Innehållsförteckning för October 15, 2022 från Wine Spectator

I have a new friend in Sonoma—one I’ve yet to meet in person. Last year, I was listening to The Taste, a podcast by California winemaker Doug Shafer that I’ve found quite interesting over the years. Doug’s guest in that episode was Robert Kamen. Frankly, I’d never heard of him, but I was intrigued by his career and thoughtful commentary. Then, I was inspired to do something I rarely do, which was to track down his cell number and call him directly. I tried him twice and left messages, but he didn’t return my calls. Undeterred, I then sent him an email, which finally persuaded him to pick up the phone. As it turns out, he didn’t believe that it was actually Marvin Shanken leaving messages for him. He assumed…

Bordeaux awoke to a shock one July morning when a yet-to-be-identified winery owner was arrested, along with 20 co-conspirators, in a raid by French gendarmes. Authorities first caught whiff of the alleged crime from Spain and bottling it as prestigious Bordeaux ring this past September, when they stumbled upon wine-counterfeiting equipment, including clues to a complaint made months earlier by the his wine was being counterfeited. By November, the gendarmes’ special wine squad was on the case. According to the prosecutor’s office, they found evidence of “a large-scale fraud organized by the owner of a vineyard in the Médoc also having the status of a négociant.” The reported scam involved sourcing inexpensive wine from other regions of France as well as château wines at suspiciously low prices. The investigation is…

Golden State This group features a range of offerings from California. Half are familiar varietals, while the other half are blends. The High On The Hog is based on Grenache, while the Broc Cellars Love White, a Marsanne blend, is sold as a 355ml can. HORSE & PLOW Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2021 (92, $26) Intense, juicy; lemongrass, candied ginger, white grapefruit, green apple CASS Mr. Blanc Paso Robles Geneseo District 2021 (90, $19) Lush, lively, supple; jasmine flower, honeydew rind, lemon verbena GIRARD Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2020 (89, $19) Orange, tangerine, apple, apricot, orange blossom; smooth, fresh HONIG Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Lake Counties 2021 (89, $22) Plump, focused; orange blossom, tangerine, mango, citrus zest, spice MCPRICE MYERS High On The Hog Paso Robles 2020 (89, $25) Raspberry, peppered beef, savory spices;…

California’s Rhône-style wines thrive throughout the state, whether it’s hearty reds made from Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre or floral whites from Viognier and Grenache Blanc. This diversity of locales and grape varieties is what keeps the wines interesting—and keeps consumers and winemakers coming back for more. That said, specific regions stand out in different vintages, and the 2019 harvest belongs to California’s Central Coast, particularly Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. That’s my takeaway after reviewing more than 200 Rhône-style reds in blind tastings at our Napa office since my previous report (“Open Range,” May 31, 2021), in addition to nearly 75 Rhône-style whites reviewed by me or senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec. For Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, I give the 2019 reds a classic rating of 95 points on Wine…

97 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2019 $250 CALIFORNIA This Oakville stunner is loaded with cassis, plum reduction and boysenberry pâte de fruit aromas and flavors, all allied to a deeply embedded iron spine. Singed alder and apple wood notes frame the edges, while sparkles of anise, violet and bramble add range and textual nuance. Reveals a great tug of earth late on the finish, with the fruit still dripping at the very end. Built for the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,200 cases made.—J.M. 97 Château d’Yquem Sauternes 2019 $367 FRANCE A special wine right from the start, this glistens with pure papaya, mango, white peach and mirabelle plum, joined by elderflower honey, toasted macadamia nut and orange blossom notes. Ends with a remarkably long finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.…

90 Viña Haras de Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Hussonet Gran Reserva 2019 $15 CHILE This sanguine red opens with a layer of roasted coffee bean flavors, which join a core of cherry tart before fanning out around mineral-laced acidity. Picks up details of cinnamon-accented chocolate, showing nice length around firm tannins. Drink now through 2032. 2,500 cases imported.—A.R. 88 Viña Bujanda Rioja Crianza 2018 $15 SPAIN A fresh, medium-bodied red, with iron and mineral accents underscoring crushed black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. The chewy finish shows tobacco and citrus notes. Drink now. 30,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.—A.N. 88 Chateau Ste. Michelle Rosé Columbia Valley 2021 $11 WASHINGTON This rosé is delicate and crisp, offering pretty strawberry and watermelon flavors that linger. Drink now. 145,000 cases made.—T.F. 88 Grounded Wine Co.…

Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 92 Tzora Misty Hills Judean Hills 2020 $90 A decadent though balanced red, with ample lush black fruit, mocha and toasted spice offset by a mineral core and lip-smacking acidity. Integrated and complete, with velvety tannins carrying the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Kosher. Drink now through 2030. 450 cases made, 120 cases imported.—B.S. 91 Domaine du Castel Grand Vin Haute-Judée 2019 $90 Bold and polished, with cassis and red berry flavors that are silky on a well-defined palate. Stylish and pure, this shows elegant balance between sweet fruit and toasty cedar, leafy tobacco and spice elements, with energetic drive through the lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Kosher. Drink now through 2030. 3,700 cases made, 800 cases imported.—J.M. 91 Golan Heights Winery…

Pinot Noir 94 Soléna Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Prince Hill Vineyard 2019 $55 A structured and expressive red, with tart blueberry and black cherry flavors accented by clove, nutmeg and orange peel hints, gathering richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030. 150 cases made.—T.F. 94 Stoller Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Helen’s 2019 $75 Offers a luscious texture and elegantly layered flavors, backed by an agile structure and cherry and pomegranate notes that show accents of orange peel and zesty cinnamon as this builds tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030. 657 cases made.—T.F. 94 Stoller Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Nancy’s 2019 $75 Expressively aromatic and supple in structure, this Pinot highlights raspberry and pomegranate flavors that are laced with green tea, clove and other dark spices as this builds…

Popcorn Now’s a good time to set aside your go-to brand and try out Anson Mills. Producers of Carolina Gold rice and heirloom grains, Anson Mills also makes delicious popcorn, which has more sweet corn aromas and flavors and a texture that’s less dry and squeaky. Lash it with salt, maybe some butter, and fire up your streaming service. ansonmills.com; 12 ounces for $7 Malted Milk Balls Jacques Torres is a French pastry chef who reached the pinnacle in restaurants there and then in New York City before starting his own company of products, which apply French know-how to American tastes. Here, the chocolate is Belgian, and at 60% cacao, the dark candies are more flavorful and less sweet than at the movies. mrchocolate.com; 8 ounces for $15 Candy-Coated Licorice…

For Northern California, 2020 was a year that started with a shutdown due to a global pandemic and then saw the growing season come to a halt due to devastating wildfires. “As the pandemic progressed, we were really worried about how are we going to farm, pick fruit and make wine. There were a lot of unknowns,” says Sam Kaplan, winemaker for Memento Mori, a boutique Napa Cabernet producer. “And then when it came to the fires, we had to test for smoke taint. But doing that in a pandemic and with the crush of everyone testing, samples were taking weeks and months to come back. But we just kept plowing forward.” I sat down with Kaplan and a handful of Napa winemakers and growers, including Maya Dalla Valle (Dalla…

Eran Pick was working as a winemaker in Sonoma when a trip home to his native Israel and a visit to Tzora Vineyards in the Judean Hills in 2006 changed his destiny. “Walking through the vineyard, you see it has hallmarks of the greatest vineyards in the world—shallow limestone soils, 60-million-year-old marine fossils, vines growing on rocks—and the Mediterranean, which you can see from the vineyards.” Pick was hired on the spot by the late Ronnie James, who founded Tzora in 1993. Thus, like so many in Israel’s current generation of winemakers, Pick returned home after years of winemaking abroad armed with knowledge and perspective that has helped chart a new course for this both ancient and emerging region. “I want to tell the story of a place, not a…

