Top 10 wines in the US press

2012 Folie à Deux Russian, River Chardonnay, California, US

Sandra Silfven, writing for Detroit News, picked three “summer sippers” produced by wineries owned by Napa’s Trinchero Family Estates.

She said: “Folie à Deux sources all its wines from Sonoma. Napa Cellars scouts the high-rent valley for great fruit they can turn into affordable wines; Terra d’Oro is best known for Zinfandels in Amador County but grows Rhone varietals too, such as Viognier.

“Let this baby warm up in the glass to catch all the nuances: spice and smoke off French oak barrels, Fuji apple, mandarin orange, pineapple — you catch the acidity in the aromas right away. The vintage was near-perfect; the site is where Chardonnay vines can bask in the cooling fog off the Pacific and send down roots in the well-drained soils. The pressed juice is fermented in French oak and aged in barrel for six months. It has body, good weight and firm acidity. And it’s a young pup.”

Price: $18

2013 Terra d’Oro Chenin Blanc and Viognier Clarksburg, California, US

Pinot Grigio pictured

Silfven also highlighted this this Chenin Blanc, Viognier blend which she said would pair perfectly with spicy Indian or Thai cuisine.

She said: “Clarksburg: Think east of Napa and south of Sacramento. The Chenin Blanc hails from here, the Viognier from Amador County where the winery is located. Both varietals are fruity and floral. This wine is predominately Chenin Blanc.

“Inhale and think orange zest, lime, pineapple and honeysuckle. Taste and experience dry flavors, floral tones from the Viognier and tangy acidity. It’s a wine you could pair with roast chicken or spicy Indian or Thai cuisine.”

Price: $16

Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2013

Silfven described this Napa Sauvignon as a “nice food wine” with a “silky mouth feel.”

She said: “I love Napa Sauvignon Blanc — it’s a different animal from Sonoma or really cool-climate areas in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s typically melon, gooseberry, citrus — and you can throw in every tropical fruit and white stone fruit — peach and nectarine — with this one.

“It sees no oak, which gives the whole stage to the fruit. Buried in the midpalate is a honeyed sweetness. It has good acidity for structure and is ever so dry. It has such broad, rich, silky mouth feel, it’s hard to believe it’s all fermented in stainless steel. Such a nice food wine.”

Price: $18

2013 McPherson American, Brother’s Blend, Viognier, Texas, US

McPherson Rousanne, 2011

Rebecca Murphy, writing for Dallas News, recommended this Viognier from Texas which she said was an “unforgiving” place to grow grapes. The area suffered a heavy frost in 2013 which killed off much of its budding fruit with Viognier particularly hard hit.

She said: “Kim [McPherson’s] solution was to work with his brother Jon, who is the winemaker at South Coast Winery and Resort in Temecula, Calif. They combined fruit that Jon sourced in California with the Texas grapes that Kim had available, to create the Brother’s Blend. The back label explains the troubled 2013 vintage, makes clear the source of the fruit and assures McPherson Cellars fans, “We hope to have Texas proudly back on the front label next year where it belongs.”

She added: “It’s what you would expect from the combined efforts of two veteran, award-winning winemakers. Aromas of honeysuckle, peach and apricot invite you to enjoy the layered flavors of peach, melon and pear brightened with citrusy acidity. It’s a medium-bodied wine that will pair well with chicken tacos or roasted pork tenderloin with mango salsa.”

Price: $12 to $13

2012 Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon, California

This “intense, penetrating, spicy” Californian Cabernet Sauvignon was picked by Michael Dresser as his ‘wine find’ writing in The Baltimore Sun this week – a wine which he said was “excellent value”.

He said: “It offers bright black cherry and wild berry fruit and a touch of vanilla. At only two years, it makes for smooth and easy drinking but has the length and body of a much more expensive wine. It is sealed with a device known as a “zork” – a kind of cross between a cork and a screw cap that requires no corkscrew and is a little more elegant than the twist-off closure. We’ll be seeing more wines topped off this way. Serve with: Steak, lamb, pasta.”

Price: $16

2010 Cultivate, Dream Walking Chardonnay, California, US

Dennis Sodomka, writing in the Augusta Chronicle, recommended this Chardonnay from Cultivate winery in California which he described as a “first-rate wine at an affordable price.”

