Top 10 wines in the US press

2012 Belle Ambiance Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Gil Lempert-Schwarz, the chairman of The Wine Institute of Las Vegas, recommended this Californian Cabernet Sauvignon produced by the Delicato Family Vineyards writing in the Las Vegas Review Journal this week.

He said: “This is a deep blackish-red color with an opaque purplish-red colored center going out into a violet-red rim definition and medium-high viscosity.

“On the nose: It exudes layers of ripe crushed black fruit with dominance by black currant, boysenberry, blueberry jam, then comes a touch of creme de cassis, vanillin from oak, earthy minerals and phenolics.

“On the palate: It immediately coats the palate with black fruit characteristics, followed by cherry and cassis juices, and then ripe, firm, yet silky tannin structure with some degree of alcohol as it comes out a little “hot.” It has an excellent midpalate with loads of fruit and crushed loganberry and finishes nicely with chunks of cherry liqueur and creme de cassis. It does need to open up for about half an hour or more before consumption to give it a chance to “burn” off some of the initial alcohol, but then it reveals nice concentration and excellent potential for this price category.”

Price: $6.99

2009 Chateau Calon-Ségur Marquis de Calon, Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux

Following on from en primeurs week in Bordeaux, Jon Bonné, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, recommended a selection of wines from the “less seen” side of Bordeaux.

He said: “Time was, the second wines of great chateaus were astonishing deals. Not so much anymore, so when you find one, it’s doubly exciting – case in point being the local price (compared to nearly $50 elsewhere) for this second from Calon-Ségur, the historic third-growth that often gets less attention than it should. This is subtle and silken, as Saint-Estephe can be, with lilac, graphite and dark coffee adding to polished dark-cherry fruit. Immediately shows its pedigree.”

Price: $30

2011 Chateau Moulin de Peyronin Bordeaux Red, Pujols, St Emillion, Bordeaux

Bonné also highlighted this red which he said showed off Bordeaux’s “savory” and “unpretentious” side.

He said: “The town of Pujols, about 12 miles southeast of St.-Emilion, is hardly Bordeaux central, but this 30-acre property was one of the region’s organic pioneers, farmed that way since 1975. Bordeaux hasn’t embraced organics the way, say, Burgundy has. Perhaps it should; from 60% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a perfect reminder of Bordeaux’s savory, unpretentious side: herbal with dried mint, meaty and full of fresh cherry. Generous, but not soft, compared to some of our specimens today.”

Price: $14

Ella Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Ella Valley, Israel

Dave Mcintyre, writing in The Washington Post, recommended a selection of kosher wines from Israel, perfect for Passover.

He said: “This will appeal to fans of the modern blockbuster style of cabernet sauvignon. It’s fruit-forward and lush, with spicy berry and pepper notes and evident oak flavor from new barrels. The alcohol is high, giving the wine extra body, but the opulent fruit keeps it in check. The winery also produces a delicious Sauvignon Blanc.”

Price: $32

Recanati Yasmin White 2012, Galilee, Israel

Another of Bonné’s recommendation was for this white blend with notes of “tropical fruits”.

He said: What a delightful marriage of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s not a typical blend, but if this wine is any indication, more wineries around the world should be doing it. Think peaches, apricots and a whiff of tropical fruits: a veritable Eden in a glass.”

Price: $12

Notte Italiana Prosecco, Veneto, Italy

If bubbles are more your thing then this kosher Prosecco will be perfect for Passover, as recommended by McIntyre.

He said: “This is a fantastic Prosecco, adding a celebratory air to any occasion with its bubbles and oh-so-slightly-sweet, juicy fruit palette of flavors.”

Price: $17

2011 Maysara “Roseena” Pinot Noir Rosé, Oregon, US

Colette Bancroft, writing in the Tampa Bay Times, picked this “clean and crisp” rosé named “Roseena” which means “a beautiful woman who smells naturally of roses” in Persian.

She said: “This coral-colored wine, available at big-box stores around Tampa Bay for about $16, is a true rosé, which means you should not expect the vapid sweetness of a blush wine like so-called white Zinfandel. A rosé stands on its own and has a personality all its own, rather than being a denatured version of a red wine, in this case, Pinot Noir.

“The first thing we noticed, after inhaling this dry wine’s bouquet of strawberries with rose petal top notes, was its pronounced acidity, to which fruit is subjugated from first sip to last. The underplayed fruit is mostly strawberry with accents of lime, green pepper and cantaloupe, the whole adding up to a clean, crisp wine but with a sort of musky undertone. It is complex overall and chiseled. It will be too astringent for some low-key foods. Try pairing it with citrus-marinated salmon or maybe an egg salad sammie with plenty of fresh dill.”

Price: $16

2011 Filieri Cannonau di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy

Michael Dresser recommended this Italian Grenache as his “wine find” writing in The Baltimore Sun this week.

He said: “This deep, earthy red wine from Sardinia is delightfully distinctive. It’s a full-bodied, plummy, spicy wine with hints of black pepper, Mexican chocolate sauce (mole) and pine resin. It’s an excellent value for the price and is very drinkable now.”

“Serve with pasta with red sauce, osso buco”

Price: $13

Masseria Li Veli Valle d’Itria Verdeca IGT, Puglia, Italy

Wes Marshall, writing in the Austin Chronicle, said this Italian blend of Verdeca and Fiano Minutolo, brand-new to the market, was “no wimpy wine”.

He said: “There are so many wines from Italy that you could spend your whole life tasting and never get through them all. Dalla Terra is one company that seems intent on discovering the tiniest small-production vineyards, especially those that focus on the most obscure grapes the country has to offer.

“One of their brightest stars is Masseria Li Veli, a winery that focuses on grapes from the boot heel of Italy. The owners describe their winemaking mission “with the aim of selecting long-forgotten indigenous varietals for making new wines, with the highest standard of quality in viticulture and winemaking. Talk is cheap, but when I opened this bottle of Verdecca, I was simply amazed. It is a blend of Verdeca (90%) and Fiano Minutolo (10%) grown in the Valle d’Itria.

“The color is a densely beautiful gold. This is no wimpy wine. We had it at dinner along with a friend from the Italian wine business who had never heard of it, just to give you an idea how obscure it is. We paired it with roasted sea bass on a bed of sweet onions and fennel and the combination was perfect.”

Price: $18

Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Marlborough, New Zealand

Chris and Sherry Hardie, writing for the La Crosse Tribune, reviewed this Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in new Zealand where there are more than 45,000 acres of the grape planted.

They said: “Dashwood started producing Sauvignon Blanc in 1989 and presents a clean, crisp, acidic wine that displays citrus and tropical fruits typical of a New Zealand style. Zesty and delicious, this is a wine meant to be consumed young.”

Sherry said: “A grassy bouquet and flavor with citrus lemon, lime and grapefruit.”

Chris said: “Herbal and grassy tones, a gooseberry bouquet and flavors of grapefruit and lime.”

Price: $12.50 to $15