Perhaps you just want that elusive bottle of Pappy. But keep in mind that soon to be hitting shelves are a slew of limited editions that will cost you far less and are just as tasty. Here’s what to keep an eye out for this fall. If you find them at retail price, consider yourself fortunate, as collectors and scarcity drive demand for bottlings with proven pedigree. BLOOD OATH Eight editions of Blood Oath’s Pact series exist, all exceptional blends of various revered small batches. The most recent, No. 8, married a 14-year high-rye Bourbon with an 11-year high-rye and an 8-year high-rye, finished in Calvados casks from Normandy. MSRP: $120 | EXPECT TO PAY: $300+ CLYDE MAY’S 15 YEAR This Alabama-based distillery imparts local influence over stock whiskey sourced…

94 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2021 $23 NEW ZEALAND This stunning white is aromatic, fresh and intense, with notes of lemon curd, yuzu, peach, ripe melon and honeysuckle that are effortless and mouthwatering, backed by lemongrass and candied ginger notes on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 5,000 cases imported.—M.W. 93 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2019 $29 OREGON Shows class and elegance, with an almost effortless complexity that offers floral cherry and cranberry flavors laced with notes of black tea and dusky spice, gliding on the polished finish. Drink now through 2029. 2,208 cases made.—T.F. 400,000+ WINE RATINGS Search our database by winery, region, variety, vintage, price, score and more WineSpectator.com/Wine 92 Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2021 $22 CALIFORNIA Aromatic, intense and distinctive, this delivers mouthwatering lemongrass, Meyer lemon,…

ARGENTINA Malbec 89 Almarada Malbec Uco Valley Single Vineyard 2020 $15 A medium-bodied wine, offering a creamy texture, flavors of spiced berry compote and a tinge of wild thyme and vanilla oak. Features enough acidity to push the flavors to the finish, which reveals mineral nuances around suave tannins. Drink now. 5,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.—A.R. 89 Bodega Alandes Malbec Uco Valley 2021 $22 A lushly fruity red, steeped with mouthcoating blackberry and plum preserves, revealing subtle toasted herbs on the finish. Drink now. 1,500 cases made, 1,050 cases imported.—A.R. 89 Bodegas Bianchi Malbec Mendoza Organic 2021 $25 This red has a pleasant loamy cast, with a core of vanilla-tinged blackberry and plum flavors, which fan out around fresh acidity. Picks up mineral and spice notes, and ends with fine…

Priorat 94 Ferrer Bobet Priorat Selecció Especial Vinyes Velles 2018 $138 Shows a rich fruit profile of blackberry tart and crème de cassis layered with an aromatic overtone of wild herbs and notes of toast, smoke, licorice and vanilla. Fresh and stylish, with sculpted tannins providing fine definition and tension to the expressive flavor range. Drink now through 2033. 422 cases made, 45 cases imported.—A.N. 94 Mas Martinet Viticultors Priorat Camí Pesseroles 2019 $125 An elegant red, deftly integrating a core of sculpted tannins with a fine range of pureed black raspberry, anise, white pepper, loamy earth and licorice notes. Floral on the nose, with good length and tension on the fresh finish. Grenache and Carignan. Drink now through 2029. 250 cases made, 20 cases imported.—A.N. 94 Álvaro Palacios Priorat Finca…

Oregon Pinot Noir country has a new appellation. The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the Mount Pisgah American Viticultural Area (AVA) on June 3, and the designation went into effect July 5. The approval brings the total number of wine appellations in the Beaver State to 23. The new AVA—which, in full, is officially called Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon—is the second-most southern subappellation within the Willamette Valley, next to Lower Long Tom, which was approved in November 2021. Mount Pisgah is southwest of Eola-Amity Hills and Salem, the state capital. (The long name is meant to avoid confusion with another Mount Pisgah, in Lane County.) Encompassing 5,530 acres, Mount Pisgah is the second-smallest AVA in Willamette Valley, but with 584 acres of vines, it…

Trisha Yearwood traveled to California wine country this summer, performing at Festival Napa Valley’s Arts for All Gala in July, part of the festival’s 16th summer season. The singer, actress, author, chef and entrepreneur has numerous Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards to her name. She’s written four best-selling cookbooks and also designed cookware, furniture and home accessories. Her hit Food Network series Trisha’s Southern Kitchen garnered an Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Culinary Show.” Yearwood recently spoke with Wine Spectator about the Napa festival, her discovery of wine after growing up in a family that didn’t imbibe, and what she needs to prepare a delicious home-cooked meal. Wine Spectator: How did wine enter your life? Was there wine at the table when you…

