Innehållsförteckning för April 2015 från Wine Spectator

Piero Antinori has long been a towering figure in Italian wine, a leader and innovator since he took over his family’s deeply rooted business in the 1960s.He’s a familiar face to Wine Spectator readers. This is Antinori’s second appearance on our cover (the first occasion was our Oct. 31, 1994, issue, shown below), and he and his wines have been featured in almost every tasting report we’ve published on Tuscan wines. He has poured many of those wines at our annual Wine Experience gatherings. Just last year, Antinori and his CEO, Renzo Cotarella, presented three vintages of each of Tignanello and Solaia, Antinori’s groundbreaking “super Tuscan” reds. It was a master class in Italian wine. Despite such formidable presence in the wine world, Antinori keeps a low personal profile. He’s…

Jackson Family Wines has raised its bet on high-end Pinot Noir with the purchase of Siduri, a Sonoma-based producer that has helped define the style of modern California Pinot with its nu-merous single-vineyard wines. The move reflects two current trends in American wine—sales of fine wines priced at $20 or more are picking up speed, and Pinot Noir’s popularity continues to grow. The sale includes the Siduri and Novy brands, winery equipment and inventory. Adam Lee, who founded the winery with his wife, Dianna, in 1994, will continue as lead winemaker for Siduri and Novy for at least three years. Dianna is stepping back from her duties at the winery “We certainly have mixed feelings, but there’s a lot of excitement for us, too,” Adam told Wine Spectator. “This is…

The Napa County sheriff’s office has recovered the majority of the wines stolen from The French Laundry restaurant in December. At press time, no arrests had been made, and the police would not comment on how the stolen wine was discovered. The investigation is ongoing. Someone pried open the front door of chef Thomas Keller’s iconic Yountville, Calif., restaurant on Dec. 24, 2014. Once the theft was discovered, the restaurant reported that roughly $300,000 worth of wine was missing—a total of 76 bottles, including 63 from Burgundy producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. On Jan. 19, detectives flew to Greensboro, N.C., to recover 72 of the stolen bottles. Capt. Doug Pike of the Napa County sheriff’s office told Wine Spectator that the wines were recovered from a wine buyer who didn’t…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 93 Lewis Chardonnay Napa Valley 2013 $50 CALIFORNIA Rich and layered, with well-focused green apple, pear, green fig and floral citrus notes, ending with dense butterscotch accents. COLLECTIBLE 97 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2010 $138 ITALY A floral-, cherry- and berry-laced version, delicate and lively, with mineral and spice accents and a supple texture. SMART BUY 92 Les MinesPriorat 2010 $19 SPAIN This red braces a plush texture with firm structure, delivering plum, licorice, black olive and toast flavors that are fresh and harmonious. BEST VALUE 97 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2010 $138 ITALY A floral-, cherry- and berry-laced version, delicate and lively, with mineral and spice accents and a supple texture. IN THIS ISSUE’S BUYING GUIDE You’ll find 31 classic wines and more than 375 outstanding wines from among…

One secret to Piero Antinori’s success is a focus on estate fruit, which gives his team total control over quality. Innovative yet with an eye to tradition, Piero Antinori, the subject of our cover story, has had an unequaled impact on the wine culture of Tuscany. Antinori’s wines are among the best in the region; from the value brand Santa Cristina to the iconic Solaia, the wines showcase ripe fruit, supple texture and vibrant structure One secret to Antinori’s success is a focus on estate fruit. (Only Santa Cris-tina sources outside fruit, and very little at that.) Backed by nearly 4,250 acres under vine in Italy, including 3,750 acres in Tuscany alone, this approach gives the Antinori team total control over quality from vineyard to bottling. Renzo Cotarella joined the…

Three new casual restaurants from leading chefs in San Francisco specialize in com-fort cuisines, specifically bistro French, izakaya Japanese and a California take on Spanish flavors. They also approach wine with the sort of compact wine list that has become the default form for modern dining without pretense. At Monsieur Benjamin, Corey Lee takes a U-turn from Benu, the formal restaurant opened in 2010 where he pushes the envelope for modernist tasting menus with a touch of his Korean roots. Here, he takes aim at classic French bistro and brasserie dishes. The restaurant opened last summer around the corner from several performing arts venues and stays up late to ac-commodate hungry post-symphony and -opera attendees, but it’s been so popular that reserving a table earlier in the evening re-quires several…