He said: “A medium-bodied Chardonnay with only slight hints of oak, it is a refreshing wine with plenty of length, finesse and structure. It is pale straw in the glass, with pineapple and Meyer lemon on the nose.

“It has a smooth mouthfeel, tasting of citrus and peaches. The finish is pleasant and long. The grapes are 100% Chardonnay from cool weather sites in California’s Mendocino and Santa Rita Hills, the North Coast region. To blend Dream Walking, the winemaker spent months tasting thousands of samples to find the right components.”

Price: $17 to $19

Hunter Hill Winery 2012 Hunter’s Blend, Lodi

Stacey Vreeken recommended this wine made by former Navy Seal turned winemaker, Vann Slatter, writing in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

She said: “A mélange of Merlot, Zinfandel and Barbera from Lodi, Hunter’s Blend, made by Hunter Hill Vineyard and Winery, stays true to these varietals that excel in the Lodi area. The fruit-forward blend is friendly and approachable, a good choice to bring to dinner parties.

She added: “This wine is like a farm road on a hot day, watch out for that truck coming fast on your tail. Medium-bodied, with flavors of blackberry and dark fruit, the well-blended wine comes on with strong tannins at the finish to linger.

“Pair it with pasta with red sauce, warm and rich, like this wine.”

Price: $20

2011 Beau-Rivage Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France

This “vibrant” Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle was recommended by Gil Lempert-Schwarz writing in the Las Vegas Review Journal. 

He said: “In the glass: Beau-Rivage Blanc is a lively, vibrant citrine-yellow color with a clean, clear appearance, going out into a faint lemon-yellow to glass-clear rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

“On the nose: The wine has lovely forward floral notes with crushed red apples, honeysuckle, orange blossoms, white currants, apricot jam and pomelo fruit segments with some underlying hints of slight steely volatile acidity and chalky minerals.

“On the palate: The wine features a superbly crisp, balanced flavor profile that denotes a complete harmony between acidity and fruit. There are green apple skins, citrus rind, winter melon, pear sparkler, rose water, white currant juice, toasty, slightly creamy notes of green melon and oodles of fine chalky minerality. The midpalate maintains the excellent balance, and it finishes with yet more white currants and great mineral character. This is a classic example of a good Bordeaux white wine.”

Price: $10

2011 Castello Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, Tuscany

Gail Appleson, writing for the St Louis Post-Dispatch, picked two “well-priced Pinot Grigios” – a variety which she said often gets a “bad rap from critics who consider it bland and pedestrian.”

She said: “Pinot Grigio has come a long way over the last 20 years or so. You can find modestly priced Pinot Grigios from Italy, the United States and other parts of the world that have lively floral and citrus flavors, crisp minerality and clean, refreshing finishes.

She added: “The Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, which has a 13% abv, is a richer wine than the Terra d’Oro, with a bit more complexity and a fuller mouthfeel. The San Angelo also has some nice spice notes that complement its pear and peach flavors. However, it’s not quite as fruit-forward as the Terra d’Oro. This is also a quaffable wine that ends with a long, crisp citrusy finish. The San Angelo is a light- to medium-bodied wine that would go well with fish and seafood, as well as lighter pasta dishes.”

Price: $12

2011 Terra d’Oro from Santa Barbara County

Finally, Appleson picked Terra d’Oro’s Californian Pinot Grigio which she said was the “lighter and the fruitier of the two.”

She said: “Terra d’Oro, which originally produced wines under the Montevina label, was the first Amador County winery to produce wine after Prohibition ended. Its 2011 Pinot Grigio comes from its Santa Barbara Los Alamos vineyard, just east of Highway 101, so it gets the benefit of being close to the ocean. The resulting wine has an enticing fragrant floral aroma.

“The wine, which has a 13.5% abv, is soft and filled with sweet pear and peach flavors. This is a well-balanced wine that ends with a long and refreshing citrus finish. The Terra d’Oro Pinot Grigio would make a great aperitif, especially in this hot weather. I really enjoyed sipping it while making dinner and munching on cheese.”

Price: $12