Innehållsförteckning för March 31, 2016 från Wine Spectator

A wine lover doesn't have to look very hard before the parallels between fine wine and fine coffee become apparent. First, both wine and coffee begin their lives within the fruit of a plant—each one a specific species and variety, selected for its distinctive aromas and exquisite flavors. Coffee Arabica is coffee's answer to wine's Vitis vinifera, the species of grape responsible for the world's finest wines. Next, we can look more closely at the coffee variety, origin and processing, all of which contribute to the final coffee in a way that is familiar to any wine lover, Some people will always see wine as just wine. And the same is true of coffee. The connoisseur, however, learns to appreciate different qualities and flavors in pursuit of an ethereal experience.…

Planely Speaking As a flight attendant for QANTAS (Australian National Carrier) I enjoyed your article on airline wine education (“Airline Wine Service Learns to Fly,” Grapevine, Dec. 15, 2015). I have worked in the industry for more than 30 years and have been interested in wine since my late teens. The job gives me the opportunity to visit regions all over the world. QANTAS has offered a wine course for the past 27 years, only recently upgrading its courses to provide a sommelier in the sky. The course is run over various levels from basic to advanced. Winemakers such as Vanya Cullen and Tom Carson come to talk about their wines and others’. Your article covered relevant information on food and wine at altitude [in regard to] the lack of…

There’s a new stretch of pavement leading to Mount Eden Vineyards in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains. The road is smoother in parts, making travel easier. But it’s still a steep hang-on-foryour-life ascent that leaves the suburbs of Saratoga and Silicon Valley below. It’s the path that legendary winemaker Martin Ray chose when he founded the property under his own name in the 1940s, only to run it into bankruptcy, triggering a messy legal battle and effectively destroying the brand. Ray died in 1976, just as California’s wine boom was taking off. His winery had reemerged in 1972 as Mount Eden, but it took another decade to settle matters and get the property back on track. Richard Graff and Merry Edwards were among those who tried to right it. By 1981,…

Grant Achatz is a gentle man with a restless soul. In 1999, he was working for chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, in Napa Valley, widely considered one of the best restaurants in the country. But Achatz felt that something was missing. “While I respected the idea of flawless repetition required in the pursuit of perfection,” Achatz says, “I grew bored easily.” Returning to Napa from a short pilgrimage to northeast Spain’s El Bulli, the blazing star of modernist cuisine helmed by Ferran Adria, Achatz proposed a light, refreshing caviar appetizer to be served with Champagne on a summer menu. Keller had requested an alternative to his famous “oysters and pearls,” oysters served in a classic warm sabayon sauce studded with tapioca. Achatz suggested a cantaloupe mousse topped with…

ARGENTINA Red 91 Valentín Bianchi Malbec San Rafael- Argentina Particular 2012 $31 A creamy, juicy red, with intense red berry and cherry flavors that are fresh and minerally. Suave midpalate, with a long, lush finish that is loaded with dark chocolate and cocoa powder notes. Drink now through 2021. 1,500 cases made.—K.M. 91 Familia Rutini Malbec Mendoza 2013 $40 A focused red, with a seductively ripe aroma and appeal-ing floral notes to the dark currant, dried beef and dried blackberry flavors. Well-spiced, showing hints of anise midpalate. Dark chocolate details linger on the minerally finish. Drink now through 2022. 10,000 cases made.—K.M. 90 Valentín Bianchi Malbec Mendoza Famiglia 2014 $20 A rich and well-spiced style, with concen-trated flavors of dark plum, dark cherry and dried rasp-berry. This is loaded with…

Visit www.winespectator.com/033116 to find links to all of the following resources. Free resources for all our WineSpectator.com readers: 100 VALUES Drink great wine on a budget with our guide. We focused on high quality at super prices to select our 100 Values: wines at 88-plus points that cost $20 or less. Find Cabernets, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, bubblies and much more, including wines at 90-plus points for as little as $10. See all 100 scores and tasting notes at 2015.top100.winespectator.com/values. WINE & HEALTH TIPS In “Five Tips for Better Health,” Wine Spectator shares what you need to know about moderate drinking and calories, brain and heart health, better sleep and, of course, exercise. Keep on top of the latest research through our regular Health News reports, ask questions in Wine &…

