Innehållsförteckning för May 31, 2019 från Wine Spectator

 Italian Authorities Uncover Counterfeit Tignanello Scheme Italian authorities have arrested three suspects in a scheme to sell at least 11,000 counterfeit bottles of the flagship super Tuscan wine Antinori Toscana Tignanello in Italy, Germany and Belgium. First reported by Italian media, the February arrests were confirmed to Wine Spectator by Alessia Antinori, vice president of Marchesi Antinori. She disclosed that the bottles were labeled as the 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages of Tignanello but were filled with low-quality wine. The Parma public prosecutor and the health divisions of Italy’s national police in Florence and Cremona uncovered the fraudulent bottles. The police were able to prevent the fake wine from being distributed, and arrested Matteo Fazzi, 31, who remains in jail, as well as his mother, Maria Alessandra Morini, 57, and…

Los Angeles has a distinct culture. As with California generally, it stands for fresh starts and reinvention. In L.A. specifically, there is a sense that people have their priorities right: They don’t seem rushed, but they are industrious; they’re fashionable but not formal; they take entertainment and pleasure seriously—look at Hollywood. And for a young city, L.A. does right by its past. Midcentury buildings thrive in the perfect climate, and downtown’s old art deco buildings are being repurposed as hip hotels. There is a chocolate brand in L.A. that represents this culture perfectly. “Compartés has been in business since 1950, so it’s actually one of the oldest traditional chocolate shops, where everything is still made by hand, from scratch,” explains owner Jonathan Grahm. “If you come to our store in…

Diamond Creek Vineyards overcame many obstacles on its way to becoming one of Napa’s premier Cabernet producers. Its success today is taken for granted as the realization of a brilliant concept, but that outcome was hardly inevitable. The path to greatness is rarely straight or easy. The story of Diamond Creek is a textbook example of how you can make mistakes and still succeed on a grand scale. Other vintners in the region warned Al Brounstein when he created the winery in the late 1960s that he was making blunders that would do him in, but he didn’t pay much attention. He held fast to his belief that Cabernet was the perfect fit for Napa Valley—and of course that conviction has been proved right. Yet he could easily have been…

Alice Waters likes the simplicity of this dish, a regular offering at the Café at Chez Panisse. It reflects her preference for recipes that don’t require measurements. The chicken is cooked underneath the dish’s namesake mattone, Italian for “brick.” “Cooking chicken under a heavy weight results in an exceptionally crispy skin,” she writes of this recipe in her classic cookbook The Art of Simple Food. The recipe is simple enough that it doesn’t require measurements. To drink alongside, Waters would serve a light red, such as Beaujolais. Pollo al Mattone 1 boneless, skin-on chicken breast per servingSaltPepperA few sprigs thyme Olive oil 1. Season chicken breasts well with salt, pepper and thyme. Drizzle them with olive oil, and let them marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.…

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. James Laube California Harvey Steiman At large Thomas Matthews Spain Kim Marcus California Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, Argentina, Chile Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Loire Valley, Port, South Africa MaryAnn Worobiec California Sauvignon Blanc…

San Francisco has always nurtured innovation and celebrated difference. From the hippies of Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s to the techies of Silicon Valley in the 1990s, the Bay Area has often led the way in American culture. The city has also had an outsize influence on the country’s culinary scene. The story of how Alice Waters and her pioneering restaurant Chez Panisse helped liberate American dining from European dominance in the 1970s has often been told, including in an insightful 2001 cover story by our own Harvey Steiman. But while Waters was a key figure in the emergence of what became known as California cuisine, she is also part of another wave that is perhaps less well-known: a vibrant community of women chefs that continues to make its own significant…

The Louis Roederer Champagne house is buying Russian River Valley Pinot Noir specialist Merry Edwards Winery. The deal, signed in February, includes the brand and its inventory, as well as the winery and tasting room in Sebastopol and six vineyards totaling 79 acres. The sale price was not disclosed. The founders of the winery, Merry Edwards and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, will stay on for at least a year during the transition period. Edwards is a Sonoma County wine pioneer and one of California’s first female winemakers. Her 28,000-case-per-year brand is known for its structured Pinot Noirs, including notable single-vineyard wines. Edwards also makes a small amount of Chardonnay, as well as a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. Her wines have made numerous appearances in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the…

