Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6 Adam M. Strum PUBLISHER Susan Kostrzewa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqueline Strum ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree DIGITAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Julia Lea EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Layla Schlack SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Daniels TASTING ASSISTANT TASTING DIRECTOR Fiona Adams TASTING COORDINATOR Craig Chamberlain DIGITAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Emily Saladino SENIOR DIGITAL EDITORS Dylan Garret, Siobhan Wallace SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marco Bruno DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon ASSOCIATE DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas VISUALS PRODUCER Jesse Reiter ASSOCIATE PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena CONTRIBUTING EDITORS EUROPEAN EDITOR Roger Voss ITALIAN EDITOR Kerin O’Keefe WINE Michael Schachner, Paul Gregutt, Virginie Boone, Jim Gordon, Matt Kettmann, Sean P. Sullivan, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Anne Krebiehl, MW, Christina Pickard SPIRITS…

CABERNET PLAYS THE FIELD With its immense depth, full body and capacity to age, Cabernet Sauvignon has long been called the “King of Grapes.” And, like many rulers throughout the course of time, Cab has certainly had its share of partners. Merlot may be its most known companion, thanks to the grapes’ iconic relationship in the red wines of Bordeaux, but read on to learn about the other grapes with which Cabernet blends well. CAB SYRAH In the 1960s, the combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, or Shiraz, is what catapulted Penfolds from obscure Australian producer to global icon, both with its Grange bottling, which incorporates just a small percentage of Cabernet, and Bin 389, a near-50-50 blend. The combo is increasingly common in California, where winemakers like Scott Shirley of Justin…

Italy’s winemakers have long inspired vintners the world over, but the country’s brewers have become trendsetters, too. The latest buzzy style inspired by the boot’s beer? Pilsner. The approach marries a magnified zesty, herbal fragrance with moderate alcohol and high drinkability. “It combines a touch of what we love in IPAs with the sensibility of a crisp lager,” says Matt Brynildson, brewmaster of Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California. The style’s inception tracks to Birrificio Italiano brewery in northern Italy, circa 1996. That’s when Agostino Arioli, the founder and head brewer, created Tipopils, a dry, bitter German-style Pilsner with an unorthodox twist. In Germany, dry-hopping (a process that incorporates fragrant hops after fermentation) is prohibited by the Reinheitsgebot, or beer purity law that limits the ingredients allowed…

With the majority of its base herbs and botanicals found in and sourced from throughout Northern Italy, it’s no surprise that amaro works just as well alongside the area’s cuisine as it does following it. This cocktail, served at Italian-influenced Rucola in Brooklyn, New York, offers further proof that the liquor needn’t be saved for after-dinner sipping. Vanilla-accented Montenegro amaro, made in Bologna, is mixed with bubbly tonic water to yield a refreshing, low-alcohol highball that would be perfect as an aperitivo. MONTY & TONIC Courtesy of Kevin Buckley, bar manager, Rucola, Brooklyn, NY 1½ ounces Montenegro AmaroTonic water, to topLime wedge, for garnish Pour Montenegro Amaro into Collins glass. Add ice to fill glass, and top with tonic water. Garnish with lime wedge. SHORTLIST Seven Bottles to Try…

At New York City’s The Banty Rooster, Executive Chef John DePierro has been known to serve creative cuisine that celebrates the diversity of the U.S. This hearty salad exemplifies his eclectic style of cooking. He uses canned hominy, an alkalyzed corn product used in Mexican pozole, to add texture and flavor to this filling salad. BEAN AND HOMINY SALAD WITH LIME VINAIGRETTE Courtesy John DePierro, executive chef, The Banty Rooster, New York City ½ cup thin-sliced red onion1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained1 15-ounce can hominy, rinsed and drained1 red bell pepper, diced1 yellow bell pepper, diced½ cup small radishes, quartered2 tablespoons diced jalapeño¾ cup chopped cilantroLime vinaigrette (recipe follows)¼ cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheeseChipotle powder (optional) Submerge onion…

It’s always exciting taste a new vintage and it’s even more exciting when that new vintage turns out to be glorious. The 2019 vintage in Austria is a case in point—turning this into a happy hat trick of stellar vintages ending in nine like 1999 and 2009. That lip-smacking freshness and intensity show across the board, not just in the higher-tier wines. After the heatwave vintage of the previous year, 2019 in one way was a “return to normal” as the Austrian Wine Marketing Board put it. It was a happy combination of budding after spring frosts had passed, spring rains to replenish groundwater levels, great flowering conditions, a warm, even hot summer—the hottest, driest June on record in fact—followed in late August and September by cool nights and a…