Gallo Aquires Napa Winery E. & J. Gallo made a major move in December, inking a deal to acquire the Ranch Winery, a custom-crush facility in St. Helena. The Ranch, which spans 70-plus acres, boasts a grape-crush capacity of 30,000 tons, a 4.6 million–case bottling capacity and 8 million gallons of storage space. With land-use laws making it virtually impossible to build new wineries in Napa, the deal represents a coup for Gallo, which also owns Napa wineries Louis M. Martini and William Hill. “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager of E. & J. Gallo’s premium wine division. “With this acquisition, our capacity in Napa will now triple.” For now, the Ranch will continue to serve as a custom-crush facility in…

Botrytis cinerea is a blessing and a curse. The fungus can turn grapes into fuel for dessert wines by producing so-called noble rot—or devastate acres with gray rot. But new research into noble rot could provide a better understanding of how to con-trol ripening in all wine grapes. In 2012, Dario Cantu, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, visited Napa Valley’s Dolce winery. Cantu noticed that Sémillon grapes for Dolce’s dessert wine were changing from yellow to pink, and looked like red grapes in the midst of verai-son, the period when grapes change color as they ripen. This was thought to be impossible. White grapes have a genetic mutation that prevents them from producing the color compounds responsible for red varieties’ hues. But Cantu and his colleagues…

It’s a long way from being a prominent New York literary agent to becoming one of America’s best cheese farmers: for starters, about four hours on the scenic—and winding— Taconic State Parkway. In 2001, Angela Miller—who has represented the likes of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mark Bittman and my Mastering Cheese co-author Max Mc-Calman—and her husband, English architect Russell “Rust” Glover, bought Consider Bardwell Farm, a 305-acre property in West Pawlet, Vt. Its namesake founded the state’s first cheese cooperative in 1864. A couple of years in, Miller and Glover, hit with the proverbial midlife crisis, realized they needed a big project. They set out to create a world-class cheese company. Miller purchased a herd of Oberhasli and Nubian goats from a show-goat farm in New Hampshire and learned breeding and birthing…

BEST OF THE WEST This group represents great value from the West Coast, offering names both new and familiar. Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Indian Wells Red Blend lives up to its name, comprising Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre. The Le P’tit Pape is firmly grounded in the Southern Rhone with its mix of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Counoise. CARLISLE Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old Vines 2013 (94, $28) Plush; black raspberry, cinnamon, orange zest, licorice, pepper, sage GORMAN Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain Old Scratch 2013 (92, $28) Ripe, powerful; plum, blackberry, currant, spice BEDROCK Zinfandel California Old Vine 2014 (91, $27) Wild berry, licorice, pepper; jammy WILLIAM CHURCH Viognier Columbia Valley 2014 (91, $25) Pear, peach, floral, spice; sleek CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE Indian Wells Red Blend Columbia Valley…

I went to a small college that had an intellectual bent. As I was one of its less illustrious students, I’ll save the school from embarrassment by leaving it nameless. One morning I wandered over to the mail room and found in my mailbox, as did every other student that day, a nearperfect facsimile of the school’s college diploma. Hand-calligraphed on it was my name just as it would appear upon graduation. (At the time, calligraphy was seen as the height of refined aestheticism.) All of us were baffled by this mysterious gesture, what with the effort of creating a thousand or so individually inscribed facsimile diplomas. Then we saw on the opposite wall an enormous banner—calligraphed, of course— declaring: “Now that you’ve got your diploma, you can think about…

Salinas, Calif., is not wine country. Fifteen miles inland from Monterey Bay, this blue-collar town is better known for its salad bowl agriculture. Much of the region can be described, in the words of native son John Steinbeck, as “a place of sharp contrast.” The open farmlands of the valleys converge with the densely populated city at their center. It’s both welcoming and surly. “That’s what I like about this area,” says winemaker Ian Brand. “It’s real.” Brand, 38, took a risk putting his roots down in Salinas. But it appears to be paying off. He has three labels: Le P’tit Paysan, La Marea and I. Brand Family Wines. His wines are unique, showing both verve and acidity while also being balanced and alluring, with aromatic complexity and finesse. The…

DR. VINNY Dear Dr. Vinny, Why is Syrah called Shiraz in Australia? Does it have anything to do with the town of Shiraz in Iran? Is it true that the grape originated in ancient Persia? —Eli, New York Dear Eli, When Australian viticulturist James Busby brought the grape home from France, it was sometimes known as Scyras; one explanation for “Shiraz” (rhymes with “pizzazz”) is that it simply evolved out of an Aussie pronunciation of Scyras. You’re correct that the word Shiraz has a Persian connection—it’s the name of the capital of Iran’s Fars Province, and there’s evidence that some of mankind’s first wines were made in that part of the world. It was once believed that Syrah in France originated from cuttings of grapes near Shiraz in Persia, possibly…

