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Slideshow
Top 10 wines in the US press
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina 2013, Spain
Eric Asomov, writing in the New York Times, picked out 20 summer wines for under $20 this week, including this fizzy white from Spain’s Basque country.
He said: “Txakolina is the national drink of Spanish Basque country, where a vast amount is consumed every summer. This particular version is from the Getaria region, where the Txakolina tends to be slightly fizzy and low in alcohol, encouraging plenty of thirst-quenching chugging. The Ameztoi is fresh and slightly briny, with flavors of lemon and lime. It calls out for sardines, anchovies and all manner of seafood.”
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV
Perfect for summer sipping, Asimov also recommended this Roederer NV Brut, priced under $20.
He said: “This standard-bearer for moderately priced California sparkling wine impresses year after year. Those sensitive to sweetness will note a discernible dosage, making the wine a bit out of step as sparkling wines have become drier over recent years. Yet it is impeccably balanced and refreshing, with flavors of citrus and yeast, perfect for sipping on the deck, if I had a deck.”
J.K. Carriere Provocateur Pinot Noir 2012, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
Dave McIntyre proclaimed his love of Pinot this week, writing in the Washington Post, picking a selection of wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He gave this $30 bottle 3/3 stars calling it “exceptional”.
“I’m on the high end of the acid spectrum for Willamette Valley,” winemaker Jim Prosser told me. His wines do walk a high wire, delicately balanced and seemingly driven by adrenaline as much as fruit. His 2011 Vespidae Pinot Noir is worth seeking out as well.”
Price: $30
The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris 2012, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, US
Another of McIntyre’s Willamette recommendations was this slightly lower priced Pinot Gris which he called “amazing”, also rating it “exceptional.”
He said: “It’s from the same grape as the refreshing wines of Italy’s Pinot Grigio and the richer pinot gris from Alsace, but Oregon has created its own style. This is racy and vibrant and simply exciting. Jason Lett is justifiably proud of the age-worthy wines he and his late father, David Lett, who planted Willamette’s first pinot noir vines in 1965, have created, but this one is almost too good to wait for.”
Price: $18
Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc California 2012
Sandra Silfven, writing in Detroit News, recommended two wines for the weekend, including this Californian Sauvignon Blanc.
She said: “Vibrant acidity, tons of fruit add up to a wine you can serve with marinated chicken on the grill or roast salmon in the oven. Think grapefruit, white peach, white nectarine, and lemon. It has a surge of grapefruit and pineapple on the palate. It’s dry, but in a lighter style.”
Price: $12
Trapiche Broquel Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2011
Silfven’s second recommendation came from the Argentine region of Mendoza.
She said: “Produced off high-altitude vineyards and spending considerable time in oak, this Malbec is the real deal: complex, powerful, balanced, dry. One sniff, and you catch the berried fruit and the spicy, smoky oak.
“One taste and you experience the layers of flavor: cherry, blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, black licorice, firm acidity and so much oak. And smooth, supple tannins. It’s still a young wine. Enjoy it with seared, grilled meats. Or just sip with a firm cheese and enjoy.”
Price: $15
Frank Family, Napa Valley, Zinfandel 2011
This “elegant” Zinfandel from the winery of former Disney executive Richard Frank was recommended by Rebecca Murphy, writing in the Dallas News.
She said: “Why would you spend as much as $35 for a zinfandel? How about because it’s one of the most elegant zins available?
“It’s not a jammy fruit bomb: instead, Zinfandel’s trademark brambly, black cherry fruit shows its finesse with a savory, dusty mineral side. Flavors are beautifully balanced with spicy vanilla oak, tangy acidity and silky tannins. Pair it with a roast pork tenderloin with a cherry-basil salsa.
“Former Disney exec and Hollywood producer Richard Frank realized his vintner fantasy by purchasing the former Hans Kornell sparkling wine facility in 1992. The winery was built in the late 1800s as the Larkmead Winery. It’s included in the National Register of Historic Places and is listed as a Point of Historical Interest in the state of California. Frank and his wife, Leslie, divide their time between Los Angeles and Napa Valley.”
Price: $28 to $35
2012 Belle Ambiance Chardonnay, California
Michael Dresser picked this “popularly priced” Chardonnay as his “wine find” writing in The Baltimore Sun.
He said: “This Chardonnay should be a winner, and that’s coming from someone who normally isn’t blown away by California Chardonnays.
“This medium-bodied white wine is just very well-balanced, with exactly the right proportions of oak and fruit. It’s not ultra-complex. There are the standard Chardonnay flavors of apple, lemon and white pepper. But it all comes together, and leaves with a brisk finish, at a good price. And it’s not a typo; the label says Ambiance, not Ambience.”
Price: $10
Giocato Pinot Grigio 2011, Slovenia
Dennis Sodomka, writing in The Augusta Chronicle, recommended this Pinot Grigio from Slovenia, which he described as being a “bright, fresh wine with green apple, pear and melon flavors” and a “crisp minerality”.
He said: “It is not a wimpy, wishy-washy white you sometimes find with Pinot Grigio, but a powerful, dry gem filled with concentrated fruit. There is a lingering citrus aftertaste. I brought this wine along on an Augusta Canal evening cruise, and we drank it so fast I wished we had brought another bottle. It seemed to get better with every sip. It tasted like an Italian Pinot Grigio with touches of Alsace, especially the mineral notes.
“I had to look at the label to remind myself where the wine originated. It comes from Slovenia, not to be confused with Slovakia, which is better known for great beer. Americans tend to get confused about European geography, so here’s a quick lesson. Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia, shares a border with the far northeast portion of Italy. In fact, the Goriška Brda region that is home to Giocato is considered the continuation of Italy’s Collio DOC. Austria lies to the north.”
Price: $12-14
Primal Roots Red Blend
This Californian blend of Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel was recommended by Gil Lempert-Schwarz writing in the Las Vegas Review Journal this week, a wine he said was bursting with “opulent black fruit” flavours.
He said: “In the glass: Primal Roots Red Blend is a deep burly sort of crimson to inky-blackish red with a completely opaque center going out into a deeply painted blood-ruby rim definition and high viscosity.
“On the nose: The wine immediately reveals layers of ripe opulent black fruit with dominance by black currants and boysenberries, then phenols, oak, creme de cassis, creme brûlée, vanilla, cherry jam and blackberry sorbet. It is simply a delicious, albeit heady, nose for a California wine with tons of fruit coming out of it.
“On the palate: There’s an immediate sweet lush crush of black and red berries with blueberries, ripe Bing cherries, Tahiti vanilla bean-laced berry compote, almost chewy notes of blackberries, a firmly structured set of tannins and a solid backbone for decent drinkability. The midpalate is powerful with black fruit and some soft minerals going into a soft, quite sweet finish that lingers with red Twizzlers.”
Price: $8.99