Top 10 wines in the US press

Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Castello di Pomino Blanco 2012, Italy

Dennis Sodomka, writing in the Augusta Chronicle, recommended this Tuscan white from one of the region’s most “highly regarded areas for white wine”.

He said: “The wine is primarily Chardonnay with about five percent Pinot Blanc, all from hillside vineyards in one of Tuscany’s most highly regarded areas for white wine. In the glass you get a pleasant floral aroma, leading to smooth citrus and apple flavors. There is a touch of mineral in the long finish with a crisp acidity and plenty of elegance and finesse. But the lasting impression you get from this wine is the lush fruit flavors.

“The grapes are fermented separately in stainless steel (75%) and French oak barriques (25%). After 21 days of fermentation, the wine is aged four months in stainless steel and three months in oak barriques.”

Price: $16-18

Crasto 2012, Douro, Portugal

Five wines showcasing the Douro Valley’s “quality and value in red table wines” were picked by Dave McIntyre writing in The Washington Post, including this Crasto 2012 which he rated “exceptional.”

He said: “From Quinta do Crasto, this entry-level red is juicy and vibrant, yet it has the earthy character of the Douro. It’s a terrific introduction to what this region and this winery can do. The Crasto Douro Superior ($24) is also top-notch, a bit more restrained.”

Price: $16

2011 Sterling Vintners Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California, US

Irene Virbila recommended 10 wines conveniently available at Target writing in the LA Times this week – a supermarket which she said had a selection that was not “huge”, but which included wines that would not “embarrass” you.

She said: “These may not be the most exciting wines on the block, and I wouldn’t necessarily serve them to wine-geek friends, but they’re decent drinking and widely available.”

“Of this Cabernet Sauvignon she said: “Okay, so this is a big step down from the behemoths Robert Parker anoints with the big scores. But it’s Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s well under $20. Think of it as aspiring to be great with that Cab spiciness, and yes, the requisite notes of dark fruit and tobacco. It’s got tannin, too. Just pair it with a juicy steak or some pork chops and it will do fine.”

Price: $11.99

2011 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret, California, US

Another of Virbila’s top Target picks was this Claret from director turned winemaker Francis Ford Coppola.

She said: “With its dressy black label and gold netting, Francis Coppola’s Diamond Collection Claret (even the name is old-school) is a convincing package — and the most expensive wine on this list. Even so, it’s less than $20 and looks like something pricier. A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet with small amounts of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it’s smooth and easy drinking, if a bit too tame.”

Price: $15.99

2012 Ca’ Momi Rosso di Napa, Napa Valley, California, US

Michael Dresser,  writing in The Baltimore Sun, recommended this “smooth and spicy” Napa red blend as his “wine find” of the week.

He said: “This blend of red grape varieties is a stunning value from one of the world’s greatest growing regions. It combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah in a harmonious and appealing wine with up-front, in-your-face black cherry and wild berry flavors. It’s one of those dry wines that has so much fruit it leaves the impression of sweetness. This smooth and spicy wine is worth buying in quantity for drinking over the next year.”

Price: $12

2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

The Miami Herald’s Fred Tasker wrote a in support of Sauvignon Blanc, a wine which he said while commonly featuring flavours such as pineapple, apricot, peach, melon, oregano, lime and kiwi, also had more than a whiff of “cat pee”.

He said: “I’m not making this up. The tartest Sauvignon Blancs, often from the Sancerre region of France’s famous Loire Valley, can smell like your living room after Tabby has marked it (in the good sense, I always hasten to say). The sweetest, often from the warmer parts of California, can be Chardonnay wannabes — tasting like tropical fruit salads.”

He added: “There are passionate advocates on both sides. The tart-style bunch says a hint of cat pee or gunflint is the truer nature of the grape. Those who favor sweetness say they simply taste better that way. Winemakers are no dummies. Most Sauvignon Blancs in the market fall between the extremes — crisp and tart, refreshing and compatible with a wide range of foods.Unfortunately, it’s hard to pin down the style by reading tasting notes on back labels of bottles, because they tend to say the wines inside go wonderfully with everything.”

In recommending this NZ Sauvignon Blanc he said: “Full-bodied and bold, with aromas and flavors of white grapefruit, limes and gooseberries.”

Price: $18

2012 Guilbaud Freres “Les Chenes Vieux” Sancerre, Loire Valley AOP, France

Another of Tasker’s “highly recommended” Sauvignon Blanc picks was this Loire Valley Sancerre.

He said: “Yellow-green color, aromas of camellias, tart lime flavors, mineral tang, light and crisp.”

Price: $22

2013 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, South Africa

Colette Bancroft, writing in the Tampa Bay Times, recommended this “flamingo pink” Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé which she said was a “perfect summer sipper or companion to light and lively warm-weather fare”.

She said: “This 100%, which hails from South Africa’s Coastal Region, is bottled young to preserve its breezy character, then aged one to two years before release. Like sauvignon blanc, another classic summer wine, it is cold fermented and never sees the inside of an oak barrel.

“In the glass, this charming rose offers up abundant red berries and perhaps a bit of blood orange. On the tongue you’ll taste those berries plus a little tart nectarine and a kiss of lime. Its finish is light, long and lilting. Overall, it is informed by a subtle and welcome minerality. Serve this wine as an aperitif or as a poolside refresher or pair it with fish stews like cioppino or bouillabaisse, baked ham served hot or cold, or citrusy cold shellfish salads.”

Price: $10 to $11

 2012 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere, Central Valley, Chile

Gil Lempert-Schwarz, recommended this “dense” Carmenere from Chilean wine giant Concha Y Toro writing in The Las Vegas Review Journal.

He said: “On the nose: There are oodles of interesting notes of crushed earthy black fruits with underlying spice elements, peppery crushed blackberries, black truffle, tobacco leaf, phenolic compounds, licorice root, herbs, tar and light wood components.

“On the palate: This wine has an immediate pleasant sweetish peppery mouth-feel with concentrated wild cherries, spice-laced huckleberry sauce and spicy blackberries, then a massive phenol-laden structure, earthy minerals and slight oak references. The midpalate is highly impacted by the liqueurlike cherry and elderberry fruit with notes of sloe fruit, herbs and earthy minerals and then a solid finish sets in lasting for a full 20 seconds or more with yet more licorice root, star anise and earthy rustic wood.”

Price: $8.99

Chimney Rock 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, US

Catherine Bugue, writing for the Napa Valley Register, recommended this “incredible” wine from estate fruit in the Stags Leap District.

She said: “Chimney Rock’s Cabernet Sauvignon owns you with just one sniff of its deep, blackberry aromas. The wine is complex and balanced, everything you’d expect from a top Stags Leap wine.The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is being offered as part of a special Auction Napa Valley package, but you can still purchase a bottle for next dinner event.

“Winemaker Elizabeth Vianna was pre-med and working at a New York hospital when a wine stopped her in her tracks. When she finished her glass of Sociando Mallet (a Bordeaux), UC Davis was not far behind. Elizabeth first interned at Chimney Rock, then worked with top winemakers such as Heidi Barrett, Pam Starr and Celia Masyczek at the Napa Wine Company before returning to Chimney Rock. She is general manager and head winemaker at the estate.”

Price: $72