Innehållsförteckning för June 30, 2016 från Wine Spectator

Geography and mixology have been cross-pollinating since cocktails first made it onto the culinary map. Something innate drives us to assign potions to places. Some are pinpoint references: New York has its Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn cocktails. Others cut a wider swath, e.g., Long Island Ice Tea, Alabama Slammer. Then there are the broadly nationalistic French 75s and White or Black Russians. Sazeracs (New Orleans) and Pisco Punches (San Francisco) evoke municipal association without even identifying their cities. When summer vacationing, it helps to know the native specialties— and, conversely, that when in Rome, do not order a Roman Punch. Even if you’re tethered to home, you can salve your wanderlust by mixing one of these local libations. BELLINI This sparkling cocktail is so perfect for lazy afternoons in Venice…

The most pleasant surprise of my recent trip to the Czech Republic was a winemaker whose passion is Pinot Noir. I spent a fortnight in Europe this April poking around my ancestral stomping grounds, first in Dublin and then in Prague. I’m always keen on visiting any wine regions when I travel, and I went one for two on this trip. In Ireland I settled into Guinness and Jameson, two legendary potions dating back to the 1700s, but in the eastern part of the Czech Republic I discovered a thriving wine industry whose history goes back even further. A friend of a friend helped arrange a two-day trip in Moravia, introducing me to the region’s wine culture. I expected Czech wines to mirror those of Austria and Germany, whose terroir…

HISTORY The Romans, who took wine with them as their empire expanded, probably planted the first vineyards in Bordeaux in the first century B.C., most likely in the area now known as St.-Emilion. Bordeaux’s next era of expansion came more than a thousand years later, lasting from the mid-12th to the mid-15th century, when the ports of Bordeaux and Libourne were under English rule. The wines were shipped to international markets, most notably England, whose merchants coined the term “claret” for red Bordeaux. The English were defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453, and the territory reverted to French rule. But the profitable trade routes were kept alive, and the English continued to be big players in the wine market, followed eventually by Dutch, Irish and German merchants. Many…

Everything broke right for the 2000 vintage in Bordeaux. It was wellhyped, with a magical marketing allure as the millennium turned over. It was well-timed, as a run of mixed vintages between 1996 and 1999 left everyone eager for a big year from Bordeaux. And it was well-received, with quality to match the message. Great Bordeaux vintages follow a relatively consistent developmental path. For a year or two after bottling, the wines flaunt robust primary fruit flavors with structures that are youthfully rugged and apparent. From there they tend to slowly shut down, turning austere and unforgiving. It’s only after a decade in bottle that top quality red Bordeaux begin to unfurl, showing nuanced secondary flavors and aromas, ameliorated tannins, and long, terroirdriven finishes. Save for perhaps the Nebbiolos of…

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 Tor Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Melanson Vineyard 2013 $200 CALIFORNIA Explosive blackberry, currant, licorice and jazzy oak lead to a spirited, soulful mix of fruit and dusty, loamy earth, with caressing tannins. Drink now through 2030. 200 cases made.—J.L. 96 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2010 $100 ITALY This is reminiscent of a fine Burgundy, showing berry, fading cherry, spice and chalky mineral notes. Juicy and elegant, firm yet harmonious, this lingers with a long, complex aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033. 1,000 cases made.—B.S. 95 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chaumées 2013 $90 FRANCE Rich and creamy, this white features apple, lemon cake, citronella and…

You’re not a wine novice anymore. You know what you like, and you want more of it. But to unlock the joys of wine collecting, you’ll need to know how to care for your treasures. DR. VINNY Dear Dr. Vinny, How is wine appraised? Can I get my wine collection insured? —Topher, Temple, Texas Dear Topher, If you simply want to know the going rate for a collectible bottle of wine, head over to WineSpectator.com and check out the online auction price database. (You’ll also find tools for keeping track of what’s in your cellar.) But if you want to get your wine collection appraised and insured, that’s a bit more complicated. First off, contact your insurance company and find out what coverage currently exists— many homeowners policies may cover…

If you’ve been drinking wine for a while now and you haven’t changed your mind, then you’re not keeping up. Wine drinkers, like opera lovers, tend to be resolute in their tastes. For example, I’ve yet to meet an opera lover who’s changed his or her mind about Wagner. I meet people all the time who are resolute in their wine tastes or, I’m tempted to say, their wine prejudices. I’ve met a sizable number of people who freely admit to pretty much writing off California wines. Not just one or another category of California wines, mind you, but the whole state, like sweeping crumbs off the table. What’s their problem? It depends on whom you’re talking to, but the issues usually involve value (the wines are overpriced for the…

