This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Slideshow
Top 10 wines in the US press
2014 Vesper Vineyards Rancho Guejito Vineyard Rosé
“The Vesper was elegantly restrained, with soft layers of fresh strawberry rather than jam-packed overripe bursts,” writes Michele Parente in the San Diego Union Tribune. “Crispy and dry, it’ll accompany any light fare you’d be having on, say, a searingly hot day on the deck. The 2013 was made from 100 percent Grenache; the just-released 2014 is a field blend of the Rhône varietals Mourvèdre, Counoise and Grenache,” she says.
Casillero del Diablo Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Sandra Silfven, writing in the Detroit News, says Casillero del Diablo is “a likely candidate to line up for a Halloween bash,” as “the wines are seriously good and affordable, and deserve your attention at the table or any armchair occasion.
“This is a Sauvignon to wake up every sensory point in your head – aromas, flavours and the finish all rock with flavour. Lift the glass to your nose and inhale the tart gooseberry, grapefruit and grass tones followed by flavours with a slam of green herbs, grapefruit and gooseberry,” she says.
“It’s as tart as a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Sturdy acidity holds the package together. Pair it with fresh seafood or entrée salads. And notice how it relaxes and unfolds its wonders as the chilled wine warms up.”
Inman Family Chardonnay 2013 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
Dave McIntyre, writing in the Washington Post, says winemaker Kathleen Inman “makes some of my favourite wines from the Russian River Valley, consistently producing elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a region known more for opulence and power.
“Inman Family wines are not widely available, but they are worth grabbing when you see them,” he recommends.
Joan d’Anguera Altaroses Granatxa Fina de Darmós 2013, Montsant, Spain
Continuing his recommendations for the week, McIntyre turns his attention to “this lively red” which “is electric, with refreshing acidity that balances food while stimulating your palate for more.”
Bad Boy Red 2007, Rocca Family Vineyards, California
Dennis Sodomka, writing in the Augusta Chronicle, calls this “Bordeaux-style blend” a “big, bold, food-friendly wine that has all kinds of complexity.”
Describing the wine, he writes, “It starts with dark berry aromas. The first sip continues with raspberry flavors, then deepens with touches of oak and vanilla. It finishes with a long, silky aftertaste.
“The wine comes from two Rocca estate vineyards in Yountville and Coombsville in the Napa Valley. It’s 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. The wines were harvested and fermented in oak barrels separately for eight months. They were then blended and spent another eight months in oak barrels. The wine spent two more years ageing in the bottle before it was released,” Sodomka reveals.
Patient Cottat, Sancerre AOC, Anciennes Vignes 2014
Rebecca Murphy, writing for Dallas News, is full of praise for this wine made by the Fournier family, “who have vineyards in three appellations in the Loire: Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou-Salon,” she says.
“Grapes for the Patient Cottat wines are grown in limestone soils that are part of the Paris Basin formed thousands of years ago. This soil is considered one of the best for producing distinctive, high-quality wines. The fact that the Paris Basin also includes the wine regions of Champagne and Burgundy offers considerable support to this position,” she claims.
Sonoma-Cutrer, 2012 Russian River Valley Ranches Chardonnay
Peg Melnik, writing in the Press Democrat, recommends this “aromatic Chardonnay with notes of rose petal and on the palate, layered flavours of apple, nectarine and mineral.”
Continuing, she writes that the wine boasts “bright acidity”, and “nice length”.
Domaine Chandon, NV Etoile Napa Valley Brut
Another wine highlighted by Melnik this week is this “tasty bubbly with aromas and flavours of apple, hazelnut, almond and a kiss of honey”.
The Old Soul 2014 Pinot Noir, Oakridge Winery, California
Stacey Vreeken of the Santa Cruz Sentinal recommends The Old Soul 2014 Pinot Noir, which she says “is a nice wine to drink casually, but it’s also complex enough to pair with food. It’s a good wine to start off the evening with hors d’oeuvres when entertaining.
“The fruity richness of this Pinot Noir may be due to the touch of Zinfandel added by the winemaker to give this wine its distinct Lodi flavour,” she says.