Top 10 wines in the US press

St. Julian Braganini Reserve Merlot Lake Michigan Shore 2012

Sandra Silfven shone a light on the wines of Michigan’s St. Julian Winery writing in Detroit News – which she said “over-delivers” with this “robust” Merlot from the warm 2012 harvest.

She said: “Such a magnificent bottle presentation, and what a delightful Merlot! Lovely balance. Forward fruit. Sturdy acidity. Nice infusion of oak. Dark berries, plums, cedar, black pepper. Old World meets New World: The climate of Michigan meets modern growing practices and winemaking. Good job, Nancie Oxley. She gave it 18 months in oak to smooth out the tannins.”

Price: $19.99

St. Julian Braganini Reserve Riesling Lake Michigan Shore 2013

St Julian’s Riesling also came recommended by Silfven – a variety that can “turn out austere, ponderous and scalped of fruit.”

She said: “Well not this Riesling — it’s dry and sees neutral oak, but the fruit sparkles. Aromas are vibrant Honeycrisp apple, crisp pineapple and Meyer lemon. On the palate it has the faint hint of Riesling diesel, streaks of minerality and bright tangerine, floral notes. It spends five months in neutral oak to add to the complexity and creamy texture. It comes off Joe Herman’s vineyard in Coloma where St. Julian has had so much success producing Rieslings that are nimble, delicate and so varietally correct.”

Price: $14.99

2013 Rawson’s Retreat Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia

This Cabernet Sauvignon, from Rawson’s Retreat – of Penfold’s stable – was recommended by Gil Lempert-Schwarz writing in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Dr. Christopher Rawson founded a wine company named Penfolds in 1844, with his house, known as Magill Estate, the centerpiece heritage site of Penfolds today.

He said: “It is a big mouthful of wine with a tasty attack of black currants, wild cherries, loganberries and soft blueberry notes going into a greatly balanced midpalate that again shows so much character in this wine. The finish is quite impressive, lingering for a good 20-plus seconds with lovely delineation of black fruit, anise and mint leaf. While this wine is still a bit of a baby, it comes right out of the bottle in a highly drinkable fashion.”

Price: $4.99

Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay 2012, Carneros, California

Dave McIntyre, writing in the Washington Post, recommended this “lovely, excellent-value” Chardonnay which he said had notes of toast, “without being over-the-top oaky”.

He said: “There is plenty of apple and pear fruit, along with the acidity characteristic of cooler areas such as the Carneros region, which stretches across the lower reaches of Sonoma and Napa counties. This vintage is new to the market; it should be more widely available soon.”

Price: $15 to 18

Chateau Fardel Laurens Cuvée Ardoise 2012, Faugères, Languedoc, France

Another of McIntyre’s top picks was this “bargain” French white from the Faugéres region in the south of France.

He said: “Wines from the Faugères appellation tend to cost well into the $20s, so this inexpensive example is a nice bargain. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, it shows the violet, lavender aromas typical of reds from southern France. This is a nice partner for casual red-meat dishes or roast chicken.”

Price: $13

2011 Corte alla Flora Pugnitello, Tuscany, Italy

This “full-bodied red with a big, spicy perfume” from Tuscany was recommended by Irene Virbila in the LA Times.

She said: “In Tuscany, only a few producers work with the Pugnitello grape, which was practically extinct until recently. Named “small fist” because of its tight grape bunches, Pugnitello is not only rare, its yields also are very low, so producers have to be dedicated to make the wine at all. A deep, full-bodied red with a big spicy perfume and a character reminiscent of Brunello or Vino Nobile, this is a wine to break out for a chilly evening. It’s a great bottle to bring out for friends who know and enjoy Italian wines.”

Price: $27 to $32

2013 Secateurs Chenin Blanc, Swartland, South Africa

“Chenin Blanc may be under appreciated in California, but in South Africa it’s the premier white wine grape,” writes Michael Dresser in The Baltimore Sun.

He said: “This wine, from Baderhorst Family Wines, displays vibrant flavors of grapefruit, lime, lemon zest, kiwi and mint. It has that grip and persistence characteristic of old vines. It’s medium-bodied but very assertive — a wine with zing. Devotees of French Chenin Blanc may be surprised at its character, which resembles a fine Austrian Gruner Veltliner more than a Vouvray from the Loire Valley.”

Price: $18

Stemmari Dalila 2012, Sicily

This powerfully aromatic Sicilian white was recommended by Dennis Sodomka in the Augusta Chronicle. It is made from the native Sicilian grape Grillo and Viognier,

He said: “The flavor is an elegant melding of peach, citrus and floral with an undercurrent of vanilla and oak.”

He added: “The blend spends four months in bottles before it is released. The result is a complex, refreshing elegant wine that most white wine drinkers should love. The fruit is powerful, but there is a nice backbone of acidity to make this a great food wine.”

Price: $13 to 15

Hanna, 2013 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Following a tasting of a number of Sauvignon Blancs Peg Melnik, writing in the Press Democrat, picked this tropical Sauvignon Blanc from the Russian River Valley as her “wine of the week”.

She said: “This Sauvignon Blanc has it all – a range of tasty flavors, bright acid and great balance. Notes of guava, grapefruit and lime, with the right dose of spice. Nice finish. A smart buy.”

Price: $19

Rutherford Ranch, 2013 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Finally, Melknik also recommended this “impressive” Sauvignon Blanc from the Rutherford Ranch in Napa Valley.

He said: “This Sauvignon Blanc is a standout because of its crisp acidity. Notes of grapefruit, lemongrass and papaya show well in this bottling. Balanced. Impressive.”

Price: $20