Indholdsfortegnelse for December 31, 2021 i Wine Spectator

FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS TOP 100 COUNTDOWN Join Wine Spectator’s senior editors as they discuss this year’s Top 10 in our annual video series. Plus, discover more original content. Find matching recipes and in-depth articles related to this year’s Top 10. And take a look through wine history with our full set of Top 100 lists back to 1988. ENTER OUR TOP 100 SWEEPSTAKES! Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a bottle of each of the Top 10 Wines of 2021. HOLIDAY PARTY PLANNING We’ve recruited leading chefs to share some of their favorite dishes for seasonal entertaining, while Wine Spectator editors recommend crowd-pleasing, budget-friendly wines. STRAIGHT TALK WITH WINE SPECTATOR is an Instagram Live series featuring conversations with wine-and-food news-makers such as winemakers Andy Erickson and Thomas Rivers Brown…

Now In Our IGTV Archives OCT. 20 Frédéric Panaiotis, chef de cave, Ruinart OCT. 13 Donae Burston, founder and CEO, La Fête du Rosé OCT. 6 Remi Cohen, CEO, Domaine Carneros SEPT. 29 Amar’e Stoudemire, former NBA player and owner of Stoudemire Wines SEPT. 22 Alberto Antonini, consulting enologist and producer SEPT. 15 Valentina Abbona, owner and marketing manager, Marchesi di Barolo SEPT. 8 Tiquette Bramlett, president, Vidon Vineyard SEPT. 1 Barbara Banke, chairman and proprietor, Jackson Family Wines AUG. 25 DLynn Proctor, sommelier and director of Fantesca Estate & Winery AUG. 18 Chris Kajani, winemaker, Bouchaine Vineyards WATCH ON INSTAGRAM Scan the QR code to start watching on our IGTV channel, or visit instagram.com/wine_spectator/channel…

California Pinot Noir was in the spotlight in our Oct. 15, 2011, issue, as Sonoma vintners reached new heights with a grape that had previously proven finicky. Kosta Browne’s Sonoma Coast 2009 graced the cover, and two months later it would be named Wine of the Year. In other headlines, Bordeaux sales of 2010 futures were good but not great, after châteaus dramatically raised prices. Investors such as Bill Foley and Stewart Resnick were buying up California wineries, seeing opportunity just two years after the Great Recession. And we profiled the incredible dining scene of San Sebastián, in Spain’s Basque Country.…

Caviar has always been a special indulgence for most of us. On these occasions, good Champagne is chilled, the closest friends are invited and the ritual service is prepared. That is changing: While some of the brands recommended represent the best of the traditional model, new brands are searching far afield to bring these delicate sturgeon eggs to a younger audience at a lower price. If “entry-level caviar” sounds like a knock, it isn’t; careful aquaculture around the world is making really great caviar accessible. Finally. The fish traditionally came from the Caspian and Black seas, but overfishing and pollution have rendered those illegal. There are still wild sturgeon being used for caviar, but now more and more of them are farmed. This brought down prices, but it also inspired…

Sparkling wine in America is not the rarefied experience it used to be—and that’s a very good thing. Bubbly retains its status as the classic quaff for holidays and celebrations, but it’s evolving into so much more. As custom-crush services and technologies make it easier to produce sparklers, new players and styles are emerging, though the West Coast’s traditional houses continue to loom large in the market. For consumers, there are more choices than ever to delight the palate. Since my previous report (“Pop Culture,” Dec. 31, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021), I’ve blind-tasted nearly 100 sparkling wines from California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and more. Nearly half of these earned outstanding scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale. With retail prices ranging from $17 to…

There is no doubt that warmer vintages are having consequences in winegrowing areas across the globe. France’s prestigious Burgundy region is making moves to do something about it. I spoke recently with Frédéric Drouhin, president of the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (the professional association that oversees viticulture and wine production in Burgundy), about the plan set forth by the BIVB to combat climate change and other issues affecting the region’s vines and vineyards. “We want to preserve the typicity of our terroir,” explains Drouhin. “If we don’t try different things, there may be no vineyards in 50 years.” Drouhin’s prediction sounds dire, yet Burgundy’s production has been shrinking since 2009, with the exception of the 2017 and 2018 harvests. The current vintage witnessed a smaller crop once again,…

DOMINUS ESTATE Napa Valley 2018 97 points | $269 | 4,000 cases made Wine is a long game. It often takes a generation or more to learn the vagaries of a vineyard site. It takes a decade for changes in farming and vinification to show themselves in the end wine. Even the most experienced winemakers need more time to achieve their goals. Dominus Estate in Napa Valley’s Yountville AVA (American Viticultural Area) is a prime example. Christian Moueix got his first taste of California while studying at the University of California, Davis, in the late 1960s. He returned to his native Bordeaux, working with his father, Jean-Pierre, in the family business, which included a burgeoning négociant operation and a cluster of properties they owned and managed. Today, the roster of…

