Top 10 wines in the US press

Fiorini, Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC, Corte degli Attimi, Rosé 2014

Rebecca Murphy, writing in Dallas News, recommended this Lambrusco di Sobara from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna – the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and the famed balsamic vinegar of Modena.

“If your experience with Lambrusco has been a cheap and sweet red bubbly, it’s time to have a new experience”, she said. “Lambrusco di Sorbara is the name of a wine region and a grape. While it’s only one of many red grapes bearing the Lambrusco name, it is considered the finest of the lot. As a rosé, it is dry, light and delicate, with alluring floral aromas and delicate flavors of red cherries and strawberries, and crisp, refreshing acidity, which along with the tiny bubbles keeps the wine bright and lively.”

Price: $18 to $19

Château Damase Bordeaux Supérieur 2010, Bordeaux, France

This 2010 Bordeaux was among several wine recommendations made by Dave McIntyre in The Washington Post. 

“This is mostly Merlot with a dose of Carmenère, a traditional Bordeaux grape variety that largely disappeared after the phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s”, he said.

“Carmenère migrated to Chile, where it was long mistaken for merlot but now is in vogue as Chile’s “own” red wine. Château Damase took some carmenere back to Bordeaux. In this wine, it adds a leafy tobacco character, lending complexity and an earthy, savory note on the finish.”

Price: $16

Santadi Grotta Rossa Carignano del Sulcis 2012, Sardinia, Italy

“This red is spicy, as though it has been spiked with peppers”, said McIntyre of this Italian red from Sardinia.

“It features red-fruit flavors as well, and it will be an excellent partner to grilled sausages or other meats and to heartier vegetable dishes.”

Price: $13

Ciconia Touriga Nacional 2012, Alentejo, Portugal

If you haven’t yet tried the wines of Portugal, this is a nice introduction to the country’s flagship variety, Touriga Nacional, according to McIntyre.

“The wine offers leafy, tobacco-like flavors over dark, jammy fruit. Try it with burgers or sausages off the grill.”

Price: $11

Gascón Malbec Mendoza, Argentina 2014

Sandra Silfven used her column in the Detroit News this week to highlight a pair of wines produced by Argentina’s Don Miguel Gascón, which is part of E&J Gallo.

Founded in 1884, she explained that it is the country’s oldest continuously operating winery and was the first to bottle a Malbec as a single varietal.

“The white label is the winery’s flagship Malbec”, she said. “It opens with intense dark berry fruit, plum, spice, molten dark chocolate and licorice, with a creamy texture. This robust, well-built red wine can hold together perfectly even a couple days after you open the bottle — a vote of confidence in its ample spine of acidity.”

Price: $15

Gascón Reserva Malbec Mendoza, Argentina 2012

Silfven also recommended Gascón’s Reserva Malbec.

“If you can get your hands on the purple label, you will get to experience Gascón’s distinct character in high gear: lush, intense dark fruit, more fruit-forward styling, a more prominent infusion of oak. Think blackberry, plum, spice and vanilla with a shot of cedar.”

Price: $25

Anderra Carmenere 2013, Chile

Dennis Sodomka, writing in the Augusta Chronicle, recommended this “powerful” Chilean Carmenère, produced by the team behind Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux.

“The result is a fantastic wine at a great price”, he said of the partnership between Rothschild and Chile. “It is a deep garnet with a purple rim in the glass, with aromas of blackberries, plums, vanilla and cherries, with some herbal and black pepper notes. The flavors explode on your tongue: strawberries, cherries, spices, vanilla. That all leads to a smooth, sweet finish. It is a powerful, balanced wine with muted tannins.

“Like all the Anderra wines the Carmenere is fruit-forward and youthful, designed for immediate drinking. It might get a little better with aging, but it is close to its peak when the wine is released.”

Price: $10 to $12

Chateau Dubois Claverie 2012, Bordeaux, France

Gil Lempert-Schwarz, writing in the Las Vegas Review Journal, recommended this Bordeaux, which he described as having an aroma of  “crushed red and blackberry fruit with dominance by brambleberries, cherries and black currants”.

“Underlying this medley of fruit are hints of oak, violet pastilles, phenolic compounds and touches of fruit-driven minerality”, he added.

“On the palate: The wine is round and generous with crushed red cherries, cranberry fruit, cassis, good mouth-feel and density, and bright red acidity going into the midpalate. The finish is a decently balanced and fairly well-rounded red fruit blend and the tannins are completely silky and unobtrusive through the lingering unsweetened cran-cherry juice effect.”

Price: $9.99

Sbragia 2012 Gino’s Zinfandel, California, US

This “lean, fruity Zinfandel” was recommended by Stacey Vreeken writing in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. 

“Sabragia Family Vineyards has produced a classic, dry Zinfandel with bright fruit flavors in its 2012 Gino’s Zinfandel”, she said.

“Sourcing grapes from Dry Creek Valley, with some of the densest concentration of old vine Zinfandel in California, the wine is a classic field blend that Gino Sbragia made each year, carried on by his winemaking son Ed and grandson Adam. While Ed is also winemaker at Beringer Winery in Napa, his family has owned vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley for three generations, and the Sbragia label allows him to focus on making limited, individual lots.”

Price: $34

Tablas Creek, 2013 Patelin de Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles, White Blend

Finally Peg Melnik, writing in the Press Democrat, recommended this “tasty Rhône white”, layered with notes of “nectarine, honey and quince”.

“A nice dose of mineral and crisp acid make it a refreshing quaff”, she added. “Nice length.”

Price: $20