98 Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan White 2013 $982 FRANCE This has weight, length and cut for days, as white peach, tangerine oil, blanched almond, pear eau-de-vie, macadamia nut, cham-omile and green plum notes all fit together seamlessly, while the finish sails on and on, with echoes of macada-mia nut and brioche. Opulent and pure, showing stunning mouthfeel to boot. Rare for a white to be the wine of the vintage in Bordeaux, but this may be it. Best from 2017 through 2030. 583 cases made.—J.M. 97 Cavallotto Barolo Vignolo Riserva 2008 $105 ITALY A rich, dense version, with power and beefy tannins supporting the cherry, wild herb, euca-lyptus and tea notes. This is tight and bursting with latent energy, so give it more time. Shows excellent length and resonance on the…

89Dow Douro Vale do Bomfim 2012 $13 PORTUGAL Offers an exuberantly fruity aroma, with flavors of damson plum, dried cherry and red currant, supported by fresh acidity. Mocha notes emerge midpalate, lending this a chewy texture. Muscular tannins grip the finish. Drink now through 2019. 4,998 cases made.—K.M. 88Alamos Malbec Mendoza 2013 $13 ARGEN-TINA This red features bright plum and crushed blackberry flavors, with savory dried herbal notes. Espresso and dark chocolate accents appear on the chunky finish. Drink now through 2017. 600,000 cases imported.—K.M. 88Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Toscana Rèmole 2013 $10 ITALY Rich and fruity, revealing cherry, strawberry, anise and light tobacco flavors. Balanced and open, with supportive tannins on the finish. Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2018. 22,500 cases imported.—B.S. 87Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape Beyond…

Riesling 94 Fritz Haag Riesling Auslese Mosel Braune-berger Juffer Sonnenuhr 2013 $96/375ml Firm and focused, this is filled with powerful flavors of dark currant, white raspberry, melon and red peach, all loaded with minerality. Finely textured overall, with an explosively fresh finish of tarragon and slate. Drink now through 2040. 100 cases made.—K.M. 94 Fritz Haag Riesling Beerenauslese Gold Cap Mosel Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr 2013 $210 Delicate yet complex, with plenty of snap to the fresh-cut apple and pears flavors, supported by enveloping acidity and vibrant minerality. Honey and crème brûlée notes emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2035.—K.M. 93 Schloss Saarstein Riesling Auslese Mosel Serrig Schloss Saarsteiner 2013 $70 Seductively rich aromas and flavors of ripe apple, melon and cherry lead to silky vanillin and spice box notes.…

90 Forge Riesling Finger Lakes Les Alliés 2013 $26 Focused and pure, with lovely anise, ginger, blanched almond, pear and mirabelle notes that stretch through the long, mineral-edged finish. Shows excellent range and tension, delivering a very distinctive mouth-feel. Drink now through 2017. 398 cases made.—J.M. 90 Hosmer Riesling Cayuga Lake Vintner’s Reserve 2012 $25 This offers a bracing, taut feel, with a tangy fennel edge running alongside the core of pippin apple, bitter citrus and jasmine notes. The long, yellow apple skin-framed finish shows good cut and drive. Drink now through 2017. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 100 cases made.—J.M. 90 Sparkling Pointe Brut North Fork of Long Island Séduction 2005 $60 Toast and spice flavors deepen the dried pear, ginger and marzipan flavors in this rich sparkler. Features…

Variations on a Theme? I was struck by the juxtaposition of the columns by James Laube (“The Curse of Bottle Variation”) and Matt Kramer (“Ch-Ch-Changes”), respectively, in the Jan. 31 – Feb. 28 issue. Literally on opposite sides of the same page, Laube laments variation from bottle to bottle, and Kramer borrows from David Bowie to discuss the rise of microbreweries, their pleasant impact on the big guys like Budweiser, and the impact of small producers on Australian wine. My wife and I delight in searching out small wine producers who are off the map of most publications, including yours—typically tiny, family-run operations that love and overindulge their craft to make their wines unique, rare and precious. But variation in quality, both within a given case of wine and over…

Fifteen-time NBA All-Star Tim Duncan is suing Charles Banks, founder and managing partner of Terroir Capital, which owns or operates 15 wineries in California, New Zealand, South Africa and Burgundy, over Duncan’s investments in Terroir and a sports merchandising company. Banks denies the allegations and says that Duncan is using the lawsuit as leverage to cash out early on investments with fixed time periods. “It’s frustrating because this is a business discussion, not a legal discussion,” Banks told Wine Spectator. “They’re suing to push me to buy him out.” Banks is an emerging star in the wine business. Once a financial advisor for pro athletes, he started Terroir Capital in 2011, and has since assembled a substantial portfolio of brands. Duncan hired Banks as a financial advisor in 1998, during…

