Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2019 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Adam M. Strum PUBLISHER & EDITORAdam M. Strum PUBLISHER & EDITORAdam M. Strum PUBLISHER & EDITORAdamAdad Susan Kostrzewa EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jay Spaleta SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Marina Vataj CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julia Lea TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR Layla Schlack ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Daniels TASTING ASSISTANT TASTING DIRECTOR Fiona Adams TASTING COORDINATOR Craig Chamberlain DIGITAL SENIOR DIGITAL EDITORS Dylan Garret, Siobhan Wallace ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella JR. SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Evan Spadaccini DESIGN ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Megan Baggott ASSOCIATE DIGITAL DESIGNER Matthew Dimas CONTRIBUTING EDITORS EUROPEAN EDITOR Roger Voss ITALIAN EDITOR Kerin O’Keefe WINE Michael Schachner, Paul Gregutt, Virginie Boone, Jim Gordon, Matt Kettmann, Sean…

In The Long Goodbye, a 1953 novel by Raymond Chandler, hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe says, “A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice, and nothing else. It beats Martinis hollow.” No offense to Marlowe, but at Cleveland’s Society Lounge, you won’t find a bottle of Rose’s. The bar makes every item from scratch, other than the liquor itself. For the bracing Cucumber Gimlet, one of the bar’s signature drinks, lime juice and simple syrup create a sweet, tart backdrop that’s freshened by muddled cucumber. It’s not the 50-50 proportion that Marlowe preferred, but he was a better gumshoe than bartender. CUCUMBER GIMLET Courtesy Joseph Fredrickson, owner/operator, Society Lounge, Cleveland 3 long, thin slices English cucumber¾ ounce lime juice¾ ounce simple syrup2 ounces Citadelle GinLong piece cucumber…

There are more than 10,000 types of tomato, which range in color from white to black and are used around the globe in everything from drinks to dessert. This popularity hasn’t spared them of a reputation for being difficult to pair with wine, however, thanks in large part to their considerable acidity. But, as American farmers markets flood with juicy, field-ripened varieties this time of year—a delight after months of bland supermarket tomatoes—there are ways to find your perfect partner pour, depending on which side of the flavor spectrum they fall. ♦ SWEET Juicy sweetness is the hallmark of a great tomato. Cooking can accentuate this, as it concentrates and caramelizes sugar while reducing acidity. An off-dry Riesling can be a delicious and hedonistic match. For cooked tomato sauces,…

FREGOLA SARDA WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND RICOTTA SALATA Courtesy David Nayfeld, co-owner/executive chef, Che Fico Alimentari, San Francisco 1 cup fregola sarda¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, for drizzling2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar4 teaspoons capers, chopped12 pitted Taggiasca olives (or other small olives), halved½ cup crumbled ricotta salata2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more, for garnishSalt, to taste12 ounces heirloom tomatoes, sliced into thin wedges6 oil-cured anchovy filletsFresh black pepper, to finish Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add fregola sarda and cook until just tender, about 14 minutes. Drain pasta, and transfer to large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Add olive oil, vinegar, capers, olives, cheese and parsley to pasta, and toss to combine. Season with salt, to taste. Arrange pasta and tomatoes on serving…

Executive Chef Diego Moya and Wine Director Pascaline Lepeltier Racines New York City Diego, you started at Racines in January 2019. What was it like coming into such an established wine destination? Moya: The ethos of the wine list is how I feel about vegetables and other produce. With minimal-intervention wine, you can find a lot more nuance. I like to put twists on things, but for the most part, I’m interested in the product and how it tastes. Lepeltier: We have the same theories about this. We’re at the end of the chain of farmers today, and I think there’s some responsibility to show that respectful farming can be transported to a restaurant in the heart of Manhattan and still be affordable to the guest. Your wine list…