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This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world. Complete tasting notes are provided for new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below); notes for wines scoring 84 points or less are included at the discretion of the taster. Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. Kim Marcus California Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, Argentina, Chile Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Germany, Austria James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Sauvignon Blanc and other whites, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Italy, Champagne, Alsace, South…

LONDON SHOP PACKAGE STORE W Hartford, CT 06107 • 860-521-5209 LOS ANGELES WINE CO Los Angeles, CA 90066 • 310-306-9463 LUEKEN’S WINE & SPIRITS Dunedin, FL 34698 • 727-734-3068 LUKES LIQUORS Rockland, MA 02370 • 781-878-0226 MACKINNON LIQUORS Cazenovia, NY 13035 • 315-655-3926 MARCELLO’S WINE MARKET Lafayette, LA 70503 • 337-264-9520 MARTIN WINE CELLARS New Orleans, LA 70119 • 504-899-7411 MCKINLEY WINE & SPIRITS Blasdell, NY 14219 • 716-827-8277 MCNAMARA WINE AND SPIRITS Bridgehampton, NY 11932 • 631-537-1230 MEDFIELD WINE SHOPPE Medfield, MA 02052 • 508-359-4097 MERITAGE WINE MARKET Encinitas, CA 92024 • 760-479-2500 MGM LIQUOR WAREHOUSE White Bear Lake, MN 55110 • 651-487-1006 MILLER’S DISCOUNT LIQUORS Beaumont, TX 77706 • 409-866-8361 MISSION WINES South Pasadena, CA 91030 • 626-403-9463 MOON WINE & SPIRITS Brentwood, TN 37027 • 615-472-1772 MORRELL…

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, our editors continued to taste and evaluate wines in both our New York and Napa offices, ultimately reviewing nearly 12,500 wines over the past year. Only wines rated 90 points or higher qualify to be considered for our Top 100, and narrowing that pool of wines, which numbered 5,708 in 2021, is no small task. Of course there are other criteria to be met in order to make the cut for our roundup of the year’s most exciting wines, including value (based on price) and availability (based on cases produced or imported.) Even within these strictures, only one can be crowned Wine of the Year. In 2021, that wine is Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018, a Cabernet-based blend scoring a classic 97 points on release.…

Champagne-style wines and triple cream cheeses have a lot in common. The epitome of luxury and indulgence, they’re perennial favorites for special occasions—or, for that matter, any time we crave a rich, stimulating treat. Both originated in France and, in modern times, have inspired flattering imitators on this side of the Atlantic. And when it comes to successful wine and cheese pairings, serving them together is pretty much a no-brainer. Made by the simple step of adding cream to the milk before it’s transformed into curds, triple creams, by French law, must contain 75% fat in dry matter. (Double creams have 60% to 75% FDM; brie around 45%.) This extra fat gives them their remarkably creamy, buttery flavors and delightfully smooth consistencies, evoking softened butter and ice cream. The bright…

Italian Feast One could plan an entire dinner around this group of wines from the Bel Paese. Beginning with Prosecco as an aperitivo, followed by whites with antipasti, Chianti Classico with pasta, finishing with the Bordeaux blend. TENUTA SETTE CIELI Toscana Yantra 2019 (93 points, $25) Vibrant, polished, balanced; black currant, blackberry, violet, cedar, iron CASTELLO DI RADDA Chianti Classico 2018 (91, $20) Black cherry, blackberry, violet, smoke, mineral; bright, fruity MONTARIBALDI Roero Arneis Capural 2020 (90, $15) Intense, graceful; peach, apple, white flowers CANTINA SOCIALE COOPERATIVA DEL COPERTINO Copertino Riserva 2011 (89, $15) Macerated raspberry, cherry, iron, loamy earth, baking spice, mandarin orange peel; creamy MONCHIERO CARBONE Roero Arneis Recit 2020 (89, $14) Grapefruit, lanolin, anise, saline; intense LE CONTESSE Brut Prosecco Single Fermentation NV (88, $15) Sleek, racy; kiwifruit, nectarine, tangerine peel,…

Creamy, lacy, silky, plush, crunchy, crisp, chalky, finely detailed, refined. This is either part of a very wordy tasting note or a list of adjectives I use regularly in my sparkling wine notes, usually to describe the mousse, or bead, of the wine—its bubbles. These descriptors help me convey what I deem an essential part of tasting and enjoying sparkling wines: the actual texture and character of a wine’s effervescence—how they feel on your palate and how they deliver the wine’s flavor range. It’s winespeak that’s pretty much exclusive to sparklers, though it’s comparable to the perception and description of a red wine’s tannins and the role they play in the enjoyment of that bottling. Not all bubbles are created equal. Think about the basic bubbles found in a can…