ROSÉS TAVEL 94 Domaine de la Mordorée 2019 La Reine des Bois Rosé (Tavel). Intensely fruity yet fascinatingly complex, La Reine des Bois consistently reigns as one of the best wines from Tavel. This vintage offers profound, mouthwatering black-cherry and cassis flavors accented by strikes of crushed stone and sizzling black spice. It’s lush and velvety through a long, delicately tannic finish. Lovely already, the wine will drink beautifully through 2023. Kysela Père et Fils. Editors’ Choice. —A.I. abv: 14.5% Price: $45 93 Château d’Aqueria 2019 Rosé (Tavel). Year after year, this mouthwatering rosé is an approachably priced, stand-out pick amid an excellent lineup of Tavel bottlings. It’s weighty and concentrated yet always invigorating, packed with crisp-tart blackberry and black-cherry flavors marked by complexities of bramble, garrigue and earth. A…

ASSYRTIKO 92 Alpha Estate 2017 Ecosystem Single Block Aghia Kiriaki Assyrtiko (Florina). This single-block Assyrtiko from Florina offers aromas of tropical fruit, flowers and citrus peel, and on the palate, a full-bodied wave of smoke and fruit, with delicious salinity and focus. The wine offers complexity and character, with a lingering finish. It’s a good candidate for aging. Diamond Importers Inc. Editors’ Choice. —S.K. abv: 13% Price: $34 92 Argyros 2017 Assyrtiko (Santorini). Elegant aromas of citrus, smoke and lemongrass give this benchmark Assyrtiko a stately initial flair. On the palate, its balance of clean citrus fruit, stone and a touch of tropical fruit give it excellent food-pairing character. The wine finishes clean and brisk. Athenee Importers. Editors’ Choice. —S.K. abv: 14% Price: $32 91 Santo Wines 2016 Grande Reserve…

CHARDONNAY 97 Massican 2019 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay (Napa Valley). For full review see page 92. Editors’ Choice. abv: 13.4% Price: $50 95 Black Kite 2017 Gap’s Crown Chardonnay (Petaluma Gap). Richly layered, complex and expressive, this vineyard-designate is beautifully spiced in nutmeg and clove. Floral aromatics add to the intrigue and invitation, with an intensity of oak adding weight and texture to a balanced frame of structure and elegance. —V.B. abv: 13.8% Price: $62 95 Joseph Phelps 2018 Freestone Vineyards Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast). From estate-grown grapes, this impressively layered, complex and cool-climate characteristic white is layered in gravelly texture and crushed rock. Briny ocean influence coats a crisp core of green apple and Meyer lemon, leading to a complete finish. —V.B. abv: 13.5% Price: $60 94 Cobb 2017 Doc’s Ranch…

Out of all the spirits categories, rum may have the most Wild West ethos in the field. That’s proving to be an exciting thing, yielding some wonderful, unusual bottles to try right now. By Wild West, we mean that there seem to be fewer rules, and the regulations that do appear seem to be flexible and open to a wide range of interpretation. Rum can be made from molasses or sugar cane juice; it can be made, distilled and aged in any number of countries, under any number of conditions; even the interpretation of age may vary widely depending on the country of origin. There seem to be fewer rules, and the regulations that do appear seem to be flexible and open to a wide range of interpretation. For example,…

Across the country, local-minded spirits makers have found what may be the best way to enjoy regional produce, much of which is available only fleetingly, at the table: Distill it into luscious, full-flavored alcohol. “There are so many amazing options when one considers what grows regionally,” says Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart, president and cofounder of Chicago’s Koval Distillery. The small-batch, organic producer makes a gin liqueur with Michigan cranberries, as well as limited runs like a brandy made from sunchokes grown in the Midwest. “[It’s] delicious, albeit surprising,” says Hart. “It tastes like sunflower seeds singing an aria in the sunshine.” Here, four bottles to sip like a local. CHARBAY MEYER LEMON VODKA This Ukiah, California distillery released its first Meyer lemon-flavored vodka in 1998, and it continues to…

Post Malone is music service Spotify’s most streamed artist of 2019, but he’s also someone you can absolutely imagine meeting at a party in a friend’s basement. Now, the multiplatinum singer-songwriter-rapper known for such hits as “Sunflower,” “Rockstar (featuring 21 Savage)” and “Circles” is also a person you can expect to have had a hand in supplying your wine. In May, he announced he’d be bringing his gregarious vibes to the glass with Maison No. 9, a 2019 Méditerranée IGP rosé. With its planned June launch date timed perfectly for wine lovers to sip all summer, the bottling was created in partnership with Global Brand Equities, a company that produces branded wines and spirits, and Malone’s longtime music manager, Dre London. “You either like a drink, or you don’t,”…