PINOT GRIGIO 92 Abbazia di Novacella 2018 Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige Valle Isarco). Enticing aromas of spring flower, white stone fruit and alpine herb shape the nose. The rounded medium-bodied palate delivers creamy Bartlett pear, apple, juicy citrus and a smoky mineral note alongside tangy acidity. Abbazia di Novacella USA. Editors’ Choice. —K.O. abv: 13.5% Price: $20 92 Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano 2018 Anger Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige). White spring flower, honeydew melon and yellow stone-fruit aromas lead the way on this savory white. The creamy full-bodied palate also shows elegance and freshness, offering yellow apple, ripe peach, lemon drop and mineral before a white-almond finish. Tangy acidity brightens the rich flavors. Winebow. Editors’ Choice. —K.O. abv: 14% Price: $23 90 Erste Neue 2018 Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige).…

MALBEC 95 Lamadrid 2013 Matilde Single Vineyard Malbec (Agrelo). For full review see page 89. Editors’ Choice. abv: 14% Price: $80 94 Avarizza 2015 Reserva Malbec (Mendoza). An opaque color and ripe blackberry aromas combine forces to create a bold opening. A lush overflows with blackberry and chocolate but shows plenty of levity. Elegance among heavyweight Malbecs isn’t common, but this newcomer has it. Drink through 2028. Vida Wines, LLC. Editors’ Choice. —M.S. abv: 15% Price: $30 94 Mendel 2016 Finca Remota Malbec (Mendoza). Warm, leathery black fruit aromas are tightly focused but ripe and generous. A crackling palate stores intensity and strong tannins. Deep flavors of black plum, black cherry, dark spices and toast conclude with pepper notes and drying, hard-pounding tannins. Drink 2020–2030. Vine Connections. Cellar Selection.…

PINOT NOIR 94 Brooks 2016 Toluca Lane Pinot Noir (Eola-Amity Hills). A standout among a large number of excellent 2017s from Brooks, the Toluca Lane grabs hold with a delicious mix of raspberry jam streaked with orange marmalade. The firm acidity provides balance and lift, and carries the wine through a lingering, textural finish. The tannins initially show a bit of phenolic bite, but a little extra aeration will take care of that. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14% Price: $48 94 Domaine Divio 2017 Pinot Noir (Eola-Amity Hills). For full review see page 90. Cellar Selection. abv: 14.3% Price: $48 94 Domaine Divio 2017 Pinot Noir (Ribbon Ridge). For full review see page 90. Editors’ Choice. abv: 13.7% Price: $48 93 Domaine Divio 2017 Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains). From…

If you’re not familiar with genever, you’re certainly not alone. But an influx of genevers to the U.S.—as well as domestic gin bottlings inspired by the spirit—means that now is a great time to get to know Holland’s native distillate. But what is genever, exactly? One pun-loving producer of the spirit likes to explain it this way: “Genever defined, for Trekkies: ‘It’s like gin, but not as we know it.’” Kidding aside, that’s an apt description. Genever is a lot like gin. Both contain juniper, and often familiar spices like coriander or anise; citrus peels; or bittering agents like orris root or angelica. But it’s also not gin. Gin can be made anywhere while genever has specific regional denominations. It is mostly produced in Holland and Belgium, as well as…

My Dear Husband, I have enjoyed watching you blossom from a wine novice into a quasi-sommelier who downloads wine documentaries, has accumulated a vast collection of aerators and decanters, and reads The Wine Bible before bed. But we need to talk. Lately, your enthusiasm for wine has become a little…obnoxious. I still love you with all my heart, but just as you’ve managed to accept my shortcomings, I ask that you learn to accept the faults you perceive in others—namely, their tastes and approaches to wine. You often take issue with not only what people drink, but how they drink. You’re reluctant to bring the “good” bottles to your friend’s house for Thanksgiving because he drinks too fast. You don’t like opening your prized red blends over dinner with me…

