Top 10 wines in the US press

Quinta das Marias Encruzado 2011, Dao, Portugal

Beppi Crosariol, writing in The Globe and Mail, recommended this Portuguese white wine made with the native Encruzado grape.

He said: “Encruzado, one of Portugal’s many indigenous grapes, deserves much wider recognition. Like the country itself, it was long isolated from the global trends that made such varieties as chardonnay and pinot grigio famous. Mainly grown in the Dao region of north-central Portugal, it’s regarded as one of Portugal’s best whites, often used as part of a blend.

“Structure is its forte, and that’s saying almost everything. Medium-bodied, with a bracing, bitter edge, this example, a 100-per-cent encruzado from quality boutique producer Quinta das Marias, offers up subtle pear-like fruit pulled in tight by astringency and a chewy mouthfeel. Exuberant yet disciplined.”

Price: $16.95

2009 Zaca Mesa, Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, California

This Californian Syrah was recommended by Rebecca Murphy writing in the Dallas Morning News this week. The group of freinds behind Zaca Mesa she said were “ahead of the curve” when they planted Syrah in 1978, later settling on growing Rhône grape varieties including Viognier and Roussanne.

She said: “This 2009 Syrah is a delicious example of how right they’ve been. It’s showing Syrah’s savory, meaty side, with black pepper and wood spice to show off the blackberry fruit. The Syrah grapes were co-fermented with Viognier, so there’s also a bit of a floral note peaking through. At five years and a few months after harvest, the wine’s flavors are integrated and beautifully balanced, and smooth as silk with polished tannins. Serve it with a hearty beef stew or a wild mushroom risotto.”

Price: $18.99 to $24.99

2010 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge, Loire Valley, France

Jon Bonné, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, recommended a number of reds from the Loire Valley this week, including this 2010 Sancerre from Domaine Vacheron made with Pinot Noir.

He said: “The Vacheron family has done much to make Sancerre a world-class wine, but their Pinot Noir-based red has largely been overlooked. Grown on a mix of flint and limestone, and aged in tank, it’s a good option for those feeling priced out of the Cote de Nuits. Sweet damson plum, marigold, cardamom, with a darker hue and more structure than you might expect from a Loire-born Pinot.”

Price: $40

2012 Henry Marionnet Les Cepages Oubliés Val de Loire Gamay de Bouze, Loire, France

Bonné also recommended this Gamay de Bouze from the Loire.

He said: “Marionnet, based due east of Tours in countryside better known for the Romorantin grape, has made a name with this unusual bottle. Gamay de Bouze is a dark-juiced relative of Gamay Noir – inkier, with darker fruit flavors – the Smiths to Gamay Noir’s INXS. So there’s Gamay’s beet-like character, but with blackberry, iodine and earthier tannins. Save a bottle for grilling season.”

Price: $22

Bodegas Carrau Tannat de Reserva 2010, Las Violetas, Uruguay

Dave McIntyre, writing in The Washington Post, took a look at a number of Tannat wines, a grape traditionally from Madiran in southwestern France, but which is also prominent in South American countries including Uruguay and Brazil. McIntyre rated this red from Uruguay as “excellent”.

He said: “This wine shows tannat’s strength with rugged, earthy tannins and firm structure, softened by blackberry fruit flavors and some aromas. It’s a nice partner for casual beef dishes. Bodegas Carrau makes a delicious Sauvignon Blanc as well.”

Price: $14

St. Julian Riesling Reserve Lake Michigan Shore 2012, Berrien County, Michigan

This St Julien Riesling Reserve, produced by Lake Michigan Shore, recently won the International “East Meets West” Wine Championship in Sonoma County, prompting Sandra Silfven, writing in the Detroit News, to name it her wine of the week.

Taking notes from her 2012 review of this wine, she said: “This is the complete Riesling: Perfect fruit — zesty, floral, tropical, minerally, just what Riesling should taste like. It has good acidity, therefore, it has structure and is tangy. It’s inviting — it has body at 12 percent alcohol and flaunts some dryness: The sweetness scale on the back label almost lines up perfectly with “Medium Dry.”

“It has terrific packaging: a simple but elegant label; tall, almost shoulderless green bottle; screw cap. A medallion states it is in the “Top 100 Best Buys” of Wine and Spirits Magazine. And $12.99?? That’s a terrific bargain. Taste it blind and I think you might identify it with Germany’s Pflaz region or the Rhine Valley.  It’s off a single vineyard owned by Dan and Heather Nitz. “It’s just a great site,” St. Julian President Dave Braganini said a while back.”

