Innehållsförteckning för August 31, 2017 från Wine Spectator

Free resources for all our WineSpectator.com readers: THE WORLD’S BEST WINE LISTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards app will help you find restaurants with the world’s leading wine lists. Every dining destination in this app—covering all 50 U.S. states and 75+ countries—has earned a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award for its ded-ication to wine. The app will allow you to search through nearly 3,600 award winners to help you find the ultimate wine experience. RESTAURANTS.WINESPECTATOR.COM Have you visited our Restaurant Awards site? Our free online Restaurant Search has been upgraded so you can easily find the 2017 award winners, with maps. Or look for the perfect dining spot in any lo-cation by wine strengths, cuisine type, pricing and more. Plus, find all our great dining articles in one convenient loca-tion:…

The past 20 years have pro-duced, among other features, a readily available, broad se-lection of inexpensive wines that are consistently of very good quality. That did not ex-ist prior to that time. Austra-lia, South America and South Africa have changed wine-consumption patterns forever. Perhaps Spain and Portugal, with their relatively unknown high quality red wines, will join the movement as well. Millennials will determine the patterns, but they will have a much better selection and will, over time, demand the high quality wines we older folks have come to cherish. Peter VangsnessEast Longmeadow, Mass. Happily, households’ food consumption and lifestyle habits are so varied now that I expect that enough up-and-coming appellations (if not specific bottlings) will sustain market share in particular re-gions/markets, contingent on demographics and access to different…

Francis Ford Coppola brought Hollywood glamour and home cooking to the 37th annual Auction Napa Val-ley, held June 3, preparing pomodoro e basilico for more than 900 auction guests at the Meadowood resort. The prospect of dinner cooked by the legendary director and owner of Inglenook winery was great motivation. Auc-tion-goers bid more than $11.6 million, part of a total of $15.7 million the Napa Valley Vintners raised during four days of events for Napa County nonprofits focused on community health and childhood education. Since its inception in 1981, Auction Napa Valley has raised more than $170 million for charity. This year’s event surpassed 2016’s to-tal of $14.3 million. The honorary auction chair was the Coppola family. Francis and his wife, Eleanor, their chil-dren, Roman and Sofia, and niece Gia…

The words “Krug” and “festival” may seem an unlikely pairing, but on July 29, that’s exactly what’s happening in Hampshire, England. Less than a two-hour drive from London, the Greek Revival–style Grange mansion, where the event takes place, is more commonly used for op-eras. (And for those curious to try British sparkling wine, the Grange is not far from some of England’s best wineries, in the country’s south.) Argentinian master chef Francis Mallmann, whose nine restaurants include the Wine Spec-tator Best of Award of Excellence–winning Siete Fuegos in Men-doza, Argentina, will prepare a three-course meal incorporating local meats and vegetables and using sand pits, trenches and domed frames to smoke, roast and char. Mallmann’s dishes will be matched with Krug’s Brut Champagne Grande Cuvée NV, Brut Rosé Champagne NV and…

GAYLE PIRIE FOREIGN CINEMA SAN FRANCISCO RECOMMENDED WINES CHEF’S PICK: Domaine Huët Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu 2015 WINE SPECTATOR ALTERNATES: Champalou Vouvray 2015 (91, $20) Indaba Chenin Blanc Western Cape 2016 (88, $12) In 1987, an aspiring oil painter named Gayle Pirie was work-ing as a line cook at San Francisco’s Zuni Café while making her way through art school. That same year, Zuni got a new head chef: California cuisine trailblazer Judy Rodgers. “When Judy arrived, the world changed,” Pi-rie says. Her drive to make art flourished under Rodgers’ now-fabled culinary vision of simpli-fied sophistication. “The work at the restaurant had everything to do with composing pictures, only there was food instead of oil paint.” Rodgers hired Pirie’s partner, John Clark, as a line cook, and the couple went…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 K Syrah Walla Walla Valley Powerline Estate 2014 $45 WASHINGTON A knockout Syrah, offering roasted meat and floral blackberry aromas that lead to bold flavors of dark plum, pepper and licorice. COLLECTIBLE 97 Castello dei Rampolla Toscana d’Alceo 2012 $242 ITALY A focused, balanced style, evoking pure cherry, raspberry, mineral and floral flavors, this red is elegant yet well-structured. SMART BUY 92 Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley NV $24 CALIFORNIA A voluptuous, expressive sparkler, with floral apple, brioche and cinnamon spice aromas that lead to rich, vibrant flavors and a luxurious finish. BEST VALUE 90 Baron de Ley Tempranillo Rioja 2015 $12 SPAIN A polished texture carries focused flavors of black cherry, licorice, forest floor and smoke in this balanced red, with a savory finish. IN THIS…