2 CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE LALANDE Pauillac 2018 98 | $198 | France Owner Frédéric Rouzaud hired Nicolas Glumineau as general director in 2012, and this famed second-growth has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Glumineau has overseen a replanting program, increasing the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyards and shifting steadily to organic and biodynamic farming. A cellar renovation included new, smaller vats for a more exacting, parcel-by-parcel and even intra-parcel vinification process. The results show: In 2018, the estate hit the bar set by its acclaimed ’82 and ’59. The grand vin blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot offers a deep well of dark currant, blackberry paste and plum preserves shrouded in warm earth, tobacco, singed cedar and more. A blue chip built for…

Ardbeg 25-year-old Aged and Caged $850, 95 points Briny smoke integrates with sweet bakery aromas. The palate’s silky texture is an ideal base for warm vanilla, toasted nuts, toffee and milk chocolate. The Balvenie 1973 43-year-old $15,000 or $60,000/set of 5, 95 points Overtly sherried, with figs, cinnamon and old warm leather on the nose. Turkish delight on the palate, along with chocolate, raisins and smoked ham. Benriach The Thirty $740, 95 points Antique notes of well-aged peat char and aromas of dried figs and raisins. The palate offers flavors of cooked berries and baked apple. Highland Park 50-year-old $15,000, 95 points A hugely enticing nose: rich, with old leather, polished oak and dunnage warehouses. Tangy orange on the palate, followed by soft toffee and woodsmoke. Cragganmore Prima & Ultima 48-year-old 1971 Cask No. 2301 $25,899/set…

ARGENTINA Red 96 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae 2018 $140 See Highly Recommended, page 121. 96 Viña Cobos Malbec Mendoza Cobos 2018 $400 Beguiling violet notes on the nose lead to intense raspberry, blueberry and wild spice flavors that show layers of richness. Offers seductive creaminess midpalate, with cherry pastry and mineral accents filling the plush finish. Best from 2022 through 2028. 50 cases imported.—K.M. 95 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Uco Valley Nicasia Vineyard Paraje Altamira 2018 $120 This is powerfully fresh and focused, with concentrated dark currant, plum and raspberry flavors that are supported by firm acidity and tannins. Minerally cut midpalate lead to a pure and lithe-tasting finish. Drink now through 2028. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.—K.M. 95 Viña Cobos Malbec Perdriel Marchiori Estate 2018 $100 Explosively fruity and…

Kerr-Gratulations Thank you for the wonderful article on Cristie Kerr (cover, Oct. 15). During the time when Cristie was often on top of the leaderboard, I was an avid golfer and, as a fan, loved to watch her perform on the LPGA tour. Her focus, tenacity and passion for the game was evident back then, and it’s great to see that she is pouring the same kind of emotion and work ethic into her wine business. I have no doubt that she will have continued success and will continue to produce outstanding wines. I hope that one day soon I will be able to enjoy some of them! Richard PerryGilbert, Ariz. Mission: Wine Info I really enjoyed the article on Tuscan wines (“Style and Substance,” Oct. 31). It was very…

Tahiirah Habibi fell in love with wine while working at a hotel bar and later became sommelier at two Miami hot spots: the St. Regis Bal Harbour and Michael’s Genuine. Her goal was to become the first Black female Master Sommelier, but during the Court of Master Sommeliers testing in 2011, she was told she would have to address other sommeliers as “Master,” which she found traumatizing as a Black woman. She would later describe her grief over this experience in an Instagram video that went viral in 2020. Habibi decided to create the kind of events she would want to attend, inclusive gatherings such as the Black Wine Experience in New Orleans, and in 2017, she launched the Hue Society to spread wine culture among people of color. In…

Hot chocolate is a great leveler. It comforts and warms and delights everyone and makes us all feel like we’re 8 years old again, just back from sledding and curled up by the fire. For a long time, it was also a leveler as far as quality went: A lot of the cocoa powder we grew up mixing with sugar and hot milk was not very flavorful, never mind the packets you mix with water. That has changed. Starting a couple of decades ago, fine cocoa powder became more broadly available, and today there are really super premixed cocoas. But please use milk. When you drink it you’re not just returning to your childhood, you’re also taking a trip through history. As far as we know, drinking was the first…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 BERGSTRÖM Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge Le Pré Du Col Vineyard 2019 $80 OREGON A lovely red, refined and generous, with vibrant black cherry flavors accented by wildflower, orange peel and dusky spice notes, building structure toward refined tannins. COLLECTIBLE 97 CLOS DES PAPES Châteauneuf du-Pape 2019 $110 France This is a stunner, offering a gorgeous core of black tea–infused cassis, plum reduction and raspberry puree flavors, with black licorice, black tea and incense notes emerging on the long, lush finish. SMART BUY 92 GROTH Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2020 $24 CALIFORNIA Ripe, juicy flavors of peach, apricot and mango are fleshy and appealing, with terrific intensity on the finish, where matcha, spice and tangerine notes linger. BEST VALUE 88 CARTUXA FUNDAÇÃO EUGÉNIO DE ALMEIDA Alentejano White EA 2020…

