Top 10 wines in the US press

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2011

This wine was recommended by Sandra Silfven in the Detroit News. She wrote: “If you are a SB junkie — you love the full-throttle, herbal Marlborough, New Zealand style — you may fall in love with this unusual variation as well. I immediately dubbed it Marlborough meets Sonoma — it has that herbal twang of Marlborough paired with the grass and grapefruit of Northern California. It has floral notes as well as tart gooseberry. It’s crisp, dry and rich: The flavours and style will grab your palate. Alcohol is 13.5%.”

NV De Sousa & Fils Cuvee des Caudalies Blanc de Blancs Brut

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné wrote that it is “time for tiny bubbles again.” He added: “But if you’re relegating them to a quick toast at the start of the evening, or a prolonged one at the stroke of midnight, you’re doing it all wrong. Champagne makes for one of the most pleasurable wines to drink all evening long, and all through a meal.”

In recommending this wine, Bonné wrote: “Erick de Sousa’s wines typify the power of the Cote des Blancs, and this bottling aged in barrel from 50-year-old vines is both muscled and contemplative: kombu, red apple, tangerine cream, and a toasty macadamia aspect, with almost tea-like complexity to the aromas and richness that keeps building as it opens. Disgorged January 2010.”

NV Barnaut Rosé Authentique Grand Cru Brut Champagne

Bonné also recommended this wine, writing: “Barnaut’s rosé is a great demonstration of the power of flavours from the town of Bouzy.”

He added: “The Pinot Noir is strong in this one, which may not suit all tastes but is that elusive steak-wine Champagne. A bit of tannin appears to bolster tangerine, raspberry, fern and deep mineral accents, plus a rich pastry aspect, like a good Linzer torte.”

Tselepos Amalia Brut

Fizz was also on the agenda for Dave McIntyre in the Washington Post, although this week he looked beyond Champagne, writing that “wineries around the world produce delicious fizz in a variety of styles.” He added: “These are usually made by the ‘champagne method’ of inducing the second (carbonation) fermentation in the bottle, but they achieve their own expressions because of the grape varieties used or the soil and climate where they were grown. Here are five outstanding examples of sparkling wine from unexpected places.”

He recommended this wine from the Tselepos Estate, writing: “Made from the Moschofilero grape, a Greek variety that produces lush and fruity white wines, this delicious sparkler bursts with ripe peach flavours and a lovely floral note that suggests a Mediterranean garden. Alcohol by volume: 12%.”

Steininger Grüner Veltliner Sekt 2010/2011

McIntyre also recommended this wine, writing: “If you love Grüner Veltliner, as I do, you will love the addition of bubbles. This is one of Austria’s leading sparkling wines, from an excellent Grüner grower, so look for the hallmarks of the grape — lemon grass, talc and exotic tropical fruit — plus fizz. Sekt is the German word for sparkling wine. The importer is transitioning from the 2010 to the 2011 vintage. Both are worth trying. (Insider’s tip: Austrian winemakers are excited about the 2011 vintage.) ABV: 13.5%.”

Bérèche & Fils Extra Brut Réserve

In the New York Times, Eric Asimov led his tasting panel through a choice of Champagnes, writing “the key, of course, is balance. Champagnes like our favourites — the tangy, taut Bérèche & Fils Extra Brut Réserve; the lively, pure Georges Laval Brut Nature; and the rich, energetic Benoît Lahaye Brut Nature — were impeccably balanced, detailed and delineated. Bone dry? Yes, but pleasingly so.”

He added of this wine: “Taut yet plush and perfectly balanced, with tangy citrus flavours and great finesse.”

Georges Laval Champagne Brut Nature Premier Cru NV

This sparkler was ranked second by Asimov’s New York Times panel. He wrote: “All of the wines in our top 10 were made by superb grower-producers who are largely able to control every element in the vineyard and cellar. The larger producers in our tasting — who are generally buying grapes and, in some cases, finished wines — did not fare as well.”

He added that this wine was: “Lively and pure, with complex, lingering flavours of flowers, herbs and chalk.”

2012 Elio Grasso Dolcetto d’Alba

This wine was recommended by Irene Virbila in the LA Times. She wrote: “An easygoing Piemontese red from the underappreciated Dolcetto grape, which is sort of the younger cousin of Nebbiolo. Bright and polished, the 2012 Elio Grasso Dolcetto d’Alba tastes like sweet fresh cherries and plums. It’s a really pretty wine, with a minerality that gives it depth. Delicious with a salumi and cheese plate, or with crostini topped with chicken livers or beans. I love it with grilled sausages too, and pasta with meat sauce.”

Domaine de la Guicharde, Côtes du Rhône 2012

This is the wine that Rebecca Murphy described in the Dallas Morning News as “a great find for your holiday entertaining: an inexpensive wine that doesn’t taste inexpensive.”

Murphy added: “It has character and style. It’s a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah from the southern part of the Rhone Valley in France. It has Grenache’s bright strawberry and raspberry fruit and lush, round mouthfeel juxtaposed with Syrah’s peppery spice and savoury black fruit, followed up by solid tannins. It’s plush enough to go with a squash soup or a pork tenderloin and modest enough to go with a pizza.”

2010 Wolfgang Puck Red Wine Blend

And finally the Baltimore Sun‘s Michael Dresser picked out this wine, writing: “Celebrity-named wines don’t always live up to their star-studded labels, but this red wine from the famous chef can only bolster his reputation. It’s a full-bodied blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel that delivers not only powerful flavour but abundant value. It offers ripe flavours of blackberry and black cherry fruit, with hints of earthiness, chocolate and herbs. While accessible now, it should also develop well over five to 10 years. Serve with: Beef roast, leg of lamb.”