Top 10 wines in the US press

Buehler Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay 2013

Rebecca Murphy, writing for Dallas News, recommended this Russian River Chardonnay from the Buehler Family, who have been growing grapes since the 1970’s, before land prices boomed, which means their wine prices “have not reached the current Napa stratosphere.”

She said: “This Chardonnay comes from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, where the Chardonnay grape excels. Savor the peach, apple, lemon and lime fruit interwoven with threads of steely mineral and vanilla notes. In the mouth, the wine is round and creamy, enlivened with vivid acidity. Enjoy it with a grilled or sautéed white fish or a creamy pasta.”

Price: $15.49 to $16.99

2011 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, California

Sequoia Grove has “sharpened its focus on balanced, structured Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays”, writes Sandra Silfven of Detroit News, recommending its 2011 “wondrously built” Cabernet Sauvignon.

She said: “This beauty from a beast of a vintage is like an essence of Cabernet — concentrated, intense, wondrously built, balanced with firm acidity and tannins like silk. Flavors are intense dark berries, plum, coffee, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla infused with smoky cedar. You taste a kiss of oak subtly weaving through the flavors on the finish.”

Price: $38

Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup Tour de Pierres 2012, Pic Saint Loup, Languedoc, France

Dave McIntyre, of the Washington Post, picked this red blend from the Pic Saint Loup in the south of France.

He said: “This lovely wine reminded me why I adore reds from southern France. It smells of violets, sage and thyme, and it tastes like blackberries, currants and — well, there’s no better word for it — energy. Biodynamic.”

Price: $20

Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc 2013, Sonoma County, California

McIntyre also recommended this California-style Sauvignon Blanc from Ferrari-Carano.

He said: “Widely available, it shows ideal Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc style: racy acidity matched perfectly with ripe, mouth-filling fruit that ricochets between a citrus grove and an orchard.”

Price: $16

2010 Nino Franco Grave di Stecca Brut

“Prosecco is so ubiquitous that you probably think you know what it is—a frothy, fruity, best-selling bargain. But trust me, not all Prosecco is equal. Most is boring—some is brilliant”, wrote Elin McCoy at Bloomberg.com this week.

Of Nino Franco’s Grave di Stecca Brut from Valdobbiadene, McCoy said: “It is dry, elegant, polished, and savory, but so different from typical high-end Prosecco it can’t use the term on the label.”

Price: $45

2012 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, California

Produced by one of California’s more “dependable large, midpriced wineries”, this Cabernet Sauvignon was recommended by Michael Dresser of The Baltimore Sun.

He said: “It’s a full-bodied, chunky red wine —not elegant, but authoritative. It delivers generous black cherry, wild berry, game and earthy flavors. One advantage with this wine is that it’s widely distributed.”

Price: $15

El Porvenir Amauta Corte I 2013, Argentina

Dennis Sodomka, writing for the Augusta Chronicle, recommended this “robust” wine produced in the foothills of the Andes a mile above sea level, producing a wine packed with “intense, complex flavors”.

He said: “In the glass it is a beautiful deep ruby red, with pleasant strawberry and spice aromas. It has a sensuous, velvety mouthfeel, full of ripe cherries and flowers. The finish is long, smooth and complex. There are some ripe tannins, but they are muted and mellow. This is the kind of wine you could serve with elegant dinners and also enjoy sitting around a campfire, or with a burger.”

Price: $22 to $24

Epicuro Nero D’Avola 2013, Sicily, Southern Italy

Made from the Nero D’Avola grape, this Sicilian wine was recommended by Gil Lempert-Schwarz in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

He said: “On the nose: The wine brims with jammy crushed red and black berry character and fruit soup. It has some rich fruity phenolics and underlying licorice-herbal character, but it’s playing second fiddle to all that delicious and fragrant juicy fruit. It smells delicious and is utterly drinkable in the glass.

“On the palate: It is a nice mouthful of a wine with juicy black spicy fruit, peppercorns, tobacco, cherry juice, huckleberry sauce, ripe black plums, toast points and loads of chewy minerals. Although the tannins seem very forward through the midpalate, the wine appears measured and balanced. The finish is excellent with more black pepper, crushed ripe brambleberries, and good structure and backbone. For a wine at less than $6 this has staggering fruit.”

Price: $5.99

Dry Creek Vineyard, 2013 Heritage Vines Sonoma County Zinfandel

Peg Melnik, writing for the Press Democrat, picked this 2013 Zinfandel as her wine of the week she said was an “incredible find” at just $20.

She said: “With the excitement of the Zins rolling onto the market, keep your eye out for this one. It’s an incredible find for this price point. It has aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, licorice and pepper. But what makes this Zin a standout is its pitch-perfect balance. The fruit, spice and acid are all in sync.”

Price: $20

Ménage à Trois Midnight 2013, California

Finally Chris and Sherry Hardie, writing for the La Crosse Tribune, recommended this 2013 blend of Merlot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, despite its ménage à trois title, describing it as a “very fruit-forward and sweet red wine”.

They said: “The tannins in this wine are tamed by the sweetness, which calms the salivary reaction to dry wine. But there is a surprisingly dry finish after your mouth is hit by rich flavors of dark berry and stone fruit with layers of spice and cocoa.”

Sherry: “Fruity blackberry, clove and cocoa.”

Chris: “Cherry, raisins and chocolate flavors laced in sweetness.”

Price: $8.50 to $11