Innehållsförteckning för April 30, 2021 från Wine Spectator

I hope all Wine Spectator readers have had a chance to enjoy our previous issue. The March 31 cover story, “Dogs of California Wine Country,” was a departure from our usual coverage. I must admit that all of us here are extremely proud of this effort. The cuddly California winery dogs, along with a gallery of pets from more than three dozen M. Shanken employees, triggered a joyful response from readers. So we have set up a special photo gallery on winespectator.com for readers to share their own dogs with us! Hundreds of readers already have, and my guess is we may reach thousands. You can share a photo of the puppy you love by visiting our gallery submission page at WineSpectator.com/DogPhotos (and check out the full gallery at WineSpectator.com/Dogs).…

Make It Snappy This group of lively Sauvignon Blancs reveals the cornucopia of flavors the grape delivers based on where it’s grown. Within this range, there’s always a crisp, mouthwatering character that makes the wine refreshingly delicious. KERR Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2019 (93, $35) Intense; mango, passion fruit, honeydew melon, honeysuckle, peach blossom, lanolin KENWOOD Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma Coast Six Ridges 2019 (92, $22) Passion fruit, gooseberry, lemon verbena; crisp, stylish GIESEN Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough The Brothers 2019 (91, $20) Vibrant, expressive; peach, apricot, passion fruit, orange blossom LOS VASCOS Sauvignon Blanc Colchagua Valley 2020 (90, $12) Spicy, inviting; green apple, preserved citrus, dried green herbs SHAW & SMITH Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills 2019 (90, $23) Generous, harmonious; ripe yellow apple, pear, lemon curd, thyme FRENZY Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough…

Whenever I write about Champagne or other sparkling wines made in the traditional method, I always note that these are some of the most technically complex wines to produce. Champagne requires two fermentations (the bubbles are created during the second fermentation). Then there’s the incredibly elaborate blending process: wines from three different grapes and potentially thousands of vineyard sources, and in the case of non-vintage Champagne, multiple vintages. A recent tasting with Krug Champagne illustrated the intricacy of the Champagne production process. I met (virtually) with Krug’s chef de cave Julie Cavil and the house’s director, Olivier Krug, to taste the recently released 2006 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil (97, $1,050) alongside the 2006 Brut (97, $285) and the 162nd edition of the Brut Grande Cuvée NV (95,…

Sauvignon Blanc’s ascent continues in the Golden State. Still food-friendly at its heart, with a backbone of fresh acidity, this white has evolved from a summer sipper to a serious wine showing structure and elegance. More winemakers are fine-tuning their approach to create aromatic and expressive versions with plenty of intensity and compelling textures. Until recently, California Sauvignon Blanc didn’t have a place among the state’s most notable wines, nor did the category capture the imagination of winemakers. The barrel-fermented versions that were launched in the 1970s were mostly awkward and dull, while a later wave of straightforward examples eschewing oak tended to be innocuous but uninspired. It was only after vibrant bottlings from New Zealand became popular and a new generation of winemakers found inspiration from Bordeaux’s finest whites—especially…

Aim: Verify that a vineyard’s practices are systemically climate-friendly according to that site’s unique traits Viticulture can help offset greenhouse gas emissions from other causes, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for wine estates. Best practices may vary by microclimate, location or soil type. With this in mind, the nonprofit California Land Stewardship Institute (CLSI) developed a program designed specifically for vineyards and customized to each site. To help test the Climate Adaptation Certification (CAC), the Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) signed on as pilot participants in fall 2019. “We have to be figuring out local solutions, because that’s where you get the win,” says SCW president Karissa Kruse. CLSI executive director Laurel Marcus (who also oversees the Fish Friendly Farming certification to improve regional water quality) reviewed 300 pertinent scientific papers…

The two famed grapes of France’s Burgundy region—Pinot Noir and Chardonnay—have both found a new home in California, where they thrive in multiple winegrowing regions, especially those near the Pacific Ocean. Lucky for us, the state’s long coastline affords an array of diverse spots for winemakers to explore, from the Sonoma Coast north of San Francisco south to the Central Coast counties of Monterey and Sta. Rita Hills. Senior editor Kim Marcus, who covers both of these tasting beats, makes his personal selections based on the wines he thinks are good examples of their respective appellations. All of the picks below exemplify how far California has come as a values leader, since quality Pinots and Chardonnays can be some of the most expensive wines in the world. 90 | $22…

“If I’m ever depressed or grumpy, I’m going to look at this cover to remind me of the feeling of pure joy. I hope it does the same thing for your customers!”—Kim Stare Wallace, Cover, March 31 Where There’s a Will (and Wine) Pre-pandemic, as three couples we would often share Friday night dinners at wine-friendly L.A. restaurants and bring brown-bagged bottles of a given theme and discuss them, during the course of the meal. At the end we would reveal the identities of the wines and further enjoy their merits, or lack thereof. Then came the virus. Recognizing that we were in for a long haul, we devised a strategy that would allow us to continue the wine sharing evenings; we have done that each and every Friday night…