You need not fly to Tel Aviv to experience world-class Israeli dishes. The new excitement around Israel’s modern cuisine, flourishing in top restaurants and home kitchens around the globe, is easy to understand. “The food of Israel is about sunshine and bright, fresh flavors–and imbued with a lot of tradition, passion and soul,” describes cookbook author Adeena Sussman. The origin story of Israeli’s culinary tradition is complex. “The cuisine born here is a mix of many cultures that have come together; it’s Jewish, Arabic, Ethiopian, Christian and Middle Eastern,” Sussman explains. Born in the United States, Sussman moved to Tel Aviv six years ago. Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen, her much-celebrated cookbook, is her meditation on cooking from the shuk (local market) and tells the complicated history…

“Can I improve upon the basic randomness of nature itself?” Randall Grahm and I are catching up over lunch in Napa. It’s been ages since I’ve seen the vintner, but he’s still the same old Randall, including the long ponytail, the John Lennon-inspired glasses and the wry smile. The iconoclast winemaker, who popularized screwcaps and Rhônestyle wines in California, is known for a colorful and irreverent approach to wine. He sold his ownership in Bonny Doon in 2020 and partnered with Gallo in 2021 in a new Central Coast wine label called The Language of Yes. But we’re here to talk about his latest project, which, like many of Grahm’s ventures, has philosophical questions at the root of it. Grahm is in town to show off some of the first…

95 Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara County Colson Canyon Vineyard 2020 $46 CALIFORNIA This red combines grace with power, with expressive blackberry and blueberry flavors that show garrigue, river stone and smoked pepper tones, finishing with big but refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 1,925 cases made.—T.F. 94 Calcareous Moose Paso Robles 2019 $60 CALIFORNIA A dynamic red, polished yet deeply structured, this offers expressive blackberry, grilled anise, river stone and smoked pepper accents that build richness toward fine-grained tannins. Syrah and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2031. 835 cases made.—T.F. 94 DeLille D2 Columbia Valley 2019 $50 WASHINGTON Polish meets structure in this red, which offers well-defined black cherry, toasty spice and bay leaf accents as this slowly unfurls toward fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now…

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). 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. Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Germany, Austria James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Rhône Valley, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Spain, Italy, Champagne, Alsace, South Africa Tim Fish California Zinfandel and Merlot, Oregon, Washington, U.S. sparkling wines Aaron Romano Argentina, Chile Kristen Bieler France, Israel How We Do…

Rhône 92 Domaine Benedetti Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019 $55 Showing steeped plum and dark cherry notes with solid depth, this is carried by a grippy, tarry spine and flanked by dried anise, garrigue and warm earthy accents. On the burly, muscular side, but will certainly have fans. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Best from 2023 through 2033. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 767 cases made, 400 cases imported.—J.M. 91 Rhonéa Gigondas Les Pas de Montmirail 2020 $35 A complex red showingimpressive depth, with supple cherry and fleshy plum flavors encased in iron. Gains intrigue from crushed herbs and bright anise accents. Beautifully approachable now, thanks to the silky tannins, yet this is built to go the distance. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2032. 1,900 cases made, 250 cases imported.—J.M. 90 Sélection…

CALIFORNIA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 97 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2019 $250 See Collectibles, page 83. 95 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Black Label 2019 $160 Delivers a serious core of warmed cassis, macerated plum and black cherry puree flavors that move in lockstep, carried by a graphite spine and flanked with judicious apple wood and alder. Very solidly built. Best from 2023 through 2035. 1,529 cases made.—J.M. 94 Fe Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District Fe 2019 $175 Well-packed, with blackberry, mulberry and black currant notes carried by brambly grip. Juicy throughout, with abundant anise, chaparral and violet accents spilling in on the finish. Maintains cut and detail, too. Best from 2023 through 2035. 435 cases made.—J.M. 93 Fe 26 Spring Mountain District 2019 $125 A core of lively açaí berry, boysenberry…