Flying into a local airport is an option, but the five-hour drive from Stockholm to PM & Vänner, past endless woods on mostly deserted two-lane roads, deepens appreciation of the restaurant’s remoteness. You sigh with relief when you arrive at the 74-room boutique hotel in southern Sweden that houses a 50-seat bistro and 38-seat fine-dining restaurant. “It’s a gastro-hotel,” says Per Bengtsson, 50, co-founder of the business. “The food and wine are the soul of the house, but the hotel is essential to draw clients from far away.” The son of a local farmer, Bengts-son grew up hunting and fishing. Working the 1990 harvest at Bor-deaux’s Château Giscours and doing a stint cooking at a restaurant in Mar-gaux, Bengtsson developed a passion for collecting the best wines in the world…

ABOUT THE AWARD LEVELS To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of our three awards. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2,335 winners These wine lists, which typically offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Whether compact or exten-sive, focused or diverse, these lists deliver sufficient choice to satisfy discerning wine lovers. BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 1,168 winners These wine lists display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top…

FRANCE Beaujolais 91 Domaines Dominique Piron Chénas Domaine Piron-Lameloise Quartz 2015 $25 This red shows focus and depth, brimming with blackberry coulis, plum and rose tea notes. Elements of kirsch and mineral strike midpalate, extending through a minerally finish framed by moderate tannins. Drink now through 2022. 1,700 cases made.—G.S. 90 Domaine du Clos du Fief Beaujolais-Villages La Roche 2015 $17 Fresh and floral, with pure rasp-berry and wild strawberry fruit detailed with mineral, spice and white pepper accents. Hints of smoke and a tangy acidity dovetail on the lightly tannic finish. Drink now. 200 cases imported.—G.S. 90 Domaine Lathuilière Fleurie Grand-Pré 2015 $24 Fresh and aromatic, with a bouquet of rose lining the raspberry and red plum core of this light-bodied red. Anise, tea and mineral accents give complexity…

Richard Ward: Carneros Pinot Noir Pioneer Richard Ward, Carneros Pinot Noir trailblazer and co-founder of Saintsbury winery, died May 27, at age 67, from complications related to a bone-marrow transplant. He had been bat-tling myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood cancer. Ward was born Feb. 5, 1950, in Camp Lejeune, N.C. He earned a degree in structural engineer-ing from Tufts Univer-sity before moving to California to study enol-ogy at the University of California, Davis. That’s where he met fellow winemaker and future business partner David Graves. In the 1970s, Napa Valley was still gaining fame with Cab-ernet Sauvignon when Ward and Graves took a chance on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros. Saintsbury formed a partnership with key Carneros growers, which gave the producer a steady supply of top-quality grapes. Within a…

Those of us with long enough memories recognize 1968 as a watershed year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s been a lot of talk recently about the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pep-per’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a sound track for the Summer of Love. For me, though, thinking about that pivotal era jogs my memory back less to 1967 than to the fateful year that followed. The 1968 vintage isn’t much cele-brated in the wine world—pretty much anywhere. Yet those of us with long enough memories can recognize it as a watershed year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, even if we didn’t know it in the moment. As with so much else about wine, it’s taken time to make clear the signif-icance of the 1968 Cabernets. And with these wines…