MUSHROOMY With similar woodsy, mushroom-like notes—and even aromas of white truffles—Barolo is a classic pairing. Made from Nebbiolo in the area just southwest of Alba, the informal truffle capital of Italy, its tannins help cut the richness of truffle-laced pastas and risottos. EARTHY White truffles smell invitingly of the wet soil in which they grow. An exuberantly fruity Pinot Noir could overwhelm this quality, but one of the earthiest and most elegant expressions of the grape, red Burgundy, would be an ideal match. If you’re able to splurge, opt for a Grand Cru from the Côte de Nuits. HONEYED While they don’t necessarily smell sugary sweet, white truffles have a floral and spicy sweetness reminiscent of honey. Marsanne features honeyed pear, apricot, acacia and Christmas spice flavors that will bring…

Pronounced vair-ZHOO, but also known as “verjuice” in American English, verjus is made from unripe (green) grapes harvested early-on in the growing season. Around since at least the Middle Ages, it was traditionally crafted from thinned grapes, those removed to encourage better ripening of the remaining fruit and decrease harvest yield. The fruit is crushed and pressed, but the resulting juice is never fermented, and, therefore, doesn’t contain a lick of alcohol. Today, verjus is produced at select wineries, and it’s come back into vogue in both kitchens and drinking glasses. Ahead, more about the stuff and how to get acquainted. WHAT IT TASTES LIKE Flavors can vary somewhat, depending where grapes are grown and the varieties used. In general, verjus is sweet-tart and sour, thanks to the grapes’…

The Buying Guide includes ratings and reviews of new-release and selected older beverage alcohol products evaluated by Wine Enthusiast magazine’s editors and other qualified tasters. Regular contributors to our Buying Guide include Tasting Director Alexander Peartree, Editor-in-Chief Susan Kostrzewa, Managing Editor Lauren Buzzeo, Assistant Tasting Director Fiona Adams, Contributing Editors Michael Schachner, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Christina Pickard, Mike DeSimone, Jeff Jenssen and Spirits Editor Kara Newman in New York; European Editor Roger Voss in France; Italian Editor Kerin O’Keefe in Switzerland; Contributing Editor Anne Krebiehl in England; Contributing Editors Virginie Boone, Jim Gordon and Matt Kettmann in California; Contributing Editors Paul Gregutt and Sean P. Sullivan in Washington; and Beer Editor John Holl in New Jersey. If a wine was evaluated by a single reviewer, that taster’s initials…

RED WINES RIBERA DEL DUERO 93 Cillar de Silos 2016 Torresilo (Ribera del Duero). Upfront toasty oak gives this a lemony aromatic note that transitions to char. A pulpy palate is packed with fruit, while this tastes of blackened oak along with ripe berry fruits and wood spice. Spice notes are maintained on a dry finish with lasting oak. Drink through 2030. Torgar Group. —M.S. abv: 14% Price: $50 92 Dominio de Atauta 2016 Ribera del Duero. Inviting plum and berry aromas are supported by oak and dusty earth notes, while this is ripe (15% abv) and generous on the palate, with a healthy blend of grainy tannins and acidity. Oak-aided berry flavors run long on the finish. Drink or hold; this will be best come 2023. Aviva Vino. —M.S.…

PINOT NOIR 88 Domeniile Sahateni 2016 Anima Pinot Noir (Dealu Mare). Light cherry red in the glass, this Pinot Noir has aromas of brown baking spices, red raspberry and ripe red cherry. In the mouth, it is smooth, with flavors of tart cherry pie and red raspberry. Terra Firma USA Inc. —J.J. abv: 13.5% Price: $30 86 Cramele Recas 2019 Încânta Pinot Noir (Romania). Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, red raspberry and cherry lead you to flavors of ripe cherry, pomegranate and cranberry. There is good heft on the palate and a splash of acidity in the finish. Terra Firma USA Inc. Best Buy. —J.J. abv: 12.5% Price: $9 86 Cramele Recas 2019 Legendary Estate Series Pinot Noir (Romania). This Pinot Noir is cherry red, with aromas of ripe cherry, brown…

SYRAH 93 Block Wines 2018 Ankleroller Block Stone Speak Vineyard Syrah (Walla Walla Valley). This is a new vineyard for this wine, but still coming from the Rocks District. The aromas offer exuberant notes of potpourri and tangerine peel along with stem, pepper, plum and blueberry. A perfumed, outrageously floral, elegant palate follows, with plentiful smoked meat and blueberry notes in tandem. It shows a lovely sense of deftness. The finish has outrageous hang time. Editors’ Choice. —S.S. abv: 14.2% Price: $50 93 W.T. Vintners 2017 Damavian Les Collines Vineyard Syrah (Walla Walla Valley). Coming from Blocks 30 and 31 of this esteemed vineyard, this wine has appealing aromas of violet, parsley, purple fruit and fresh herbs that rise up from the glass. The palate is focused and fresh, starting…