Our lives continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, yet 2021 has been an exciting year for wine. Restaurants are reopening for business, wine retail sales continue to outperform prepandemic levels, and demand from wine lovers is strong. As our readers’ interest and knowledge grow, so does our commitment to deliver wine education and buying advice. Our editors reviewed nearly 12,500 wines in blind tastings during the past year. More than 45% of those, 5,708 in all, rated 90 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale. This was the pool from which we selected our Top 100, evaluated for quality (based on score), value (based on price), availability (based on cases either made or imported into the United States) and, most importantly, the story behind the wine—what…

2020 1 Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2010 ($139) | SPAIN 96 2 Aubert Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast UV Vineyard 2018 ($85) | CALIFORNIA 95 3 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucére 2015 ($90) | ITALY 97 4 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2016 ($135) | CALIFORNIA 96 5 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources 2016 ($90) | FRANCE 96 6 Kistler Chardonnay Russian River Valley Vine Hill Vineyard 2017 ($90) | CALIFORNIA 96 7 Massolino Barolo 2016 ($53) | ITALY 95 8 Bodega Piedra Negra Chacayes Los Chacayes 2015 ($99) | ARGENTINA 96 9 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge The Beaux Frères Vineyard 2018 ($95) | OREGON 95 10 Bollinger Brut Champagne La Grande Année 2012 ($175) | FRANCE…

The past decade has been a roller coaster for Argentina’s vintners, especially when it comes to their marquee red grape variety: Malbec. A series of uncharacteristically wet vintages culminated in 2016, and while 2017 saw a return to the dry growing conditions typical of the country’s desertlike heartland for Malbec—the Mendoza region at the base of the Andes—a severe spring frost cut yields dramatically. The return to better times and wines has now accelerated. The top bottlings from 2018, which dominate current releases, are impressive for their range of flavors and uniformly high quality. The crop is back to normal as well, with the harvest up 30% compared with 2017, according to Argentinian government statistics. Vintners are saying that 2019 will also deliver high quality outputs, with potentially stellar wines…

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 97 Leeuwin Chardonnay Margaret River Art Series 2018 $99 AUSTRALIA This impressive white is complex, supple and elegant, though not shy on intensity. Opens with creamy, satiny notes of apricot, pear, lemon curd and passion fruit puree, with touches of toasted hazelnut, salted caramel, jasmine and green tea. The way the details mingle with and complete one another makes this as complex as it is refreshing, with a fresh thread of acidity weaving in and out. Drink now through 2036. 800 cases imported.—M.W. 97 Domaine St.-Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape White Cuvée Spéciale Vieilles Clairettes 2019 $425 1.5L FRANCE A jaw-dropper from the start, with pink grapefruit, rose water, Cavaillon…

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1 97 Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2018 $269 This is tightly packed, with sleek, pure, driven notes of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry puree allied to an iron spine, while subtle alder, juniper, sweet bay leaf and tobacco notes peek in throughout. Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 4,000 cases made.—J.M. (10/31/21) 2 98 Château Pichon Longueville Lalande Pauillac 2018 $198 Offers a deep well of dark currant, blackberry paste and plum preserves fruit that needs time to unwind fully, as it’s shrouded in warm earth, tobacco, singed cedar, sweet bay leaf and savory notes. A ramrod of graphite adds to the racy, structured feel.…

Archaeologists have made numerous discoveries in recent years that suggest winemaking was more widespread and advanced than previously thought. Here are some finds that would make Indiana Jones proud. TURKEY: For the Roman Empire, Antiochia ad Cragum was a strategically and economically important city on the Mediterranean coast. In 2012, a team from University of Nebraska, Lincoln, uncovered a wine press built into the local temple ruins. It most likely produced sweet passum, or raisin wine, from sun-dried local grapes. LEBANON: In 2020, archaeologists unearthed a 2,600-year-old Phoenician wine press at an excavation in Lebanon of a site called Tell el-Burak. The Phoenicians were known for winemaking know-how. TEXAS: Research from archaeological sites in central Texas is the first to suggest that Indigenous Americans were making grape wine more than…