Portugal is a small country, roughly the size of Indiana. But when it comes to wine, the nation offers stunning geographic diversity and a thriving population of indigenous grape types. Currently, Portugal contains 31 Protected Denominations of Origin (DOP), the high-est level of appellation status in the European system, and 14 Geographical Indications (IG), or “regional areas,” that sprawl across the length of the country, from beachy Algarve in the south to lush Vinho Verde in the north. The rugged Douro Valley, the his-toric home of Port and a producer of exciting table wines, remains the country’s premier winegrowing region. Taking full advantage of these myriad terroirs, Portugal’s vint-ners cultivate a large assortment of local grape varieties, most of which are rarely grown elsewhere in the world. Touriga Nacional, the…

In the early 1980s, Ken Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, realized that Boston lacked a classic steak house. He decided to fill the gap. At the time, he was developing Copley Place, a shopping mall in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood; Grill 23 & Bar opened in 1983 in the Salada Tea Building on Berkeley Street. Now 34 years old, the steak house has become the classic that Himmel imagined. An institution of the Boston dining scene, it serves as many as 700 people on a busy evening, many of them loyal regulars. But the restaurant doesn’t rest on its laurels; Himmel has made it a priority to ensure that Grill 23 & Bar stays relevant. “This is a local-owned and -operated restaurant. And that hits a chord with…

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. 96 Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough Kupe Single Vineyard 2015 $69 NEW ZEALAND This powerful wine is tightly wound yet very expressive, with plenty of torque to the plum and blood orange fla-vors at the core, slowly revealing details of cedar, tobacco, cumin seed, rosemary and black tea. Everything sings in harmony on the long finish. Drink now through 2027. 500 cases made.—M.W. 95 K Syrah Walla Walla Valley Powerline Estate 2014 $45 WASHINGTON A knockout Syrah, precise and impeccably built but explosive with personality. Smoky roasted meat and floral blackberry aromas combine with bold, supple flavors of dark plum, pepper and licorice. The tannins are big…

DR. VINNY Dear Dr. Vinny, When I see “Columbia Valley” on a wine list, I know I’m getting a Washington wine. But now it seems like fewer and fewer wines are from Columbia Valley. What gives? —Cris D., Seattle Dear Cris, Actually, 99 percent of Washington wines come from Columbia Valley. It’s the state’s largest American Viticultural Area, covering nearly 11 million acres, and represents a full third of Washington’s total size. But such a large AVA doesn’t adequately de-scribe the diversity of soils and microclimates within it, so it’s been further divided into sub-regions over the years: Yakima Valley (which contains the sub-AVAs Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain and Snipes Mountain), Walla Walla Valley, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills, Lake Chelan, Naches Heights and Ancient Lakes. Only Washington’s Puget Sound…

UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA Acquerello Grand Award since 2012 Addison Grand Award since 2009 Capo Grand Award since 2015 The French Laundry Grand Award since 2007 La Toque Grand Award since 2014 Murray Circle Grand Award since 2016 Patina Grand Award since 1994 Plumed Horse Grand Award since 2015 Restaurant Gary Danko Grand Award since 2001 The Restaurant at Meadowood Grand Award since 2016 Restaurant 301 at the Hotel Carter Grand Award since 1998 RN74 Grand Award since 2010 Saison Grand Award since 2014 Sierra Mar Grand Award since 2012 Spago Beverly Hills Grand Award since 2010 Spruce Grand Award since 2015 The Stonehouse Grand Award since 2014 Studio Grand Award since 2014 Valentino Grand Award since 1981 The Village Pub Grand Award since 2013 Wally’s Beverly Hills Grand Award since…

L. Pierce Carson, a wine writer who spent 50 years at the Napa Valley Register chroni-cling the frenetic changes in the valley and its wine industry, died May 20, at age 76, from gall-bladder cancer. Born in Trenton, N.J., Carson came to Napa in 1967 after serving in Vietnam. He began as a reporter, covering crime and local govern-ment. Eventually, he became known for his writing about the Bay Area music scene and the wine and culinary industries. His weekly “On the Lees” column became a fixture as the wine industry grew in prominence. He be-came close to Robert Mondavi and his wife Margrit, whom he accompanied to events af-ter Robert’s death. When Carson moved to Napa, the area was pretty, he recalled, but a sleepy farm commu-nity. Over the…