The American beer renaissance happened on the backs of pale ales. As the country’s new crops of brewers were founded, they turned away from the bland light lagers that had long ruled the shelves, taps and minds of beer drinkers across the country. The brewers found their salvation in hops, an essential ingredient in beer, but one that was used sparingly by larger brewers because of the bitterness it lent to recipes. Craft brewers leaned into hops and began adding more and more to the recipes. Pale ales are typically 6% alcohol or less and are generally on the lower end of the bitterness scale. While many have a pronounced hop character, they should also display a proper use of malts. Toasted and caramel malts are an obvious choice as…

Follow us @WineEnthusiast An Introduction to Italian Wine From how to read a label to region and designation breakdowns, start your journey by brushing up on the fundamentals at winemag.com/italy101 What’s a Super Tuscan? Born of frustration with strict rules, this style is behind some of Italy’s finest bottlings. But is it still relevant today? Find out at winemag.com/SuperTuscan The Best of Brunello Curious how the recently released 2015 vintage of this iconic offering stacks up to previous years? Dig deep into the latest from Montalcino at winemag.com/brunello2015 Italian Grapes Every Rosé Fan Should Know Italy’s rosatos utilize a wide array of the country’s red grapes to make pink wine. Discover the varieties and bottles to know at winemag.com/rosato…

Off the coast of Morocco, the rugged Portuguese island of Madeira features steep vineyards planted in volcanic soils. It was an important port of call during the 1400s and 1500s, when sailors who traversed the tropics would stop there for supplies and trading products, including the local wine. Exposed to hot sun on the open seas, however, the wine would often spoil. So its makers took a cue from Porto producers and fortified the stuff with a sugar distillate to ensure its survival through the course of the voyage. Sailors soon discovered an added benefit. The longer that Madeira sat on their ships, the deeper its flavor became. In the years that followed, what could have been a mundane table wine was transformed into a hot commodity. Today, four…

MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE 93 Lieubeau 2017 Cru Goulaine (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine). From one of the designated cru villages, this wine is ripe with maturity. That gives the wine a rich, nutty character as well as hints of yellow fruits and a soft final texture. This concentrated wine is ready to drink. Organic. European Cellars. —R.V. abv: 12.5% Price: $35 92 Lieubeau 2019 Domaine de la Fruitière Gneiss de Bel Abord Sur Lie (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine). Intense with acidity and citrus flavors, this concentrated wine shows freshness and tight fruitiness. Lemon dominates the flavors although the wine has ripeness. This organic wine is ready to drink. European Cellars. —R.V. abv: 12% Price: $20 92 Sauvion 2016 Château du Cléray Cru Vallet (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine). One of the…

2016 VINTAGE 100 Brovia 2016 Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia (Barolo). Rose, pine forest, wild berry, new leather and star anise are just some of the aromas you’ll find on this drop-dead gorgeous wine. Firmly structured, elegant and thoroughly delicious, the radiant palate shows restraint and depth. It delivers juicy Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and tobacco against tightly knit, noble tannins while fresh acidity keeps it impeccably balanced. It’s focused and compelling, but hold for even more complexity. An absolutely stellar showing. Drink 2026–2056. Rosenthal Wine Merchant. Cellar Selection. —K.O. abv: 14.5% Price: $106 100 Giovanni Rosso 2016 Ester Canale Rosso Poderi dell’Antica VignaRionda (Barolo). For full review see page 91. Cellar Selection. abv: 14% Price: $450 99 Brovia 2016 Garblèt Suè (Barolo). Wild berry, iris, menthol, star anise and…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 94 Reyneke 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch). This biodynamic wine opens with a heady bouquet of potpourri, bramble, cherry preserves, blackberry sauce and macerated black currants. It’s fruity, floral and spicy all at once, with waves of each commingling for a complete package. The palate is suave and velvety in feel, with a smooth, fruity impression at first that yields to structured tannins and lingering notes of sweet spice and sweet wood on the long finish. Vineyard Brands. —L.B. abv: 14% Price: $136 93 Boekenhoutskloof 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch). Black currant, licorice root, cedar and whole tobacco leaf form the nose of this dark, suave red. The palate is smooth and seductive in feel, with structured yet plush and pillowy tannins that, combined with the ripe black fruit and…