Top 10 wines in the US press

Emilio Moro, Finca Resalso, Ribera del Duero 2011

This wine is recommended by Rebecca Murphy in the Dallas Morning News, she wrote: “Finca Resalso is the name of one of the Moro family’s vineyards. This is their entry-level wine, made from young vines whose fruit is not quite ready for the winery’s top wines. However, it’s just right for easy drinking with Thanksgiving leftovers and qualifies as a great buy.”

She added: “It’s made from Tempranillo, which is called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero. The aromas and flavours are rich with berry and plum fruit and notes of vanilla and mocha from a few months in French oak. It has a plush feel in the mouth, with savoury acidity and mellow tannins on the finish.”

2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewürztraminer

In the Baltimore Sun, Michael Dresser wrote that this is “a white for last-minute shoppers”.

He added: “This is a well-balanced, full-bodied, spicy Gewürztraminer with good acidity to offset the modest amount of residual sugar. It offers flavours of honey, peach, apple, line and tropical fruit and has the heft it takes to stand up to the wide variety of flavours on the turkey table.”

2011 Domaine de La Cote Estate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

This recommendation comes from Jon Bonné, in the San Francisco Chronicle. He wrote: “This new label, born by Rajat Parr, Sashi Moorman and several investors out of the Santa Rita holdings of Evening Land Vineyards, makes an astonishing debut with its 2011s. This more basic bottle, aged in 15% new oak and harvested from across the winery’s holdings at the western edge of the appellation, takes a moment to open, with dried cranberry and bayberry, plus a fresh thyme aspect and a candied-orange sweetness to round it out. A superb example of California’s Pinot state of the art.”

2011 Longoria Fe Ciega Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Bonné also recommended this wine, writing: “Rick Longoria’s long experience in Santa Rita was just the thing to finesse a vintage like this – and his own Fe Ciega planting, with its lowest yield in eight years, turned out a quintessential snapshot of the area and its buoyant acidity. The oak comes through as cedary, and there’s a wintergreen freshness to subtle black cherry and plum fruit.”

Mionetto Prosecco Brut

Sandra Silfven in the Detroit News picked out this wine, writing: “The green Champagne-style bottle with the orange ribbon label is dry, crisp, refreshing, lighter bodied and so food friendly. Key word in that sentence: ‘dry.’ This Italian bubbly sees no oak and is low in alcohol at 11%. Wine enthusiasts will love you for pouring it.

William Hill Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012

Silfven also recommended this wine, writing: “I adore the William Hill Chards for their bold spirit and the way they unleash fruit and oak. Aromas and flavors of the new vintage are laced with toast and spice off the barrels; flavors are an explosion of apple, pear, tropical fruits and caramel. It’s a wine for serious palates.”

2011 Elio Grasso Dolcetto d’Alba

In the LA Times, Irene Virbila wrote that “this Dolcetto from Elio Grasso is just so pretty and vivacious, it should do equally well with the turkey and stuffing and the myriad side dishes. Easy drinking, a wine that novices and experts will enjoy.”

2010 Lang & Reed North Coast Cabernet Franc

Virbila also recommended this wine, writing that “the 2010 from Lang & Reed has it all — a gorgeous red-violet colour, beautiful texture, a taste of cherries, forest and smoke. An assemblage of four vineyards from Lake County to Napa Valley, this red is refined and subtle, with ripe tannins and a lovely finish.”

Martinsancho Rueda Verdejo 2012

This wine recommendation comes from Dennis Sodomka in the Augusta Chronicle, who wrote that, “Verdejo is one of those wines you have never heard of. It will never be as popular as Chardonnay, but if you like crisp, dry whites, this is a wine you need to try.”

He added: “The Martinsancho Rueda Verdejo 2012 has sharp, crisp flavours of citrus, pears and nuts, with a pleasant minerality. The more you sip the more you fall in love with the wine. As more wine drinkers discover the joy of Verdejo, it will grow in popularity. This is a good wine to keep on hand for the holidays. I think it would be a nice surprise with the Thanksgiving turkey or with ham at a holiday party. Serve it well chilled and let it warm up just a bit before serving. It also has excellent ageing potential.”

2010 Hagafen Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Jessica Yadegaran in the San Jose Mercury News featured “Hanukkah wines to sip with those latkes”.

She wrote of this wine: “A beautiful juxtaposition of bright and dark fruits, this wine will be the centre-piece of your table, especially if you plan to serve brisket. Its well-structured tannins and plummy palate are soft yet bold, and its light, minty finish is both surprising and a bit refreshing.”