Top 10 wines in the US press

NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Carneros Sparkling

This wine was recommended by Jon Bonné in the San Francisco Chronicle. He wrote: “With 8% Chardonnay, it’s not purely a Blanc de Noirs in the classic sense, but it is a great expression of Pinot Noir from this part of the world, with a touch of rose in for a vague tint. Tangy and full of sweet mandarin orange and raspberry flavours, and a fleshy red apple side. This is about juicy fruit – despite 18 months on lees, the yeast presence is a modest one – plus a peppermint-like nuance.”

2012 Adelsheim Willamette Valley Chardonnay

Bonné also recommended this wine, writing: “David Adelsheim helped bring the so-called Dijon clones of Chardonnay into this country, and this effort represents a pure showing of Oregon soil. Fermented mostly in steel, with 25% in neutral barrels, it shows tremendous precision: juicy green apple, a fruit-skin chewy aspect, bay leaf and fennel.”

2012 Valfaccenda Roero Arneis

In the LA Times, Irene Virbila picked out this wine, which she described as “another refreshing white from Nebbiolo- and Barbera-dominated Piedmont.”

She added: “It comes from young Luca Faccenda, who attended enology high school in Alba and went on to get a degree in viticulture and oenology at Torino University. This is just his third vintage, though his family has grown grapes for more than 250 years. Made from old vines, his Arneis is richer than most, highly aromatic and complex. It has a lovely minerality that makes it particularly food-friendly. Enjoy it with sushi, grilled shrimp, seafood antipasti and Asian food — or with turkey.”

Emmolo, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2011

In the Dallas Morning News, Rebecca Murphy, wrote, “this wine is everything a Sauvignon Blanc should be.”

She added: “It has aromas of lemons and lime zest with herbal highlights and round flavours of melon and peach cut with citrus acidity. It is a bright, fresh and vibrant wine that can handle a range of spicy flavours, including Tex-Mex, Thai or Indian cuisine.”

Case Ibidini Nero D’Avola 2011

Sandra Silfven wrote in the Detroit News that this wine, “is fermented in stainless steel to preserve its freshness and pleasant tannins,” adding, “it’s spicy, with lovely berry character, lighter in body and a delicious quaffer with wafer-thin Pizza Margherita.”

J. Lohr October Night Chardonnay Arroyo Seco Monterey County 2011

Silfven also recommended this wine, writing: “Feminine, gently powerful, seamlessly infused with French oak: This beauty is considered Jerry Lohr’s most distinctive Chardonnay with more than half the blend made from Dijon clone 809, sometimes called the Musque clone. The flavour profile is floral, sweet orange, lemon curd, tart apple and caramel on the finish. It’s simply amazing fruit that can handle barrel fermentation in new and almost new French oak and retain its fresh, fruity personality. It is fermented off natural yeast in the coolest part of Lohr’s cellar and left on the lees for a year. It’s a Chardonnay experience and gets acclaim in the trade.”

Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This wine was recommended by Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post, he wrote: “This is good, honest Cabernet, suitable to pair with any red meat dish and nimble enough to dance by itself. Best of all, it’s not gussied up with a lot of oak flavours that people too often mistake for high-quality wine. ABV: 13%.”

Recorba Tinto 2012

McIntyre also recommended this wine, but he warned his readers that, “this is a gateway drug that might get you hooked on the earthy Tempranillos of Spain’s Ribera del Duero region, which typically cost $20 and up.”

He added: “Ribera fans will want to stock up and give their credit cards a break. When I first opened this wine, it was a bit rough-and-tumble, in a good way; two evenings later, it had settled down but was still vibrant and delicious. How often can we say that about a $10 wine? Alcohol by volume: 14.5%.”

2007 Cheval des Andes

In the Wall Street Journal, Will Lyons picked out this wine, writing: “A joint venture between Bordeaux’s Cheval Blanc and Terrazas dl los Andes, this 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec impresses with its notes of dark red fruit and fresh, velvet-smooth finish. Super-polished, this is a supple beast.”

2012 Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay

And finally this wine was picked out by Michael Dresser in the Baltimore Sun. Dresser wrote: “North Carolina’s famed Biltmore Estate is now offering wines from California as well as from its home state. This is a very vibrant Chardonnay with good acidity and nuanced oak. Its classic citrus-apple Chardonnay flavours were seasoned with some distinctly Eastern U.S. characteristics – a touch of banana and wet hay. When held in check, as they are in this wine, these can add to the complexity of the wine. Availability is limited, but readers should know North Carolina is a wine state to watch.”