John and Kathe Dyson, owners of Williams Selyem, one of Sonoma’s best-known Pinot Noir producers, announced that they have sold a minority stake in the winery to the Faiveley family of Burgundy’s Domaine Faiveley. The price and share of ownership were not disclosed. The Dysons plan to maintain control of the winery for at least the next three years, at which point they will reexamine the partnership. The Faiveleys will then have an opportunity to acquire a larger stake or even full control. No changes are expected in the day-to-day operations. “[Kathe and I] are both in our mid-seventies, though neither looks or acts like it,” Dyson teased. “I still enjoy walking vineyards, but there comes a time when you should start to think about a successor.” Dyson was resolute…

When Matthew Brichford launched his Jacobs & Brichford brand in 2012, its first three cheeses—Ameribella, Briana and Everton—quickly gained a loyal following among connoisseurs as tasty representations of Midwestern terroir, offering a consistent balance between sweet, fruity, lactic tastes and mouthwatering acidic tang. If there’s a flavor leitmotif running through them all, it’s an earthy grassiness, like the smell of freshmown summer hay. “You can really pick up the taste of our farm,” Brichford claims. While he may have appeared to have burst onto the scene virtually overnight, Brichford’s plan for sustainable grass-fed cheese-farming actually took 17 years to hatch. The story begins even before, in 1980, when Brichford settled on his maternal grandparents’ farm at age 24; a year later, he married his sweetheart, Leslie Jacobs, and soon they…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 DONUM Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Angel Camp Single Vineyard Reserve 2018 $125 CALIFORNIA Lusciously spiced, with plenty of vanilla notes to the ripe cherry and raspberry flavors, ending with a long, burnished finish filled with juicy richness. COLLECTIBLE 97 BARTOLO MASCARELLO Barolo 2016 $190 ITALY A sleek and stylish red, with a supple texture that meshes with the firm yet ripe tannins, providing the backdrop for floral, cherry, currant, earth and tobacco flavors. This stays vibrant and fresh on the resonant finish. SMART BUY 91 BODEGAS MUGA Rioja White 2019 $19 SPAIN A thick texture carries juicy flavors of apple, pineapple and grapefruit, with light anise and vanilla notes. Round yet firm, staying fresh through the spicy finish. BEST VALUE 89 D’ARENBERG The Stump Jump Red McLaren…

Caffè Quattro Mori sits near the harbor in Livorno, a bustling city on Italy’s Tyrrhenian Sea. On a Thursday morning, it is packed with dockworkers, police personnel and businesspeople. They’re dispatching espressos in a single shot and sandwiches and pastries almost as quickly. • Lamberto Frescobaldi is clearly at home here; the down-to-earth Tuscan aristocrat greets acquaintances with a clasp of the shoulder, and the two brothers working behind the bar like long-lost friends, coming across more like a co-worker than a nobleman. Yet Frescobaldi, 57, represents the 30th generation of his family to head the Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi empire, where he has been president since 2013. Its holdings include the prestigious Masseto estate, home to one of the world’s greatest Merlots, as well as wineries both historic and contemporary…

Aim: Create a higher standard for eco-friendly agriculture that incorporates the principles of organics with requirements for improving soil health, animal welfare and worker treatment The idea behind regenerative farming is “not just that your farm isn’t contributing to the problems, but that it’s part of the solution to the challenges we know the world is going to have to deal with more and more over the next decades,” says Tablas Creek partner Jason Haas. Organic farming’s emphasis on forgoing chemical pesticides and fertilizers in favor of natural methods is just the starting point for regenerative farming, which combines “the breadth of sustainability with the rigors of biodynamics, without the mysticism.” Regenerative farming has gained favor in recent years as a means of “carbon farming,” sequestering carbon in the land…

Sparkling wine and rosé are other popular wines tasted by Tim Fish that are upping the ante when it comes to value. California has become a global leader for bubbly by embracing some of the same grapes and winemaking methods used in the traditional sparkling wine regions of the Old World—not a big surprise considering a number of the state’s largest sparkling houses were founded by historic producers from Champagne and Cava. What’s especially impressive is how well they’ve kept down costs, meaning that there are excellent choices available at reasonable prices. With rosé, the issue tends to be the reverse: While many versions are affordable, the focus is on raising quality. On that front, California producers have succeeded as well, sourcing a range of grapes, including Pinot Noir and…