Because “tasteless, odorless, colorless” is the accepted definition of vodka, and brands are often hyped by the many times they’ve been distilled and filtered, it can seem that neutrality is the spir-it’s only attribute. But another way to look at vodka is by what goes into—not out of—it. The grains—as well as a widening array of other vegetal material—that start the vodka-making process are just as important to how you enjoy it. Vodka producers have a lot of lati-tude when picking their ingredients. Rum is made from sugarcane, tequila from agave, Cognac from grapes, but vodka can be made from anything that will ferment. Makers have traditionally chosen familiar produce such as pota-toes, rye, wheat, corn and barley. To-day, they range as far afield as grapes, sorghum, rice, buckwheat, peaches,…

KIWIANA For years much of New Zealand’s success rested on its distinctive Sauvignon Blancs. Recently, however, Pinot Noir has found its voice in the country’s cooler climes. This selection provides both personality and value. CRAGGY RANGE Pinot Noir Martinborough 2015 (94, $25) Graceful; raspberry, matcha green tea, white truffle, rose petal, forest floor RAPAURA SPRINGS Pinot Noir Marlborough 2015 (92, $22) Raspberry, green tea, dried lavender, earth; smooth, juicy MUD HOUSE Pinot Noir Central Otago 2015 (91, $18) Focused, supple; red berry, black tea, clove, dried thyme YEALANDS Pinot Noir Marlborough Peter Yealands 2016 (90, $19) Elegant; cherry, raspberry, clove, cherry cola, vanilla bean MATUA Pinot Noir Central Otago Lands & Legends 2014 (89, $20) Spiced plum, black licorice, pepper, earth; vibrant MISTY COVE Pinot Noir Marlborough Signature 2015 (89,…

What do winegrower romantics have in common? They have a conviction about how they want their wine world to be. It’s fashionable these days, at least in certain circles (aca-demic wine scientists; more cynical-than-thou wine sophis-ticates) to decry and disdain wine romance. To some it seems old-fashioned. To others it’s just lubricant, and rather obviously so at that. Are these anti-romantics wrong? Not altogether, no. They see the wine world through a lens of straightforward salesmanship and marketing muscle. Ironically, what they’re missing is that some of the greatest wine romantics are winegrowers themselves. In my travels I seem to find these winegrower romantics everywhere. And it’s not because I seek them out, although choosing smaller producers over larger ones does skew the sample. I vividly recall talking with and…

Restaurants thrive by creating clear, authentic identities that draw customers into their worlds, first as guests, then as friends. Ev-ery element contributes to this— the menu and decor, of course, but also the style of service, the music on the playlist, even the logo on the business card. In the past, wine lists tended not to be in-cluded in this identity kit. They were part of the service background, like the coffee or the bread. But no longer. Today, restaurants view their wine lists as an integral part of their character. In con-junction with the food and ambience, the wine list is essential to creating an enhanced guest experience. Whether it’s through a devotion to a particular country or region, an emphasis on organic or “natural” wines, or even a…

On a quiet street in Paris, behind the Musée d’Orsay, Les Cli-mats approaches the dining experience with the sensibility with which one might curate an art collection. Every aspect of the restaurant seems designed to breathe fresh air on fine dining, yet every little detail is still accounted for. Les Climats opened in 2013 in the 7th arrondissement, a stately, affluent neighborhood on the Seine’s Left Bank that is home to fine museums and the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant is both grand and playful. Go up a few steps to the marble lobby and you’ll encounter a dining room full of art nouveau–style tables and red velvet chairs with leopard-print details. In another din-ing room, French windows give a view of the courtyard. Mosaic floors and William Morris wallpaper break…