Innehållsförteckning för August 31, 2021 från Wine Spectator

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 95 CLOS APALTA Vinedo Apalta Apalta 2017 $160 CHILE Offers an intensely rich and fruity aroma, with concentrated flavors to match, showing cherry tart, raspberry and dark plum. Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. COLLECTIBLE 96 TENUTA SAN GUIDO Bolgheri-Sassicaia Sassicaia 2018 $256 ITALY Refined and complex, this red is all about finesse and restraint, featuring floral and black currant flavors that build on the palate, with notes of olive, cedar, tobacco and spice. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. SMART BUY 92 CRAGGY RANGE Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough Te Muna 2020 $22 NEW ZEALAND This white shows depth and complexity, with fleshy notes of ripe Crenshaw melon, apricot and pineapple mingling with accents of candied ginger and lemon verbena on the finish. BEST VALUE 91 YALUMBA Shiraz South…

Defined by luxury and purity of cuisine, Le Bernardin has prospered for more than three decades. It stands as one of the world’s best restaurants for seafood for its dedication to a self-imposed culinary ethos: fresh, simple and prepared with respect. Chef Gilbert Le Coze and his sister Maguy moved from Paris to open the restaurant in New York’s Midtown neighborhood in 1986. Tragically, Gilbert died in 1994. Eric Ripert, also born in France, became chef, and later co-owner, adhering to Le Bernardin’s original philosophy of making seafood the star of the plate. Chef Ripert masterfully navigates all that the sea has to offer, with incomparable dishes such as the mainstay tuna with foie gras on baguette as well as newer standouts such as seaweed tagliatelle with geoduck clam and…

This September, Marcello’s La Sirena, a Grand Award winner since 2015, will open its doors in West Palm Beach to begin its 36th year of service. Co-owner Marcello Fiorentino has never felt so grateful. He feels especially happy that he and his wife, co-owner Diane, were able to keep nearly all of their staff members employed throughout the pandemic. He’s also grateful to his customers, many of whom have been loyal patrons and cheerleaders of his small restaurant for years, if not decades. La Sirena occupies a unique place in the restaurant world. The one dining room holds just 60 seats—and looks even smaller. Diane runs the front of the house, while Marcello runs the kitchen and wine program, just as he has done for the past 25 years. Despite…

In August 2020, our cover story proclaimed “Restaurants in Crisis.” There was no other way to describe the unprecedented challenges facing the industry in the midst of the darkest year in their history. At that time, even with no end to the global pandemic in sight, we predicted that restaurants would find a new normal. However, even we could not have imagined the ingenuity and resilience that would be demonstrated by restaurant owners and their hospitality workers in their efforts to survive. But survive they did. And while the scene has not fully recovered, there is no doubt that American restaurants are back in business! Their future is all but assured by the success of a massive vaccination program that has patrons eagerly returning to dining rooms across the nation…

Australians get a lot right in wine and food, and we’d do well to pay more attention to one of their favorite products: lamb. Lamb is a passion Down Under, to the extent that sheep outnumber humans by about 3-to-1, and Australia is the second-highest lamb producing country (the U.S. imports about 60% of our lamb, and 75% of that comes from Australia). They differ from most American lambs in that they are grass-fed, resulting in less fat and a high ratio of Omega-3 fatty acids. Most crucially though they are brought to market younger, resulting in tender and tasty meat. High-quality lamb shines on the grill with simple preparations inspired by the Mediteranean or Greek islands. However, Australian cuisine welcomes many influences, including Asian inflections. Once you commit to…

Austria produces a wide range of wines for a relatively small winegrowing country. Credit that to its diverse regions, from the ancient rocks of the Wachau in the north to Styria’s verdant slopes in the south. Add in a younger generation of vintners, who are working in an environmentally friendly manner in the vineyard and experimenting with natural winemaking in the cellar, and the result is a dynamic wine scene across the country. This report focuses on more than 100 Austrian wines reviewed in blind tastings in Wine Spectator’s New York office since our last report (“Bettering Blaufränkisch,” Oct. 15, 2020). The majority of the wines are new releases from Niederösterreich, or Lower Austria, encompassing the DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) regions of Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, Carnuntum, Traisental and Weinviertel, along…