Revenues at charity wine auctions across the United States continued to grow in 2014. Collectively, the top 10 such events raised $37,248,815 in live sales, an 8.1 percent increase over the previous year’s live-sale total. The take is the largest in history, surpassing the record set in 2007. Growth was across the board; for the first time, each of the 10 top charity auctions recorded more than $1 million in live sales. Auction Napa Valley retained its spot at the summit with a growth of $2.1 million over 2013. The auction has now given more than $145 million to local charities in its 34-year history. Members of Napa Valley Vintners, a nonprofit trade association, donated and bid on many of the lots at the event. “We can’t emphasize enough the…

The alchemy of matching grapes to climate and soil is the lifeblood of terroir, and for most vintners, terroir is the mantra of our times. But while we may think of a wine’s ultimate value in purely aesthetic terms, the economic factors involved in connecting the right grape to the right place are also crucially important, if often overlooked. Winemaking is a fiercely competitive financial endeavor that has to pencil out. For every successful wine brand launched each year, dozens more fall by the wayside and many others never make it past the drawing board. This fiscal reality is increasingly on display in many regions of the world as the pursuit of fine wine escalates. But few places offer as much transparency on the equation as California, where prices for…

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,…

ARGENTINA Red 91 Bodega Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2012 $22 A plush, suave style, with deep, rich flavors of dark berry, cherry and plum, augmented by forest floor and savory notes. Long and creamy, featuring a full-bore, spice-filled finish. Drink now through 2018. 1,200 cases imported.—K.M. 91 Bodega Luigi Bosca Malbec Uco Valley Terroir Los Miradores 2012 $30 This muscular red features a deep well of dark plum and molten chocolate flavors that are rich and well-spiced. Asian spice and fresh-ground coffee notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2019.—K.M. 89 Alamos Malbec Mendoza Selección 2012 $20 Supple, with balanced and well-structured flavors of red currant, sandalwood and dried cherry. There’s a suave creaminess midpalate, followed by a well-spiced finish. Drink now through 2018. 15,000 cases imported.—K.M. 89…

94 Quinta do Vale Meâo Douro 2012 $75 See Highly Recommended, page 103. 93 Churchill Late Bottled Port 2005 $29 Refined and sumptuous, showing mature flavors of plum pudding, dried blackberry and raspberry, lifted by fresh acidity and supported by plenty of grip. The creamy finish offers luscious chocolate mousse notes, with hints of pepper. Drink now. 230 cases imported.—K.M. 93 Quinta do Vesuvio Douro 2011 $74 A big, rich and open-textured red, with ripe flavors of dark currant, red plum and boysenberry, matched to lilting mineral and spice notes. The focused and pure-tasting finish has accents of dried mint and dark chocolate. Drink now through 2022. 1,200 cases made.—K.M. 93 Wine & Soul Douro Quinta da Manoella Vinhas Velhas 2012 $100 Very fresh and intensely juicy, featuring an effusively…

Readers respond to Matt Kramer’s assertion that there has been a “museum-ification” of ultra high–priced wines (online, Dec. 16, 2014). Kramer wrote, “Once an object is enshrined in a museum—or elevated to the status of “collectible”—it is transformed.” This transformation, he argues, has led to a preciousness surrounding certain fine wines that distorts our understanding and enjoyment. Kramer concurs with Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Ro-manée-Conti, who is quoted as saying, “I don’t want the wines of the domaine to be collected and stored away only to be sold and resold. They should be drunk with a meal and enjoyed with friends. Our wines are made for food, not just tasting.” The piece of art in the mu-seum at the very least pro-vides opportunity for people to enjoy…

The United States was the world’s biggest wine market in 2014, both by volume and value, according to a new study by International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR). The group contends America will maintain that distinction for at least the next three years. IWSR found that the U.S. consumed 339.6 million cases of wine last year, and predicts that figure will increase by 11.3 per-cent to 377.9 million cases by 2018. The next biggest consumers in 2014 were France, Italy, Germany and China (see graphic). Since 2009, the Chinese market has grown by 69 percent, but that has slowed, and IWSR predicts it will grow by nearly 25 percent between now and 2018. The IWSR report was commissioned by Vinexpo, the biannual global wine trade show in Bordeaux. In value…

Who says you can’t find value from the big-name regions in France? Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley—all are represented in this list of bargains from la belle France. The Crozes-Her-mitage is Syrah, the Chablis and Mâcon are Chardonnay, and the other two are blends. DOMAINE BELLE Crozes-Hermitage Les Pierrelles 2011 (90, $26) Blackberry, plum fruit, dried anise, ganache, licorice; solid WILLIAM FÈVRE Chablis Champs Royaux 2013 (90, $25) Crisp; melon, grapefruit, thyme, chive DOMAINE DE MOURCHON Côtes du Rhône-Villages Séguret Grande Réserve 2012 (90, $27) Blackberry, black currant, plum, graphite, mesquite; pure, sleek CHÂTEAU PUYGUERAUD Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 (88, $18) Bright; pepper, anise, tobacco, black cherry, mulled black currant DOMAINE TALMARD Mâcon-Chardonnay 2013 (88, $17) Apple, lemon, seashore; elegant, refreshing SOUTHERN EXPOSURE Other than their Southern Hemisphere…

