Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Adam M. Strum PUBLISHER Susan Kostrzewa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqueline Strum ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Lauren Buzzeo TASTING DIRECTOR Alexander Peartree CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli 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 EDITOR Dylan Garret 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 Kara Newman BEER John Holl FOOD…

MATURE & CONTENT SECOND ACT IN A GLASS These beverage professionals prove that a fulfilling career in wine can come at any stage of life. Many fields have an expected career trajectory, a staircase that usually starts in college and continues until you arrive at the proverbial top. In reality, however, there’s never just one path, especially in wine. Not only is it possible to start a successful beverage career later in life, it can be ideal. Skills acquired elsewhere can be invaluable to a vinous journey. “Having more life and career experience brings something to the table,” says Tom Natan, 60, a chemical engineer who started a wine importing company at 46. He had spent more than a decade in environmental research. “I was more prepared, a jack-of-all-trades,”…

The core of this cocktail is tawny Port, an aged style most often served chilled in its native Portugal. It’s loosely inspired by the Manila Hoop Punch chronicled in globetrotting writer Charles H. Baker’s 1939 book, The Gentleman’s Companion, which calls for Cognac. At Cure in New Orleans, Matt Young substitutes a 50-50 mix of aged rum and barrel-aged cachaça. Here, he simplifies the recipe to feature just rum. “The [cocktail’s] name comes from the nickname of Manila, the ‘Global City,’” says Young. However, one could argue that the ingredients are equally global, spanning Portugal (Port), the Czech Republic (herbal liqueur Becherovka) and Jamaica (Young’s preferred rum for this drink is Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum). GLOBAL CITY NO. 2 Courtesy Matt Young, bar manager, Cure, New Orleans…

A PIOUS PAST The grape was introduced to present-day California, then Spanish-occupied Mexico, in the 18th century by Spanish Catholic missionaries who arrived with religion and established harsh regulations for native populations. Wine made with the grape typically came in two styles for sacraments at all of the area’s 21 missions: a semi-sweet still wine, and a fortified wine called Angelica. Dubbed “the native grape,” it would spread beyond these religious outposts and monopolize California’s grape production until the mid-1800s. A RUSTIC REVIVAL Today, just a few hundred acres in the state are devoted to Mission, used primarily in fortified wines or bulk blends. Recently, however, a small club of young, experimental winemakers began to craft a brighter future for the grape. They seek out old vines to produce wine…

CHARDONNAY 96 Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2018 Édition Limitée Chardonnay (Dundee Hills). As prices for top-tier Oregon Chardonnay continue to climb well into the triple digits, this is becoming a real bargain given the quality. Complex and aromatic with a generous burst of lemon, apple, peach and papaya fruits, the juicy acids keep the flavors on point through a long, lingering finish. Highlights of warm spices and barrel toast keep the wine evolving and impressing. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14.1% Price: $75 96 Drouhin Oregon Roserock 2016 Maigold Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). This unique, reserve-level wine is named for a particular variety of rose. It has been given extra barrel and bottle age, showing in its lush aromas and deep yellow-gold hue. Along with floral accents come full-throttle flavors of stone fruits,…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 96 Henschke 2015 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (Eden Valley). After a year’s hiatus, Cyril is back, and almost entirely composed of 99% Cabernet this vintage (with 1% Cab Franc). It’s all the more expressive for it. Blueberry and black cherry fruit is neatly tucked behind notes of iodine, cigar box, tomato leaf, dried herbs and flowers. The palate is slinky and sexy, but also powerful. It offers crunchy fruit, taut tannins and layers of texture. Uniquely Henschke, there isn’t another wine in Australia like it. Drink now–2040. Negociants USA–Winebow. —C.P. abv: 14.5% Price: $180 94 Brothers in Arms 2012 Formby & Adams Leading Horse Cabernet Sauvignon (Langhorne Creek). This historic winery’s Cab rates high in the bang for buck category. The nose is a deep well of aromas:…