Wine Spectator’s New York office closed officially on March 23, 2020, part of the statewide lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. With our entire staff working from home, my wife, Shawn, and I decamped to our vacation house on the Jersey shore where there were few people and plenty of fresh air. Initially our company mailroom was closed, and we stopped receiving samples of wines for review. Because a significant part of my job is blind-tasting wines in our New York office, it became a challenge to continue to generate reviews. A few editors, including myself, decided to taste wines at home. In order to ensure the integrity of our blind-tasting procedures, our assistant tasting coordinators (ATCs) masked up and under strict COVID-19 protocols, went to the office individually…

Farm-to-table is a phrase that’s overused and abused, but SingleThread, in Healdsburg, Calif., takes the concept to an ambitious level, elevating the dining experience to an immersive adventure. The husband-wife duo behind SingleThread—Kyle and Katina Connaughton—are the indispensable ingredients. Katina runs the opertation’s 24-acre farm in nearby Dry Creek Valley that supplies much of the restaurant’s herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Kyle creates the 10-course menu that innovates on the fresh flavors from the farm while layering in Japanese influences. Pair that with wine director Rusty Rastello’s nearly 2,600-bottle list and you’ll be ready to hand yourself over to the experience. When weather cooperates, guests have the option of starting the evening with a glass of wine in the rooftop garden on the third floor, enjoying views of Russian River…

In April 2020, Eleven Madison Park chef and owner Daniel Humm teamed up with Rethink Food, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit for hunger relief. He realized that his out-of-commission staff could be put to work preparing meals for vulnerable New Yorkers and first responders as part of Rethink’s COVID-19 Restaurant Response Program. Keeping a small team employed, Eleven Madison Park prepared nearly 1 million meals for those experiencing food insecurity over the past year. “Through this work, I experienced the magic of food in a whole new way, and I also saw a different side of our city—and today I love New York more than ever,” said Humm. “What began as an effort to keep our team employed while feeding people in need has become some of the most fulfilling work of…

With dining rooms closed and bills piling up, many restaurants were forced to treat their wine cellars as a piggy bank. States around the country allowed restaurants to sell wine with takeout orders. Auctioneers came calling, too. And an impressive wine list is no use to a bankrupt business. With 30,000 bottles, including plenty of rarities, Grand Award–winning Mastro’s Steakhouse at the Post Oak in Houston had a big piggy. But Tilman Fertitta, the owner of Mastro’s, along with more than 600 restaurants, hotels and casinos around the country, wasn’t prepared to make that withdrawal. Keith Goldston, who helps oversee fine wine programs for the company, recalls the day he spotted Fertitta driving through the parking lot of his corporate headquarters in Houston. “Tilman pulled over,” remembers Goldston, “rolls down…

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…

Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, founded in 1981, recognizes outstanding restaurants with extraordinary wine programs. We honor 103 restaurants with our Grand Award this year; listed here, they represent 17 countries and 14 states plus the District of Columbia. For more information about these distinguished restaurants, turn to the Restaurant Awards listings beginning on page 75; comprehensive coverage is also available at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. 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 Madera Grand Award since 2018 Murray Circle Grand Award since 2016 ♦Patina Grand Award since 1994 The Plumed Horse Grand Award since 2015 Restaurant Gary Danko Grand Award since 2001 ♦The Restaurant at Meadowood Grand Award since…

Jim Clendenen Jim Clendenen, who brought a love of Burgundy to his groundbreaking Santa Barbara winery Au Bon Climat and helped put the region on the world winemaking stage, died in his sleep on May 15 at his home near the town of Buellton, Calif. He was 68. Clendenen was a tireless proponent of Santa Barbara wines from his base in the cool-climate Santa Maria Valley in the northern reaches of the county. His Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from a variety of vineyard sources helped set the quality bar high for the region’s wines. He was also a frequent traveler, spreading the gospel of Santa Barbara wines and Burgundian varietals in California. With a flowing mane of blond hair and a beard to match, Clendenen cut a distinctive figure in…