Price: $12.99

2012 Stolpman Vineyards ‘La Cuadrilla’ red wine, Santa Ynez Valley, California

Irene Virbila, writing in The LA Times, recommended this “Rhone-style” blend which she said tasted of “juicy dark berries and sun-baked herbs”.

She said: “For the last few years, Stolpman Vineyards in the new Ballard Canyon American Viticultural Area in Santa Barbara County has produced a wine called La Cuadrilla for “the crew.” Its crew works full time under the direction of winemaker Sashi Moorman and vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano. Each year, the crew works an experimental cuadra or block, which rotates throughout the ranch. The grapes from that cuadra are used to make La Cuadrilla, so the blend is slightly different each year.

“The 2012 is one of the best yet — 60% Syrah, 20% Sangiovese, 15% Grenache and 5% Petite Sirah. A deep garnet in color, this Rhone-style wine tastes of juicy dark berries and sun-baked herbs. It has a beautiful balance, even an elegance that belies its $20 price tag. Also notable: The profits from La Cuadrilla go to the vineyard crew. Join La Cuadrilla Wine Club and get 20% off two shipments per year of six bottles each (both the red and white La Cuadrilla).

Virbila said this “everyday wine” would pair well with barbecued meats, burgers, lamb, or with cheese or a vegetable casserole.

Price: About $20

2009 Icardi Barbera d’Asti, Piemonte, Italy

Michael Dresser, writing in The Baltimore Sun, picked this Barbera varietal from Piemonte in Italy which is a bargain at around $15.

He said: “This wine shows the softer side of Barbera, an under-rated red wine that can be hard-edged in youth.

“It offers complex flavors of black, cherry, spices, smoked meat and vanilla. It’s a very smooth red wine that can be drunk with pleasure now.”

He said it would pair well with pasta dishes, red meats.
Price: $15

Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port NV, Douro Valley, Portugal

This NV Port by Graham’s was a favourite with former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and also Dennis Sodomka, who described it as a Port which offers a “luxury taste at a regular price”, writing in The Augusta Chronicle.

He said: “I love Vintage Port, but I can’t afford to drink it very often, so the Graham’s Six Grapes is a nice compromise. Port is a rich, sweet fortified wine that is perfect after dinner. This smooth, velvety wine from Graham’s is made from high-quality grapes, many of which come from some of the finest vineyards in the upper Duoro Valley in Portugal, owned by Graham’s, and from farmers who have been selling their grapes to Graham’s for generations. These are grapes that go into Vintage Port in exceptional years.”

He added: “Graham’s consistently gets top-quality grapes out of its vineyards and turns them into world-class wines. Six Grapes is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a muted aroma. But the flavor more than makes up for what the nose lacks. It is bright and fruity and very robust, with a lingering finish. It will warm you to your toes on even the coldest night.

“The wine is barrel aged for three years before its release. Once it is bottled, it will not improve, unlike Vintage Port, which continues to evolve in the bottle. After you open a bottle, if you re-cork it, it can last up to 6-8 weeks. But be careful. The reason it lasts so long after opening is it is 20 percent alcohol.”

Price: $21-23

2012 Noble Vines’ 446 Chardonnay, Monterrey Valley, California

Writing in the Tampa Bay Times, Colette Bancroft recommended this “lush, fruit-forward” Chardonnay from California.

She said: “Our first question about Noble Vines’ 446 Chardonnay was how it got its name. The answer reflects this white’s identity as a single-vineyard wine. Winemakers have long propagated superior vines by using cuttings to produce genetically identical new plants, which are called “clones.” A chardonnay vine called Clone 4 is known as the Martini clone because winemaker Louis Martini cultivated it in Carneros, where chardonnay grapes thrive in a cool climate. Noble Vines grows Clone 4 in Block 46 of its San Bernabe vineyards in Monterrey Valley, one of the coolest growing regions in California. So, 4 and 46 gets you 446.

“It also gets you a lush, fruit-forward chardonnay that begins with the aroma of ripe pear touched with vanilla. Those flavors continue on the palate, joined by golden delicious apple and touches of pineapple and butterscotch. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft, the finish medium long, with a refreshing whiff of herb and white pepper at the end. The wine is aged in either oak or steel barrels, depending on the acidity of the grapes. If the batch our bottle came from was oaked, there was no trace of it in the flavor.”

Price: $14