Innehållsförteckning för September 30, 2019 från Wine Spectator

Downstate New Yorkers often forget that there are wine regions in their backyard. Among the most visit-worthy is the Finger Lakes, a picturesque region close to the Canadian border that made its name with Riesling but has more than one trick up its sleeve. Wineries have elevated their visitor experiences over the years, creating a vibrant wine trail. Here’s a guide to some of the best places on the two main lakes, Seneca and Cayuga. Seneca Lake Anthony Road Wine Company (anthonyroadwine.com) makes a range of wines from a dozen varieties, including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir, some bottled in a series reflecting winemaking style experiments. You can sample the wines through themed flights for $5–$10. The tasting room is vast and inviting, with a patio offering…

It’s a real New York love story: Tom Colicchio and Lori Silverbush met in 1994 when she, a film-school grad, was working as a server at Gramercy Tavern; he was the restaurant’s chef and an owner. He proposed in 2001 while they were in line for sandwiches at the Second Avenue Deli, and the rest is history: He left Gramercy to expand his Crafted Hospitality empire, which now encompasses seasonally driven New York restaurants Craft, Riverpark and Temple Court (all winners of Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence), as well as Long Island, Las Vegas and Los Angeles properties. Silverbush’s films have met with critical acclaim, including 2012’s A Place at the Table, a documentary on food insecurity. By 2016, with two growing sons—Luka, now 10, and Mateo, 8—the…

Kiwi Delights One of the labels featured in this group—Crowded House—could describe the New Zealand category as a whole. There’s an abundance of great values to be found from this island nation, which continues to excel with its one-two punch of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. This selection shows why, with all of these wines costing less than $25. MOHUA Pinot Noir Central Otago 2016 (92, $24) Fleshy, firm; wild strawberry, cherry, raspberry, thyme, sage, tobacco MOUNT RILEY Pinot Noir Central Otago Limited Release 2018 (92, $24) Maraschino cherry, clove, vanilla bean, black tea; fresh, velvety RAPAURA SPRINGS Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Reserve 2018 (92, $17) Supple, complex; peach, mango, orange, honeysuckle, lanolin, spice CLOS HENRI Pinot Noir Marlborough Petit Clos 2018 (91, $20) Wild strawberry, raspberry, forest floor, spice, clove,…

Looking back on Lynn Penner-Ash’s 30 years of winemaking in Oregon, one might reasonably assume that she’s seen it all, or pretty close. The past few years dispel that notion, however. For one, she and husband Ron Penner-Ash sold their namesake winery to Jackson Family Wines in 2016, freeing Lynn from business demands to focus on making wine. Another, more challenging new facet is happening in the vineyard as Oregon’s growing seasons inch warmer. I caught up with Penner-Ash recently after tasting several of her new-release 2016 Pinot Noirs, and we talked about the transition away from winery ownership, as well as her thoughts on winemaking and the future. “Willamette Valley has changed a lot in my 30-plus years,” Penner-Ash says. “When I arrived in Oregon in 1988 there were…

1 TOMALES FARMSTEAD TELEEKA (BLEND) cowgirlcreamery.com A 10-ounce square, 1 inch thick, this blends goat’s, sheep’s and cow’s milk into a buttery bloomy-rind soft-ripened cheese with a pleasantly earthy edge. Based on Italian La Tur. 2 COWGIRL CREAMERY RED HAWK (COW) cowgirlcreamery.com A California original, this washed-rind triple-cream acquires a unique reddish rind and deep flavor. It softens with age but does not “run” like most triple-creams. 3 POINT REYES FARMSTEAD TOMA (COW) pointreyescheese.com Reminiscent of a young Italian Asiago, this versatile semisoft wheel, aged three months, sports mild flavors of butter and grass, with a distinctive acid tang. 4 VELLA GOLDEN BEAR (COW) vellacheese.com Vella resurrected Dry Jack, a California original, and ages this one up to three years longer. The Parmigiano-like texture and cow’s milk mellowness lurk under…

The small winegrowing country of New Zealand represents only 1% of the wine made in the world, yet it just recorded its 23rd consecutive year of growth. That’s an amazing success story. Those figures come from New Zealand Winegrowers, which also reports that the value of the country’s wine exports (about half of which goes to the United States) now totals $1.13 billion. New Zealand is the third-largest source of imported wine stateside, behind Italy and France, and its signature wine—a distinctive and aromatic version of Sauvignon Blanc, with crisp acidity and bright citrus flavors—has a reputation for intensity, consistency and value. Sauvignon Blanc dominates the New Zealand wine scene, accounting for 68% of the vineyard acreage in the country. It also controls the conversation, with the buzz about Kiwi…