It’s time again to make cellar space for an exciting crop of wines from Bordeaux, as the 2015 vintage is shaping up to be best since 2010. While it won’t hit that benchmark level, it does in some cases rival years such as 2009 and 2005. The vintage’s strengths are threefold. The young reds are powered by rich, velvety tannins and unctuous fruit, matched by remarkable freshness and delineation. In addition, dry whites are superb, and the late-harvest wines from Barsac and Sauternes are sensational. It’s that rare trifecta of high quality. The vintage’s Achilles heel is a lack of consistency. On the Right Bank, overall the most successful, a few wines flirt with headiness due to elevated alcohols. Moving to the Left Bank and particularly farther up the Médoc,…

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,…

What were the primary wine closure trends in California in 2015? Readers respond as James Laube examines a record-low number of cork-tainted bottles in blind tastings in Wine Spectator ’s Napa office (“2015 Closure Trends From California,” online, Feb. 3). I suspect much of the decline also has to do with the widespread use of Diam cork and Nomacorc closures ... both of which, in my experience, are virtually TCA-free. Having trialed closures over a variety of bottlings over the years, I am confident saying no one closure suits all wines. The winemaker needs to take many factors into account when bottling under a particular closure. We have found vast differences between closures when used on the same bottling run. Unfortunately it’s an imperfect science, more gut and experience than…

PRETTY IN PINK Summer days call for alfresco dining and a chilled bottle of rosé. At these wallet-friendly prices you can sit back and enjoy the season while exploring rosé from around the world. YALUMBA Sangiovese South Australia Rosé The Y Series 2015 (89, $12) Watermelon, strawberry, melon, spice; supple, juicy LIBRANDI Cirò Rosato 2014 (88, $12) Creamy, juicy; sun-dried cherry, strawberry preserves, spice, orange peel, smoke DOMAINE VETRICCIE Île de Beauté Rosé 2015 (88, $10) Sleek, minerally, pure; peach, white cherry, bergamot CASES DE PÈNE Grenache-Syrah Côtes Catalanes Rosé Penya 2015 (87, $12) Savory, elegant; herb, pepper, melon rind, white cherry AIMÉ ROQUESANTE Côtes de Provence Rosé Cuvée Réservée 2015 (87, $13) Peach, white raspberry, stone; fresh, crisp TERRA SANTA Île de Beauté Rosé 2015 (86, $10) Refreshing; peach,…

The 2013 vintage in Burgundy resulted in the kind of reds the region excels in—wines born more of light than heat. Despite a challenging vintage, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s 2013s reflect both pedigree and terroir. It often happens in Burgundy that the most beautiful wines are the product of difficult births. The 2013 vintage presented vintners with a host of difficulties, from poor flowering and weather conditions to hail and fungal diseases. Yet the terroir specific to Burgundy’s vines, especially the Pinot Noir, reconciled an uneasy relationship in the end, resulting in the kind of reds the region excels in—wines born more of light than heat. It was with this storyline in mind that Aubert de Villaine, co-director of DRC, presented the 2013 vintage in New York in March. “2013…

More than 275 wines were reviewed for this report. The score range represents the potential quality of the finished wine. A free alphabetical list of scores for all wines tasted is available at www.winespectator.com/063016. WineSpectator.com members can access complete reviews at www.winespectator.com/bordeaux2015 or by using the online Wine Ratings search. A selection of futures prices will be posted at www.winespectator.com/bordeaux2015chart as they become available.…

AUSTRALIA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 89 Dandelion Cabernet Sauvignon Fleurieu Peninsula Pride Of The Fleurieu Peninsula 2013 $22 Robust plum, clove and tobacco notes gain traction on a bed of tannins, with a juicy quality to the fruit and a lingering spicy finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,100 cases made.—M.W. 89 Fowles Cabernet-Merlot Victoria Farm To Table 2014 $15 Toasted herb, fresh mint and currant flavors are graceful, with spice and tobacco notes and firming tannins. A touch of tomato leaf shows on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 5,000 cases made.—M.W. 89 Peter Lehmann Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Portrait 2014 $19 Mocha notes add some elegance to the easygoing, smooth plum and cassis flavors, while accents of herb, spice and toast linger on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,500…