Top 10 wines in the US press

Casillero de Diablo -Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Chardonnay varietals

With Concha Y Toro said to Own the trademark on “The Official Wine of Halloween” and named after the devil it seems fitting that a glass of Casillero del Diablo be raised this Halloween, according to Dennis Sodomka writing in the Augusta Chronicle.  

He said: “Casillero Del Diablo wines seem like they were made for this holiday, complete with an embossed devil on the bottle. More than 100 years ago, Chilean winemaker Don Melchor stored this wine in a cellar with a sign saying it was the devil’s cellar. That kept his superstitious workers from stealing the wine. They bottle many varietals, but I particularly like their Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménere and Chardonnay.”

Price: $11-$12

Mionetto Il Spri!z, Veneto, Italy

With its pumpkin-orange colour Sodomka picked out Mionetto’s semi-sparkling Il Spri!z to enjoy alongside a night of frightful festivities.

He said: “For a wine that really looks like Halloween, you could try this blend of semi-sparkling wine and aromas and flavors of blood orange. The brilliant pumpkin orange color might make you hesitate, but the flavor is wonderful. You can serve it over ice or heated as a mulled wine as a delicious aperitif. It’s based on the traditional Spritz recipe from northeast Italy’s Veneto region. It tastes like a blood orange with some herbal notes.”

Price: $12

Gnarly Head Authentic Black, Lodi, California

Gnarly Head’s Authentic Black is part of the winery’s “Gnarl-O-Ween” marketing effort and is a clever promotion, “but the best part is what’s inside the bottle”, writes Sodomka.

He said: “The wine is a luscious, dark Petite Sirah, bursting with concentrated flavors of blackberry and plum. The aromas are mouth-watering cherry and black licorice. It will pair well with most meat dishes, pizza or hearty chili. This is a limited release wine, so it probably will be gone by the end of the year.”

Price: $12

Ravenswood Besieged Red Blend 2013 Sonoma County, California

Sandra Silfven, writing for Detroit News, rustled up some “dark, brooding reds” with frightful names to match to enjoy this Halloween.

She said: “Even with the name and label, this is no contrived wine. In fact, for being a Halloween release, it’s a downright elegant bottle presentation. The wine is a structured, deeply flavored, intense, well-built blend of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Barbera, Alicante Bouchet and Mourvedre sourced predominately from top sites in Sonoma County. It’s the real deal: oak, dry dark berry fruit, black pepper spice, earthiness, deep color, length on the palate, acidity for structure. It’s robust, complex, intense. What else would you expect from Ravenswood?”

Price: $15.99

HobNob Wicked Red Blend 2013

With its dark red skull-design, HobNob’s Wicked red blend screams Halloween and packs a punch, according to Silfven, with flavours of coffee, cherry and cassis.

Silfven said: “This blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir is sourced from France. It’s an approachable dry red with nice balance in a stunning bottle with a painted wicked skull etched into the glass bottle. Flavors are roasted coffee, cherry, cassis, hazelnut and spice. Love the bottle!”

Price: $10.99

Clos du Mont-Olivet Vieilles Vignes 2012, Côtes-du-Rhône, France

Moving onto more conventional wine recommendations Dave McIntyre, writing for the Washington Post, picked this “outstanding” red from the Côtes-du-Rhône.

He said: “This beautiful red, which used to be called Montueil-la Levade, is consistently the best local buy in Côtes-du-Rhône. Chill it for 20 minutes or so to release the copious aromas of violets and lavender that accent its rich flavors of blackberry jam. This winery also makes a terrific Châteauneuf-du-Pape that clocks in as a great value at $39.”

Price: $16

Artesana Tannat-Merlot 2012, Canelones, Uruguay

McIntyre also recommended this Uruguayan red blend of Tannat and Merlot which he described as a “stylish wine”.

He said: “Uruguay has staked its reputation for red wines on Tannat, trying to replicate Argentina’s success with Malbec. Merlot composes 40% of this blend, softening the tannins of the Tannat and providing a silky texture with bright cherry fruit.”

Price: $18

2012 Folie a Deux Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

Michael Dresser picked this “fun” Californian Pinot as his wine of the week writing in the Baltimore Sun.

He said: “This is not one of those slight, delicate Pinot Noirs you’d want to serve with salmon. This is a full-bodied, bursting-with-fruit California Pinot with pure and gripping black cherry and cassis flavors. It’s a mouthful of flavor, but it has the acid zing to balance everything out. It’s just a fun wine to drink.”

Price: $20

2012 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

This “glorious, full-bodied, velvety” Pinot Noir tastes of “Santa Rosa plums, sweet spices and a smidgen of earth”, according to Irene Virbila, who recommended it in the LA Times. 

She said: “Just smell the bouquet: It tells you volumes about the wine. The 2012 is a big Pinot, 14.4% alcohol, but it’s so well-integrated into the wine, it doesn’t feel out of balance. A beautiful texture and all that bright, juicy fruit only add to its appeal. Break out a bottle for a roast duck or pan-seared duck breasts, a wintry braised meat dish, or a cheese platter.”

Price: From $50 to $55

Stephen Vincent, Central Coast, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Finally Rebecca Murphy, writing in Dallas News, picked out this Californian Cabernet Sauvignon from Stephen Vincent which she said had “black currant, blackberry and dark cherry aromas” and flavors of vanilla, light toast and dried herbs.

She said: “The fruit is nicely balanced with savory acidity and ripe tannins. That balance makes the wine drinkable on its own, while the concentration of fruit and solid tannin structure can handle a grilled steak. The winemaker for Stephen Vincent wines is Bob Goyette, who has been making wine for five decades. He was a founder of La Crema and also made wines for Benziger Winery and Chalk Hill Winery. He started Stephen Vincent 15 years ago and recently sold the brand to a company called Wine Hooligans.”

Price: $12.69 to $14.99