AUSTRIA 92 Salomon-Undhof Riesling Kremstal Steiner Kögl Reserve 2017 $55 A velvety texture and dense flavors of tangerine, cantaloupe, almond and stone belie the intensely vibrant acidity that sweeps the palate and connects all the elements. Shows tremendous extract and clarity simultaneously. Best from 2021 through 2029. 60 cases made.—A.Z. 91 Martin & Anna Arndorfer Sekt Niederösterreich die Leidenschaft Prickelnd 2013 $40 Rich and mature, this is creamy in texture, offering flavors of honey-roasted hazelnut, pear tart and lemon meringue. Balanced by vivid structure and zesty acidity, this finishes with a lingering, nutty nuance. Seductive and satisfying. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Drink now. 100 cases made, 28 cases imported.—A.Z. 91 Salomon-Undhof Riesling Kremstal Ried Pfaffenberg Reserve 2017 $55 Sleek, but with a viscous palate, displaying flavors of pineapple and ripe…

For many wine lovers, enjoying a good bottle of wine with dinner inspires a visit to the winery that made it. Walking the vineyards and talking with the wine-maker conveys unique insights into terroir and taste. That’s why we regularly publish stories on travel to important wine regions. If you love wines from Bordeaux, say, or Napa Valley, we can help you create a trip to visit top producers, enjoy standout restaurants and immerse yourself in the region’s environment and culture. And just as wine and cheese are natural partners at the table, so a visit to a creamery can be as fun and educational as tasting at a winery. In this issue, we offer a guide to three important cheese-producing regions in the United States, where cheese quality has…

Until recently, no one thought that high quality coffee could be grown in the continental United States. The finest arabica beans are supposed to require high elevation on subtropical mountainsides, like those in Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala. It might technically be possible to grow coffee at lower altitudes, but the flavors wouldn’t be nearly as distinctive, floral or acidic. Or so the conventional wisdom goes. But conventional wisdom, in this case, turns out to be wrong. Coffee is now being cultivated along the southern coast of California, between Santa Barbara and San Diego, and the results are exceptional. Frinj Coffee (frinjcoffee.com), which was available only in select retail stores until last year, has now started to sell online. Because of its quality, its rarity and the cost of labor and…

Given the history of Sauvignon Blanc in the Golden State, it would have been difficult to predict its recent rise to stardom. When Robert Mondavi introduced a barrel-fermented version in the 1960s, naming it Fumé Blanc in a nod to its smoky profile (and invoking France’s Pouilly-Fumé), others adopted the style. But many versions were dull compared with the best wines from France, and Americans developed a taste for Chardonnay as their white wine of choice. Even 20 years ago, Sauvignon Blanc vines were routinely ripped out and replaced with Chardonnay. It’s hard to overstate how far Sauvignon Blanc has come. Today it’s one of the state’s most refreshing, consistent and reasonably priced whites, offering an exciting array of styles, from direct, fruit-forward examples to versions with more complexity and…

1 VERMONT CREAMERY COUPOLE (GOAT) vermontcreamery.com This wrinkly, tennis ball–sized semisoft dome is one of Vermont’s most recognizable goat cheeses, with refreshing grassy, citrusy acidity. 2 PARISH HILL CREAMERY VERMONT HERDSMAN (COW) parishhillcreamery.com One of Vermont’s many excellent alpine-style cheeses, Herdsman is aged for at least a year and delivers a fruity, nutty flavor reminiscent of Comte. 4 ON MAP 3 CABOT CREAMERY CLOTHBOUND CHEDDAR (COW) cabotcheese.com Aged in the Cellars at Jasper Hill for up to 14 months, this Vermont standard-bearer is a classic crumbly farmhouse cheddar: sharp and savory, with hints of caramel and a smattering of crunchy crystals. 5 ON MAP 4 JASPER HILL FARM HARBISON (COW) jasperhillfarm.com Bark-wrapped, soft-ripened Harbison’s gooey, rich, mouthcoating paste hits all the sweet, salty and umami marks. Spoon a schmear onto…

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 Le Macchiole Toscana Messorio 2015 $235 ITALY Seductive, yet packs a serious punch. Blackberry, black currant, cedar, iron, coffee and vanilla flavors unravel as this builds on the palate to a long finish. All the elements are in the right place. Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,016 cases made, 85 cases imported.—B.S. 97 Rotem & Mounir Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape Omnia 2016 $107 FRANCE Sublime, with a beguiling mouthfeel to the layers of cherry puree, steeped plum and warmed raspberry coulis fruit flavors, melded with rooibos tea, bergamot, incense and jasmine notes. The long finish features subtle minerality and remarkable persistence, seeming to move with grace.…