Before 2005, many Americans’ only option for buying wine was heading to a store. Since then, direct shipping from wineries has dramatically expanded. And now, consumers in some markets have another option: New companies are offering on-demand wine delivery. With a few taps on a smartphone, customers can pick from a wide selection of wines and have a bottle delivered 20 minutes later. Though small startups like Drizly and Minibar debuted first, large companies are taking notice. Amazon now offers onehour alcohol delivery for Prime members in Seattle and New York. National retailer Total Wine & More has partnered with Instacart at a Miami Beach location, with plans to expand. Major retail chains such as ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Florida and Goody Goody Liquors in Texas have enlisted…

Harry Mariani, the former president of Banfi Vintners who helped intro-duce many Americans to Italian wine, died Jan. 5 in Huntington, N.Y. He was 78. Mariani and his brother John Jr. took over Banfi, a wine importing firm founded by their father, in 1964 and began importing Riunite, a sparkling red Lambrusco tailored to American palates. By 1983, Riunite was the No. 1 imported wine in the U.S., with Banfi bringing in 11 million cases. Riunite’s success allowed the brothers to realize an-other dream—to make their own wine. In 1977, they bought 4,500 acres outside the small town of Montalcino and established Castello Banfi. The Marianis invested huge amounts of money and manpower in the project. In the 1990s, Brunello became Italy’s new blockbuster wine in the United States, thanks…

Lambrusco has been produced by many generations of winemakers, but each seems to find it in a different guise. A century ago, vintners studied and emulated the methods of Champagne. More recently, they blitzed shelves with a sweet, fizzy, simple red. Today, as the popularity and diversity of bubbly around the world surges, many Lambrusco houses are returning to an emphasis on brut styles, old-school vinification methods, terroir specificity or all of the above, making frizzante and spumante wines of complexity, distinction and tremendous value. Among the leaders of this new wave of old-school producers in Emilia-Romagna is Lini Oreste & Figli, branded Lini910, for 1910, the year the Lini family founded its operation, making both wine and balsamic vinegar. Associate editor Ben O’Donnell spoke with Alicia Lini, a champion…

King’s Row Coffee is an unusual upstart— not surprising given that finicky chef Craig Shelton, famous for going his own way, is behind the venture. Shelton made his reputation as a chef tailoring meals at the Ryland Inn, in Whitehouse Station, N.J., to match selections from his renowned wine list. His efforts earned the establishment a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for three years and a Best of Award of Excellence for the final 12 years of his tenure as chefowner. Now he is applying the same intensive approach to coffee for King’s Row, founded in 2013 in Hanover, N.H. Most specialty coffee companies feature single-origins—say, a Guatemalan Antigua or an Ethiopian Harrar. They often market their own blends, but these typically aren’t the main attraction, in part because blends…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 94 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley L’Après-Midi 2013 $52 CALIFORNIA This crisp, succulent white is elegant and supple in texture, offering nectarine, apricot and ripe melon flavors. COLLECTIBLE 94 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 2011 $90 ITALY Menthol and eucalyptus accents shade the cherry core in this vibrant, muscular red, carrying the sweet fruit and underbrush notes through the finish. SMART BUY 91 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos 2014 $18 SPAIN A plush texture masks the firm structure of this red, showing flavors of blackberry and boysenberry. A modern style, with balance and depth. BEST VALUE 90 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Red Blend Columbia Valley 2013 $12 WASHINGTON Ripe and expressive, supple and generous, with dark berry, black cherry, licorice and spice flavors.…

Discussions of enological nuances such as must weights and lees stirring, pump-overs and punch-downs, can challenge the attention of even the most passionate wine lovers. For many of us, it’s what comes out of the vineyard— the quality of the grapes—that counts the most in understanding a wine. Yet there are times when the skills of the winemaker are paramount, and the production of tawny Port is a fine example. I was reminded of this on a trip to Portugal last year, when I visited the cellars of various Port shippers in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Douro River from the city of Porto. For centuries, Port winemakers have plied their trade here in cavernous warehouses known as lodges, aided by the maritime climate that keeps cellar conditions cool…

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world and the results of special tastings reported on in greater depth elsewhere in the issue. Complete tasting notes are provided for all 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. Additional reviews appear 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. If no reviewer’s initials appear, the wine was tasted by a panel of Wine Spectator editors James Laube California Harvey Steiman Australia, Oregon, Washington Thomas Matthews Spain Kim Marcus Argentina, Austria, Chile, Germany, Portugal Bruce…