Like a fine super Tuscan wine, Sebastian Maniscalco has only gotten better with age. His comedy career began more than 20 years ago, but it’s only in the past few that his popularity has skyrocketed. A Chicago native raised in an Italian-immigrant family, Maniscalco, 45, centers his comedy on his upbringing, as well as his observations of everyday interactions in the world around him. From shopping at the local food store to Uber rides to raising his daughter, Serafina, with his wife, Lana, pretty much everything is fair game for Maniscalco. His TV specials, including 2016’s Why Would You Do That?, 2014’s Aren’t You Embarrassed? and this year’s Stay Hungry, which debuted on Netflix in January, offer a glimpse into his popular standup comedy acts. Most recently, Maniscalco joined an…

Ever since its invention in the early 20th century, instant coffee has suffered from a terrible reputation. Initially conceived as a powder derived from evaporated brewed coffee, it only vaguely resembled the original beverage when reconstituted with hot water. Even as freeze-drying technology improved, leading soluble coffee brands like Nescafé continued to deliver subpar results. To make matters worse, mass producers often selected cheaper, high-caffeine robusta, rather than arabica, beans to make their instant brews. It was only in 2009, when Starbucks introduced its Via brand, that consumers realized instant coffee could approximate the taste of freshly brewed beans. For Via, Starbucks employs a combination of freeze-drying and a proprietary microgrind technology that leaves little in the way of grounds at the bottom of the cup. Available for about a…

Best Western This selection of reds showcases the strength of the West Coast when it comes to offering quality for the price. Both Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are stars in Washington, while Oregon weighs in with a pair of Pinot Noirs. The California bottlings are a Zinfandel and Zinfandel blend from old vines. BUCKLIN Ancient Field Blend Old Hill Ranch Sonoma Valley 2015 (94, $34) Powerful; blueberry, blackberry, tar, cracked pepper, Asian spice RESULT OF A CRUSH Syrah Walla Walla Valley Christmas Cuvée 2016 (93, $25) Huckleberry, violet, blueberry, mineral, grilled meat; vibrant SPARKMAN Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Holler 2016 (93, $32) Supple, rich; black cherry, espresso, dusky spice J.K. CARRIERE Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Provocateur 2016 (91, $26) Cherry, smoky herb, spice; savory, intense REININGER Syrah Horse Heaven Hills…

There’s something about musicians and wine. Popular performers are famously seen drinking high-end wines, and more than a few have put their names on commercial labels. With my particular interests, I have interviewed high-profile practitioners of classical music and opera, from Itzhak Perlman to Anna Netrebko. Their stories have underlined how much a love for our favorite beverage has grabbed them, just like the rest of us. When violinist Cho-Liang Lin played a concert in the San Francisco Bay Area recently, we met to share a bottle of Evening Land Pinot Noir 2012 and a late supper. Born in Taiwan in 1960, Lin grew up in Sydney, Australia, where he and his family moved so he could study violin. He played for Perlman there, and at 13 he moved to…

Dominique Crenn constructs her crispy-crusted brioche mini-loaves with dough balls that pull apart easily. They are made with Normandy butter to honor her northwest French heritage. She serves these in all her restaurants. The dough needs to start a day ahead of baking, but the payoff of warm, buttery goodness is worth it. Adapted here for a home kitchen, the recipe produces a lovely foil to a glass of Champagne at the start of a meal, with or without additional butter to spread. Brioche ¾ pound pâte fermentée (see note)3 large eggs, plus 4 egg yolks M cup whole milk4 ¼ cups bread flour¼ cup organic sugar2 teaspoons fine sea salt1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast1 cup plus 6 tablespoons Normandy butter, preferably Isigny A.O.P., chilled 1. In a stand mixer…

1 Lidia Bastianich, New York (SIX RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING FELIDIA, DEL POSTO, BECCO AND ESCA) Lidia Bastianich and her husband, Felice, sold their two restaurants in Queens in 1981 to open Felidia on Manhattan’s East Side. It was a hit for its upscale, authentic menu, peppered with unfamiliar dishes from Bastianich’s native Istria, and a wine list studded with great Italian bottles. She played a huge role in upgrading Italian cuisine in the United States with five long-running cooking series on PBS, beginning with Lidia’s Italian Table in 1998. She is a partner in Del Posto (a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner) and in all five Eataly locations in the U.S. 2 Renee Erickson, Seattle (EIGHT RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER, AND THE WHALE WINS) Renee Erickson grew up…

AUSTRALIA Shiraz & Blends 94 Hickinbotham Shiraz McLaren Vale Brooks Road 2016 $75 Restrained, with firm tannins reining in complex, detailed flavors of blueberry pie, kirsch and dark chocolate. Espresso, clove and caramel notes add complexity on the finish. Drink now through 2034. 2,433 cases made, 661 cases imported.—M.W. 93 Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Holy Grail Single Vineyard Seppeltsfield Road 2016 $125 Powerful, with a tannic backbone, this expressive red delivers notes of date nut bread, kirsch, cigar, dried lavender, dark chocolate and chai tea. The complexity gains momentum on the long, velvety finish. Drink now through 2035. 350 cases made, 50 cases imported.—M.W. 93 Two Hands Shiraz McLaren Vale Dave’s Block Single Vineyard Blythmans Road Blewitt Springs 2016 $125 Rich and luscious, with plump blackberry, maraschino cherry and…