Bordeaux Flies West Editor’s note: Our “Feedback” page of the June 15 issue included a letter from reader Brad Kordic asking which California Cabernets most mirror the profile of red wines from Bordeaux. We published a response from reader Richard Dreger in the July 31 issue. Below is the latest addition to the conversation. In reference to Richard Dreger’s letter about Cali Cabs tasting like Bordeaux: I belong to a pretty sophisticated wine tasting group in Albany, N.Y., that has been tasting wines regularly since the late 1980s. We do most of our tastings blind. Over the years we have tasted many wines from Bordeaux and California, including many “first growths” from both of those regions. We often have a ringer in the mix to see how it compares with the…

The auction tent was full at the Meadowood resort in Napa Valley on June 1 as the crowd anticipated the arrival of pop star Katy Perry, the opening act for the 39th Auction Napa Valley. Perry didn’t disappoint as she revved up the 900 audience members for the bidding to come. “I’m going to play a couple of songs and then start drinking with you. Save me a glass,” Perry said. “I say, let’s be kind and drink wine.” Perry performed five songs on the auction stage, including hits such as “Roar” and “Firework,” and urged the audience to bid high to help support the charities the auction benefits, which focus on community health and children’s educational support programs. When all the winning bids for the live, silent and barrel…

Joel Deutsch had just wrapped up a job interview at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell when he stopped by the Wine House, a wineshop a couple miles from the Los Angeles law firm’s office in Century City. A burgeoning wine buff, he was buying a few bottles of Bordeaux when he ran into another customer, whom he recognized: Mark Rosenthal, one of the hiring partners with whom he’d just met. Reflecting on the moment, Deutsch says it was serendipity. “Mark said, ‘This is the place you have to come work.’ And I said, ‘You’re absolutely right.’ Thirty years later, I’m still here.” Between expense-account dinners and partner retreats, fine wine is commonplace enough in the world of corporate law. But it’s rare to find enological appreciation as embedded in a…

WINE SCORE PRICE FAVIA Sauvignon Blanc Coombsville Linea 2017 There’s an explosion of aromatics and flavors in this white, with honeysuckle, Asian pear, Honeycrisp apple and wild thyme accents. 94 $85 DESPARADA Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara 1 McGinley 2018 Offers a wonderful creaminess, with a touch of lemon custard to the ripe melon, pineapple and mango flavors. 93 $38 DRAGONETTE Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Vogelzang Vineyard 2015 Succulent, with ripe apricot and mango flavors that leap out of the glass, set on a smooth and lush frame. 93 $45 HALL Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley 2017 A terrific, fragrant mix of litsea, lemongrass and mango aromas gives way to succulent peach, pear and melon flavors. 93 $35 LAIL Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Blueprint 2017 Aromatic and distinctive,…

When Napa’s Grace Family winery was sold earlier this year, it marked another inevitability in Napa’s generational changing of the guard. The estate was founded by Dick and Ann Grace on a small property just north of St. Helena in 1976. Originally, the front acre plot was an olive orchard; those trees were soon relocated on the property and replaced by grapevines. When the first harvest was completed, the Graces drove their fruit down to Charlie Wagner at Caymus, who liked it so much he bottled it separately under his Caymus label, labeling it as Grace Family. From there the wine went on to earn one of Napa’s first cult followings, with winemaking shifting from Caymus to Grace’s small basement winery a couple of vintages later. Production has always been…

1 DEER CREEK THE ROBIN (COW) deercreekcheese.com This throwback-style Colby, 100% cow’s milk, is buttery, toothsome and inviting. 2 LANDMARK CREAMERY PIPIT (SHEEP) landmarkcreamery.com A lovely semisoft cheese, aged six months, offering a note of bright acidity on the attack that’s balanced by hints of bittersweetness and a rich, round, complex finish. 3 LACLARE FAMILY CREAMERY EVALON (GOAT) laclarefamilycreamery.com A Gouda-like farmstead standout, aged five months, with emerging nutty, mildly goaty and caramel notes. Attractive as a table cheese or as an ingredient, standing in for Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano. 4 WIDMER’S AGED BRICK (COW) widmerscheese.com A washed-rind classic, reminiscent of a French Munster AOC. Aged six months, it stops short of the more obstreperous Limburger but nevertheless delivers full flavor, pleasant funk and a lip-smacking aftertaste. 5 HOOK’S CHEESE COMPANY…

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, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Sauvignon Blanc and other whites, Australia,…

“When you cook, you’re drawn to the things that have a place in your heart,” Haidar Karoum observes. And yet he believes that a reflexive reach for comfort will only take you so far: “Half of the fun is being able to explore different cuisines.” Karoum’s happy place is in the bridge between the two modes. His Washington, D.C., restaurant, Chloe, offers a global menu weaving together diverse traditions. There’s pistachio in the pâte, labneh in the Brussels sprouts, chilelime dipping sauce with the roast chicken, and pappadam, fenugreek and coconut alongside the cod. Hummus might traditionally be served with pita, but it turns out to be excellent with naan too. Growing up in D.C. as a first-generation American, Karoum knew and loved the food of his Lebanese father, an…