Top 10 wines in the US press

Ramey Wine Cellars Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2012 

Lettie Teague at the Wall Street Journal kicks off this week’s round-up with this River Valley Chardonnay, which she says is a fine example of a truly smooth wine – the topic up for discussion in her column.

She writes: “Sonoma-based David Ramey is widely credited as a Chardonnay master, turning out full-bodied but well-balanced wines. Mr. Ramey aged this wine in barrel for 12 months and stirred the lees for a rich, creamy effect.”

Domaine d’Estoublon Vin de Pays des Alpilles Blanc 2012 

And next, she chooses this “blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc”, which she describes as “lush on the palate” but possessing “an appealing mineral finish.”

“Dry but far from austere, it’s aged in barrels and amphoras at a famously beautiful Provence estate.”

La Crema Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon 2013

Sandra Silfven at the Detroit News sings her praises for “this beauty” of a wine that “is nuanced, and has great structure and true varietal character reflective of the Willamette Valley.”

“It has an earthy yet refined character — think rose petal, cherry, black tea and especially pomegranate,” she continues. “It was aged in 100% French barrels, 25 percent new. Its character is different from what you find in Sonoma’s Russian River district or the cool areas of Monterey. It’s more earthy, and for me the notes of pomegranate, cranberry and black tea define it.”

Crocus L’Atelier Malbec de Cahors 2012 

LA Times‘ food and wine writer S. Irene Virbila takes Malbec back to its French roots with this Cahors wine. “It has great depth of flavour and an elegance most of the Argentines lack,” she boldly writes.

“The fruit is true and deep, with notes of blackberries, dark plums, black pepper, earth and iron. The texture is silky with a beautiful minerality and mature tannins. Tasting the newly released 2012, your mind turns naturally to duck, goose, foie gras and truffles.”

The Ojai Vineyard Grenache “John Sebastiano Vineyard” 2013 

Continuing, she picks out this Rhône-style wine from California as another recommendation this week.

“Vivid and full of character, the 2013 Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard tastes of raspberries, plums, wild herbs and sweet spices,” she writes. “It has a beautiful balance and texture that makes it an ideal bottle to drink with a roast duck or with duck legs braised in red wine.”

Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Barrel X 2014

Next, Eric Asimov chooses his top drops for under $20 in his New York Times wine this week, one of the standout wines being this Riesling. “This exceptional value wine is the entry-level bottle of a superb Saar producer,” he writes. “It offers just a pleasant touch of residual sugar, the equivalent, maybe, of a kabinett-level Riesling, along with exquisite balance and depth, great minerality and a combination of floral and fruit flavours.”

Domaine Ilarria Irouléguy Rosé 2014 

Next, Asimov doesn’t hold back with this rosé recommendation. “This is one of my favourite rosés,” he writes. “Peio Espil farms his limestone hillside vineyard in the extreme southwest of France with meticulous care and works in the cellar as naturally as possible. The result is a rosé the colour of pale blood, rich with the elemental flavors of iron and minerals.

“A summer wine? This is a cold-weather rosé if ever there was one, and it will improve with ageing.”

Shinn Estate North Fork of Long Island Mojo Cabernet Franc 2014 

Thirdly, Asimov chooses this bottle, which is “exactly the sort of good, fresh local wine that I want to down by the jugful.”

“Did I say jug? I know, it has connotations of bad, cheap wine,” he continues. “Yet this is lovely, juicy and fresh, with crisp, crunchy red fruit flavours, earthy nuances and a refreshingly bitter note of completion.”

Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2013

And finally, choosing his top Autumn wines, Dave McIntyre at The Washington Post begins with this wine from one of his favourite producers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, “because the wines are consistently good and reasonably priced for an area that has seen extreme inflation over the past decade or more.”

He continues: “The 2013 vintage was a difficult one, and this wine is not as big and powerful as it usually is. Yet it is beautifully balanced and shows great finesse, demonstrating talented winemaking under tough conditions.”

Avignonesi Cantaloro 2013

Next is this “outstanding but under-appreciated wine from Tuscany”.

“The Cantaloro is a blend of grape varieties, rather than all Sangiovese, so it isn’t exactly a baby Nobile”, he writes. “It’s a delicious concoction for drinking on its own, with antipasti such as salumi or with casual meals such as pasta, pizza or burgers.”