Top 10 wines in the US press

Jim Barry The Cover Drive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

This recommendation comes from Jon Bonné in the San Francisco Chronicle, who was picking out “fall wines for under US$20”. He wrote: “Where do you get robust, complex Cab without going broke? Australia, and not their frivolous stuff. Coonawarra’s great red soils are generally overlooked, but all Cab lovers should know them. The dust and eucalyptus here are a reminder of the grape’s intrinsically leafy side, but there’s juicy blackberry fruit and enough tannic grip to telegraph that it means business. ($16, 14.5%)”

Anselmo Mendes Contacto Vinho Verde Alvarinho

This wine was also picked out by Bonné, who wrote: “Why: Spritzy carefree stuff from Portugal, right? Not if Mendes, one of the region’s top talents, has his way. Twelve hours of soaking grapes on their skins has turned this into an astonishingly dense, complex take on the Alvarinho grape. Packed with white flowers, tangerine and a great mineral depth, it’s a game changer. ($20, 13%).”

Longview Vineyards Devil’s Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre picked out this wine, writing: “On a recent visit to Australia, I was impressed with the quality and value of wines from the Adelaide Hills, a region worth exploring for importers, as most of the wines are not available in the United States. This Cabernet is outstanding, combining power with intense fruit and a hint of mint. There is also a nice Shiraz called Yakka. These are honest wines. ABV: 14.5%.”

Les Amis de la Bouissiere 2012

McIntyre also recommended this wine, writing: “Domaine de Bouissiere is a noted producer from the Rhone appellations of Gigondas and Vacqueyras, and wines from there typically sell for $30 to $50. This wine doesn’t fit those regulatory labels because it includes Merlot and Caladoc, an obscure cross of Grenache and Malbec (cot), in addition to the usual Rhone red grapes of Syrah and Grenache. My first impression was weight, then earth and smoke carried on a cool autumn breeze. There’s a rough edge to this wine that is viscerally delicious. Rhone lovers should buy this by the case. ABV: 14%.”

Château Teyssier 2009

This is one of the wines that the Wall Street Journal‘s Will Lyons is “drinking now”. He wrote of the wine: “Made by Englishman Jonathan Maltus, who also produces one of Bordeaux’s top wines, Le Dome, Teyssier is a wine that always delivers value for money. A blend of predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is velvet-smooth with the region’s hallmark spice and earth character.”

Novy, North Coast, Four Mile Creek Red Wine

This wine is Rebecca Murphy’s “wine of the week” in the Dallas Morning News. She wrote: “Four Mile Creek is an intriguing California red blend from a family with Texas roots. The 2010 is medium-bodied and easy to drink, with peppery blackberry and plum fruit and sturdy tannins from Syrah, soft strawberry and cherry fruit and pleasing roundness from Grenache, and a touch of brambly, rich blackberry fruit from Zinfandel.

J. Lohr Fog’s Reach Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco Monterey County 2011

In the Detroit News, Sandra Silfven wrote that, “this Pinot is so intense and silky it’s like a cherry-berry liqueur.” She added: “Swirl it in the glass and inhale the scents of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, vanilla and brown sugar. Tannins are supple, acidity gives the whole package a good backbone, the oak permeates and broadens the fruit flavours. Lohr has a special ‘winery within a winery’ for the winemaking team to blend small lots based on clones, rootstocks and soils. Thirteen different combinations of clones and rootstocks were fermented individually for the Fog’s Reach Pinot resulting in a most complex wine.”

2009 Burgo Viejo Rioja Crianza

Michael Dresser recommended this wine to his readers in the Baltimore Sun, writing: “Spain’s magnificent Rioja region continues to produce some of the world’s finest values in red wine, and this gem imported by Kysela Pere & Fils is a splendid example. It’s smooth, ripe and complex far beyond its price tag. While medium-bodied and accessible now, these well-made Rioja’s have great ageing potential, and this wine could be even better in five to 10 years. It offers vibrant flavours of vanilla, black cherry, Asian spices and Mediterranean herbs. This would be a canny case purchase.”

2010 Dominique Lafon Bourgogne Blanc

Irene Virbila picked out this wine in the LA Times, writing: “It’s very unusual to find white Burgundy this lovely at $32 or less. It almost never happens, but this Bourgogne Blanc from Dominique Lafon has both depth and balance. Finely textured, the Chardonnay has a floral scent and a bracing minerality.”

She added: “It’s fresh enough to pair with oysters on the half shell or an array of chilled shellfish. Or drink it with crab cakes and lobster, and I’d certainly open a bottle for a chicken fricasee made with white wine, crème fraîche and tarragon.”

Ridge Monte Bello 2010

Laurie Daniel in the San Jose Mercury News wrote that is wine is “generally considered the pinnacle of Santa Cruz Mountains Cab.” She added: “The 2010 ($160) is a blend with 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it’s a stunner: dense and lively, with black currant fruit, a hint of earthiness and firm but approachable tannins.”