicago Tribune, Bill St John featured wines from Israel. This wine comes from the Samson area which, St John wrote, is “the most historic and certainly prolific of modern Israeli wineries.”

He added: “This blend of Carignan, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah and Viognier comes from vineyards in Galilee, the Negev, Judean Hills and Samaria; very much a northern Rhone style for its plush, fat texture, abundant fruit and plush tannin.”