Corks and Cabs I have a small collection of older California Cabs and Bordeaux from around the year 2000. The Cabs tend to lose their sharpest tannins and are more balanced to my taste. My problem is that I and my friends who also collect wines are rarely able to remove a cork from these older Cabs without the cork breaking. The problem does not happen with Bordeaux of the same age. I have tried multiple cork-removing devices with the same outcome. I wonder if other collectors have experienced this and if there is a reason for the apparent difference in the durability of the corks? U.X. CullumColumbia, S.C. Good Dirt Harvey Steiman’s column Terroir in the New World (March 31) illuminates the delight in identifying terroir in New World…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 Reynvaan Syrah Walla Walla Valley In The Rocks 2016 $90 WASHINGTON Bold aromas of blackberry and bacon fat lead to densely layered and vibrant huckleberry, river stone and licorice flavors. COLLECTIBLE 95 E. Guigal Hermitage 2015 $75 FRANCE Ripe and polished, driven by mouthwatering raspberry, blueberry and blackberry sauce flavors racing through, this is inlaid with a graphite spine and backed by mouthwatering apple wood and anise notes. SMART BUY 92 Arnaud Lambert Saumur White Bréze Clos de Midi 2017 $25 FRANCE Vibrant and detailed, this delivers a juicy mouthful of yellow apple, white peach and honeysuckle notes, ending with a lively finish. BEST VALUE 90 Viña Santa Carolina Pinot Noir Leyda Valley Carolina Reserva 2018 $12 CHILE There’s good weight to the finely textured flavors of…

When Alice Waters and a few counterculture Berkeley friends opened Chez Panisse in 1971, they set in motion trends that would change the food landscape in the San Francisco Bay Area and across America. Waters and other women not only laid the foundation for what became known as California cuisine, they drove key developments that set the tone for the way we dine today. Things we now take for granted originated with women in the City by the Bay, from chef’s menus to farm-to-table cooking to kitchens organized as collaborations instead of traditional chef hierarchies. An inspiration for Alice Waters was Cecilia Chiang. Now 99, Chiang established a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco in 1961 called the Mandarin and introduced authentic dishes from all over China, not just the narrow…

Melissa Perello puts her personal stamp on caldo verde, a hearty Portuguese soup, with personal touches that reflect her California independence. She uses Spanish chorizo instead of Portuguese linguiça, and adds tomatoes, jalapeños, sweet spices and cilantro. The result is a unique, stewlike soup that’s great by itself or topped with poached or sunny-side-up eggs. Perello has served it in her restaurants as a special, and makes it often for an easy supper at home, where it goes nicely with a glass of Vinho Verde or Albariño. This reheats well, the flavors deepening after a day or three. Caldo Verde 2 cups dried butter beans (also called white lima beans)1 jalapeño pepper4 large red tomatoes, cored2 large Meyer lemons, halved, plus more for finishing1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 teaspoon fennel seeds…

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 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro 2016 $99 PORTUGAL Well-crafted, balancing power and finesse, this red layers raspberry gelée, cherry tart and olive tapenade flavors with cured meat, black tea and wild rosemary accents. Sinewy tannins mark the rich finish, infused with licorice, mocha and baking spice aromas. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2021 through 2030. 2,400 cases made.—G.S. 95 Castello di Albola Chianti Classico Santa Caterina Gran Selezione 2015 $90 ITALY Top notes of berry and dark flowers are underscored by earth, stone and tobacco flavors in this red, which is elegant despite the dense structure, yet it’s the…

When Abram Bissell became executive chef of the Modern, the Museum of Modern Art’s temple to haute cuisine, in 2014, he considered how he’d put his stamp on the menu, then the legacy of his mentor, Gabriel Kreuther. After stints at the NoMad and Eleven Madison Park, he wanted to dial up the food’s brightness and verve. “I wanted lighter flavors and lighter approaches,” he says. And he wanted to create a sense of familiarity: “You should feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve had this flavor before, but never this way, or never this good.’” Springtime, with its sense of new life and incipient abundance, seems somehow emblematic of Bissell’s approach. “We get so sick of potatoes and parsnips and celery root,” he says. “Some of those early dishes that we’ll put…