Beer and food have always enjoyed a special relationship, so it follows that brewers and restaurants often join forces to accentuate each other’s creations. They are alchemists of sorts that combine art and science to create flavorful magic through distinctive ingredients. Here are few examples of these collaborations. HIGGINS ANNIVERSARY ALE pFriem Family Brewers and Higgins A longtime proponent of local craft breweries, Higgins, in Portland, Oregon, collaborated with Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers to create a beer for the restaurant’s 25th anniversary. The result was a Belgian-style farmhouse ale made with Calamondin oranges, cardamom and green peppercorns. IVAN RAMEN TO BÍIRU Mikkeller NYC and Ivan Ramen When Ivan Ramen established a pop-up restaurant for a week at Mikkeller’s Copenhagen bar, the two decided to brew something special. To…

WHITE PORT VINTAGE 94 C. da Silva 1971 Golden White Colheita Port. This intense wine is finely balanced, showing acidity as well as the remnants of orange marmalade fruits. It is a very fine, rich wine with great acidity as well as richness. Other Brothers Brands. —R.V. abv: 19.5% Price: $175 94 C. da Silva 1968 Dalva Dry White Colheita Port. This rich wine is concentrated with layers of wood aging balanced with dense fruit and spice. With its concentration and richness, it is a true sipping wine, impressive in its burnt orange and bitter orange aftertaste. Other Brothers Brands. —R.V. abv: 19.5% Price: $425 93 Van Zellers 2004 Palmer Colheita White Port. This mature wine is ripe and balanced with a fine poise between the wood aging and…

Those familiar with the white wines of Hungary are likely acquainted with the famed sweet Tokaji Aszú wines or dry versions of Furmint. Two-thirds of Hungarian wine is white, much of it from indigenous grapes that haven’t made their way into the global market. Increasingly, however, the country is noted for its Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner and a new white blend from the Egri region. CHARDONNAY This French native is well suited to several of Hungary’s 22 wine regions, specifically cold-weather growing areas with relatively long ripening seasons. You’re most likely to find bottles from Villány, Pécs, Etyek-Buda and areas around Balaton, as well as the Eger region, which produces the Kovács Nimród Battonage Monopole Chardonnay pictured here. Much of the Chardonnay produced in the country is aged in Hungarian…

Need more tips? Visit winemag.com/cannabistips Cannabis is more mainstream than ever. And with an array of high-quality products now available, the ritual of its usage, much like wine, may be about more than just the results. Unlike wine, however, there’s no such helpful measure as a glass to mete out doses. So where does the canna-curious consumer begin? Most product breakdowns are focused on cannabidiol (CBD), which is claimed to relieve anxiety, physical pain, insomnia and more, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that produces the telltale “high.” Colorado and California law both define one edible serving as containing 10mg of THC. Weed dosing shares some characteristics with booze, says Katie Stem, CEO and co-founder of Peak Extracts, an Oregon edibles producer. In the same way a vodka-soda and…

Though it enjoys a long history, Chenin Blanc is finally receiving the global recognition it deserves. The variety arrived in France’s Loire Valley more than a thousand years ago and was firmly established by the 15th century. Yet, it never enjoyed the same caché as other storied French grapes. That’s changing, thanks in large part to its adventures beyond European soils. Chenin Blanc’s initial popularity in the New World was a result of the variety’s vigorous, high-yielding vines. The grape gained a reputation as a workhorse; it was often used for simple, large-production wines and as a base for brandy. Now it’s starting a new chapter in the New World. Not only can Chenin Blanc acclimate to a variety of conditions, it can also deftly express its terroir. Typically,…

Oak-Grilled Quail with Citrus and Fennel Quail is great for summer grilling: It cooks fast, has great flavor and begs to be eaten with your hands. At the restaurant, this is cooked over oak, but you can use a cast-iron grill pan. Courtesy Chris Carlson, chef/partner, Maverick Texas Brasserie, San Antonio, TX 1 green apple1 small bulb fennelExtra-virgin olive oil, as neededSalt1 blood orange1 grapefruitJuice of 1 Meyer or regular lemon4 semi-boneless quail1 head frisée Peel apple, trim fennel, and slice both very thin. Coat sauté pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add apple, fennel and pinch of salt. Cook until fennel is soft, about 15 minutes. Transfer to blender and purée, adding olive oil as needed. Salt to taste and set aside. Working over bowl…