What emerges from New Zealand’s fascinating Central Otago zone is, simply put, remarkable. QUEENSTOWN, New Zea-land—I first visited New Zealand in 1974, when I hitchhiked around the South Island for six weeks. I drank beer. There was no wine. But by golly, the place was breathtakingly beautiful. I’m still thrilled by New Zealand, so I try to get here every two years or so. Of course, now wine dominates not just my interest but that of many locals as well. Both the North Island and South Island are chockablock with vineyards. Just which spot leads the pack is open to discussion. If you’re looking through the lens of business, then it’s indisput-ably the Marlborough zone at the northern tip of the South Island. That’s where New Zealand’s famously zingy Sauvignon…

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. 95 Giovanni Manzone Barolo Castelletto 2010 $60 ITALY This red smells like a walk through the woods on a warm evening, enhanced by cherry, lico-rice and iron notes. Complex and intense, this features stiff tannins, yet remains balanced and long, offering a lasting impression of sweet fruit. Best from 2018 through 2035. 500 cases made.—B.S. 94 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley 2012 $32 CALIFORNIA A knockout Zin-fandel, balancing an opulent texture with great focus and depth. Aromas of rose petal and raspberry lead to rich and layered flavors of cherry, herbes de Provence and cracked white pepper. Finishes with a bounce of acidity and ripe,…

923 Rings Shiraz Barossa Valley 2013 $20 AUSTRALIA Plush and spicy, this exotic style layers ripe plum and cherry fruit with star anise and peppercorn overtones that carry into the long, vivid finish. Drink now through 2023. 4,000 cases made.—H.S. 92 Les Mines Priorat 2010 $19 SPAIN This red braces a plush texture with firm structure, delivering plum, licorice, black olive and toast flavors that are fresh and harmonious. Light, firm tannins and lively acidity stay balanced through the floral, citrusy finish. Grenache, Carignan and Merlot. Drink now through 2022. 1,000 cases imported.—T.M. 91 CARM Douro Reserva 2011 $22 PORTUGAL An unctuous, powerful red, with notes of bacon to the ripe dark plum, blackberry and cherry tart flavors. Shows plenty of grip as well, with muscular tannins. The rich, juicy…

Bordeaux / Pessac-Léognan White 98 Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan White 2013 $982 See Collectibles, page 103. 96 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan White 2013 $783 Still tightly coiled, but the core should unfurl beautifully, revealing a panoply of intense and vivid white ginger, macadamia nut, yellow apple, wet straw and green almond notes. The long, citrus oil–accented finish has great tension. Destined for a long life. Best from 2017 through 2027. 533 cases made.—J.M. 93 Château Brown Pessac-Léognan White 2013 $NA Gorgeous Jonagold apple, dried pineapple, heather and toasted macadamia nut aromas and flavors meld, with a long brioche note underscoring the finish. Very flattering, but also shows sneaky cut and length. Impressive. Drink now through 2018. 1,441 cases made.—J.M. 92 Château Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan White 2013 $37 This has lots of…

United States Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 93 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Few And Far Between Vineyard 2011 $400 A rich, powerful expression of Cabernet, deep, dense and brimming with expressive blackberry, wild berry, mocha, cedar, licorice and tea flavors, ending with a long, graceful finish that keeps the focus on the fruit. Drink now through 2026. 250 cases made.—J.L. 93 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Precious 2010 $400 Provides density and focus, with a complex mix of dark berry, spice, licorice, mocha and light toasty oak. The finish sails along gracefully amid ripe tannins that give you plenty to chew on. Drink now through 2024. 100 cases made.—J.L. 92 Celani Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2012 $80 Features a deft balance of elements, with rich, layered dark…

DR. VINNY Dear Dr. Vinny, What is the definition of a “super Tuscan”? Does it always contain Sangiovese? —Dolph, Denver Dear Dolph, In the 1970s, some Tuscan producers came to believe that the legal rules governing the production of Chianti were too restrictive. (For example, they required the use of some white grapes in this red wine, and they prohibited blending in non-traditional grapes such as Cabernet Sauvi-gnon, Merlot or Syrah.) And some vintners wanted to make wine outside of the allowed Chianti zone. They coined the term “super Tuscan” to distinguish their wines from the inexpensive, low-quality wines that were associated with the term vino da tavola (“table wine”), which they were forced to put on the label. Today, most super Tuscans use the legal appellation of IGT (Indicazione…