You Say Syrah Syrah or Shiraz—no matter how you say it, Australia’s signature red delivers plenty of spicy goodness and savory fruit flavors, all at a terrific quality-to-price ratio. Four versions anchor this selection of Aussie wines, which also includes a flavorful Cabernet, a supple Pinot Noir, a floral Viognier and a textbook Hunter Valley Sémillon. BEN HAINES Syrah Grampians 2020 (94, $35) Generous, pure; plum, cherry, raspberry, matcha, green olive tapenade, loam, baking spices FIRST DROP Shiraz Barossa Mother’s Milk 2019 (92, $20) Black cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, white tea, black licorice, spice; vibrant, complex MOLLYDOOKER Shiraz South Australia The Boxer 2019 (92, $30) Thick, powerful; ripe dark berry, allspice, Earl Grey, vanilla, milk chocolate RINGBOLT Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2019 (92, $20) Ripe berry, plum, black licorice, espresso, star…

In 1974, when Jay Boberg was 16, he saw The Who on their Quadrophenia tour. “It was a life-changing experience for me,” recalls Boberg, who was studying classical guitar at the time. That concert, in many ways, set Boberg on a path toward rock-and-roll glory. Music fans will recognize the roster of bands that Boberg, as co-founder of I.R.S. Records, helped establish in the late 1970s and early 1980s: the Police, R.E.M., the Go-Go’s, English Beat and the Bangles. Later, as president of MCA Records, he was instrumental in the careers of Mary J. Blige, Alanis Morissette, Blink-182 and Sublime in the 1990s. But Oregon Pinot Noirs lovers will know Boberg from Nicolas-Jay, his Willamette Valley partnership with winemaker Jean-Nicolas Méo of Burgundy’s Domaine Méo-Camuzet. Boberg was at UCLA when…

History is everywhere at Brennan’s. Walk past the pink facade at 417 Royal Street, through the Champagne and Sazerac-fueled bar, the garden dining room that has served thousands of plates of Eggs Sardou and Bananas Foster, and you’ll find the restaurant’s wine cellar. The small brick building was the carriage house when this was a classic French Quarter home. Lining the wall of the rickety old wooden staircase to the second floor are gleaming plaques—Wine Spectator Grand Awards the restaurant won from 1983 to 2005. In the fall of 2005, though, this wine cellar was empty, its heart torn out. The thousands of bottles of wine the restaurant had acquired over decades had been ruined after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures knocked out power, cooking the wine as it…

Restaurants are inherently risky businesses, and over the past year the COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible impact on the industry. Despite their enormous efforts, some of our awardwinning restaurants—from long-honored classics to exciting newcomers—have been forced to close their doors for good. As of presstime in June, 106 Restaurant Award winners have closed. We list them in here in alphabetical order. Wine Spectator is grateful for these businesses’ involvement in our Restaurant Awards program over time, and for their dedication to building exceptional wine lists. We look forward to learning about new paths and new ventures from these dining establishments and their wine professionals. AMERICA EATS TAVERN Washington, D.C. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 2019 AQUAGRILL New York, N.Y. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1999 AUBURN Los Angeles, Calif. AWARD 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. 97Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain El Camino 2017 $300 CALIFORNIA This is really dark and winey, with waves of gorgeous black currant, fig and blackberry preserves rolling through with seeming abandon, until the back half kicks in, where tar, apple wood and cast iron notes add focus and direction. Violet, anise and black tea notes add additional range as they peek in throughout. Feels like a wine that won’t budge for two decades. Best from 2026 through 2040. 180 cases made.—J.M. 97Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District Rhadamanthus 2018 $265 CALIFORNIA Offers a dark profile and buried minerality, yet this stays sleek and focused overall,…

AUSTRALIA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 95 John Duval Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Integro 2017 $150 Impressive, distinctive and stylish, with a sleek, supple profile of fine-grained tannins that set up a lovely frame for the precise flavors of kirsch, framboise, Kalamata olive, dried violet, blueberry pie and Earl Grey tea. Deep and complex, yet wonderfully elegant and light on its feet, with beautiful aromatics. Drink now through 2040. 100 cases imported.—M.W. 94 Leeuwin Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Art Series 2017 $60 Aromatic and extremely complex, a big wine with many nuances. Green olive, cedar, blueberry and wild blackberry flavors are at the core of this dense, succulent red, with velvety, polished tannins. Complexity only gains on the finish, where nuances of tobacco, thyme, sarsaparilla and Earl Grey tea linger. Drink now…