The vineyards of Alsace lie in a narrow band along the east- and southeast-facing slopes of the Vosges Mountains in northeast France. Yet latitude does not equal coolness, and, in fact, the summers can be quite hot and dry, making it a challenge to preserve the grapes’ natural acidity in the region’s Riesling, Pinot Gris and other aromatic varieties. Like many wine regions of the world, the vintage conditions in Alsace are prone to dramatic changes, resulting in completely different expressions. The current vintages on the market—the 2016s, 2017s and recently released 2018s—show this in spades. While 2016 suffered from disease pressure in spring, it was a year of classic expression. The 2017 vintage saw losses due to spring frost, but for what remained it was a great year without…

SHIRAZ 92 Hickinbotham 2015 Brooks Road Shiraz (McLaren Vale). Hickinbotham’s renowned vineyards once supplied fruit to high-end Aussie wines like Penfolds Grange. Now flexing muscles under its own label, this vintage was made by Charlie Seppelt and Napa Valley winemaker Chris Carpenter. The Napa influence is evident via opulent chocolaty, vanilla and milky coffee notes, alongside ripe cassis, plums and earthy, woody spice. The palate is more structured than the nose suggests, the silky fruit supported by muscular, tight-grained savory tannins, suggesting this wine will cellar nicely until 2029 and likely well beyond. Majestic Imports. Cellar Selection. —C.P. abv: 14.5% Price: $75 92 Yangarra 2015 Ironheart Shiraz (McLaren Vale). The Yangarra vineyards are just next door to Hickinbotham’s, yet the Shiraz here, grown in sandy, ironstone soils, is an…

SAUVIGNON BLANC 92 Aesthete 2017 Dry Stack Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Bennett Valley). This is an estate-grown project with winemaker Jesse Katz at the helm, who works with 100% varietal grapes to make this impressive white. Aged less than a year in French oak with toasted acacia barrel heads, it opens thick and heady, with a viscous nature to the wood. Stone, pineapple and wisps of fig combine seamlessly, boosted by fresh acidity. —V.B. abv: 14.4% Price: $55 92 Clif Family 2018 Rte Blanc Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley). Fermented and aged in both stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, this is a delightful white, lively in acidity and freshness. A balanced sweetness of peach presents around accents of jasmine on the nose and vanilla, ginger, wet stone and lemongrass…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 94 Passing Time 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills). Predominantly Discovery and Champoux vineyard fruit, the aromas intrigue, with notes of scorched earth, cassis, cherry, bay leaf and whiffs of green pepper. There’s an exquisite sense of balance, intensity, density and granularity to the palate, with chocolaty flavors on the finish. One of the wines of the vintage, it has a long life in front of it. Best from 2025 to 2030. Cellar Selection. —S.S. abv: 14.8% Price: $80 94 Upchurch 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain). The aromas are locked up at first, displaying notes of earth, dark cherry and spice. Dense, focused, structured fruit flavors follow. One of the wines of the vintage. Don’t go near this one until at least 2024. It will have a…

There might not be a more polarizing beer style than fruit beers. Sure, everyone is entitled to their own beverage preferences, across all beverage categories, but when it comes to fruit beer, people seem quick to take an all-or-nothing, love-them-or-hate-them approach. That’s a seriously rigid line to tow during this exciting beer age. I get it. That one time you had that fruit beer, it tasted artificial, confected and cloying, like there was no real fruit flavor to it, just a chemical mix of what some scientist thought tasted like blueberry or strawberry or whatever. But those pours are not the true fruit beer way. With all of the recent innovation and experimentation, from different base beers to real-fruit additives and varying aging techniques, you’d be missing out on some…