AUSTRALIA Shiraz 94 John Duval Eligo Barossa 2017 $100 Shows tremendous density and concentration, with loamy earth notes and plenty of herbal accents to the dried plum and berry flavors. Offers details of date nut bread, star anise and dark chocolate that add richness and complexity to the finish. Polished tannins are dense and toothsome, never getting in the way of the flavors. Drink now through 2035. 100 cases imported.—M.W. 93 Thistledown Shiraz Barossa Valley Bachelor’s Block Ebenezer 2018 $75 Powerful and impressive, offering a juicy mix of currant, maraschino cherry and spiced plum notes that are fleshy and mouthwatering. Earl Grey tea, dark chocolate, cumin and clove details are aromatic and harmonious, with velvety tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2030. 75 cases made, 25 cases…

Now In Our IGTV Archives FEB. 17 Peter Gago, chief winemaker for Australia’s iconic Penfolds winery FEB. 10 Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, owner of Bolgheri winery Tenuta San Guido, maker of Sassicaia FEB. 3 Annette Alvarez-Peters, former head of Costco Corp.’s alcohol sales; current advisor to Wine Unify JAN. 28 Brice de la Morandiere, managing director at Burgundy’s Domaine Leflaive JAN. 26 Olivier Krug, managing director of Krug Champagne JAN. 22 Marilisa Allegrini, CEO of Italy’s historic Allegrini, based in Valpolicella JAN. 19 Axel Heinz, winemaker, Tuscany’s Ornellaia and Masseto JAN. 14 Jean-Baptiste Rivail, CEO of Napa’s Newton Vineyard JAN. 5 Véronique Drouhin-Boss, winemaker, Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin WATCH ON INSTAGRAM Scan the QR code to start watching on our IGTV channel, or visit instagram.com/wine_spectator/channel…

The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation has donated $100,000 to the Glancy Wine Education Foundation as part of its campaign to support diversity in the wine industry. The contribution will fund scholarships for students demonstrating economic need and a desire to start or advance a career in the wine or hospitality industry using certifications offered at San Francisco Wine School. Glancy is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting disadvantaged and minority communities with scholarships to further their professional wine education. The donated funds provide a significant boost to the foundation, allowing it to support more than 30 students in need of financial aid, especially those from disadvantaged and minority communities, during the most difficult time facing the hospitality industry in decades. “We are positively thrilled at the generosity shown by Wine…

Grapes have been grown in California since the first Spanish missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, and plantings began to take off after the Gold Rush fever died down in the mid-19th century. There have been ebbs and flows ever since, but the most recent boom has been roaring since the late 1960s across the state. Grapes can be grown in the vast majority of California’s 58 counties, the exceptions being the most extreme environments of deserts or high mountains, and to speculate on where the next great Golden State wines will come from is a fascinating exercise. In the post WWII era, Napa and Sonoma counties took the lead in quality production based on their long history of grapegrowing and their proximity to the taste-making center of San…

13TH C. FIRENZE The Frescobaldi family establishes its base in Florence as cloth merchants and bankers. 1252 BUILDING BRIDGES An ancestral Lamberto Frescobaldi constructs a wooden bridge over the Arno to connect his newly established properties to the city center of Florence. 1308 WILL PAINT FOR WINE The Frescobaldi family begins producing wine in Tuscany. Among their notable clients are artists like Michelangelo, who bartered paintings for their wine. 1716 GIVEN THE ROYAL TREATMENT The Grand Duke of Tuscany recognizes Frescobaldi’s Pomino vineyards as a source of quality wine. 1855 THE FRENCH CONNECTION Marchese Vittorio degli Albizzi introduces French grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Tuscany. His daughter would soon marry into the Frescobaldi family and inherit these vines. 1869 GORGONA Gorgona, the smallest island…

The existential and economic threats of 2020 didn’t stop wineries from pressing ahead with critical environmental and social initiatives. On the contrary, even throughout the pandemic shutdowns, the wine community found opportunities to collaborate across borders and make remarkable strides—all while coping with complex health and safety restrictions, new approaches to selling wine with restaurants and tasting rooms closed, trade wars that wrenched global distribution and massive wildfires in the U.S. and Australia. “The best premium companies must stand up and lead by example in the fight to prevent damaging changes in the wine regions of the world,” says Miguel Torres Maczassek, general manager of Spain- and Chile–based Familia Torres, which is involved in multiple partnerships related to sustainable winegrowing. “We have to work together so that our future generation…

Aim: Create a platform for wineries, wine regions, winery suppliers, wine buyers, universities and institutions around the globe to share information about climate-change research and solutions Porto Protocol founder Adrian Bridge, CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, saw many companies and wine regions around the world working independently on projects to adapt to and mitigate climate change. He realized that if there was a clearinghouse for others to learn from the work of these leaders, everyone could make progress more quickly. Bridge decided to “build a network and an open platform of climate solutions, spread across the wine value chain, because there is no time nor need to reinvent things that are working.” He organized global Climate Change Leadership conferences in Porto in 2018 and 2019, gathering participants from within and…

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. Kim Marcus California Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, Argentina, Chile Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Germany, Austria James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Sauvignon Blanc and other whites, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Italy, Champagne, Alsace, South…