Wine, beer, cider and spirits are experiencing an incredible moment of growth and evolution, not only in product, but in the visionaries driving education, new audiences, new platforms and new dialogues. Our 40 Under 40 package (page 37) celebrates emerging and established names, perspectives and voices behind this change. Spanning all sectors, from retail to restaurants, barrel rooms to bars, these are the industry architects turning dream and concept into reality right now, shifting what’s in our glasses and ensuring wine and other pours are available to new and thirsty audiences. Ongoing innovation and a rebellious streak fueling world-class wine are the focus of Contributing Editor Matt Kettmann’s piece on Santa Barbara (page 70). Blessed with a rich diversity of grapes and microclimates, the region continues to impress with…

Thin-skinned, petulant Pinot Noir is difficult to ripen and demands a gentle hand in the winery. Worse still, too many of its simple expressions fail to deliver on the promise of a grape whose impact has been described as the iron fist in a velvet glove. When grown in the right place, under the right circumstances, however, the variety really delivers on its reputation for elegance, complexity and subtlety. The best examples are aromatic with notes of roses, berries and cherries, and offer balanced flavors of fruit, earth, herb and barrel, with ample natural acidity. Oregon’s Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is widely acknowledged as the next best place after Burgundy, where Pinot has thrived for centuries, to explore its vast potential. First planted there by Eyrie Vineyards…

Last year, Cam Ward, longtime goaltender for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, retired after 14 seasons on ice. With the game no longer his central focus, he’s had time to bring a cool new perspective to his second passion: Vineyard 36, the Napa Valley Cab-focused wine brand he cofounded with former teammate Tim Gleason and wine industry veteran Jason Earnest. This fall marks the release of the label’s 2017 vintage. Highly anticipated, the bottles bring together a decade of high-end grape sourcing and the skills of acclaimed winemaker Keith Emerson. Ward thinks this is the brand’s best work yet. Here, he chats about his wine journey. “Camaraderie is at the center of this project… We motivate each other to pursue perfection, committing to go all-in.” What about wine first got…

America’s love affair of pumpkin-spiced products has been well documented, particularly in the beer aisle. One of the earliest incarnations, Buffalo Bill’s Original Pumpkin Ale, dates back to 1985. (For those keeping track at home, that’s 18 years before Starbucks released its infamous latte.) To stand out among all the gourd-forward ales, in recent years some breweries started looking even further back in beer history and now release Oktoberfest lagers. Synonymous with the namesake festival held in Munich each September, some excellent German imports make way to our shores, and Boston-based Samuel Adams’s version—spelled OctoberFest—boasts the title of top-selling fall seasonal beer. But more and more craft breweries now release versions worth seeking. Sometimes called Märzen or Festbier, how Oktoberfest lagers appear in the glass is up to a…

Washington’s red wines have long received the lion’s share of critical and consumer attention, while the state’s white wines have so often gone overlooked. Riesling and Chardonnay dominate production, but many Americans still appear to have a Blue Nun hangover from the former, and California selections largely crowd out shelf space devoted to domestic expressions of the latter. Lately, however, an increasing number of Washington winemakers have been turning to white varieties from France’s Rhône Valley with impressive results. With a string of superb vintages, the quality of these paler-tinted wines has also soared in recent years, and Rhône varieties have been leading the way. In the last several years, Washington has offered thrilling examples of Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Picpoul, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche and even the rarely seen…

Nearly two decades ago, it was a sip of cool-climate Syrah that revealed to me the sensory magic of wine—the way that fermented grape juice can taste more like cured meat, dried flowers and cracked pepper than just simple fruit and smoked wood. To this day, Syrah from cooler regions, whether the wind-whipped Northern Rhône or California’s ocean-chilled Central Coast, still fascinates my palate most. The compound that causes these expressions is called rotundone, which also shows up in peppercorns and rosemary. Such spice, game and floral notes aren’t for everybody, and the style can be quite divisive at parties, with half loving the wine and the other half believing something ran afoul in the bottle. But for those who do opt for challenging complexity over casual comfort, Central Coast…

RED BLENDS 96 Leonetti Cellar 2017 Loess (Walla Walla Valley). Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 77% of this wine, with the rest Malbec (15%) and Petit Verdot. The aromas pop, with notes of dark cherry, cranberry, scorched earth, barrel spice and cedar. Palate-enveloping, textured, rich, dense flavors follow. Firm, sneaky tannins and mouthwatering acids back it up. One for the ages, this is more about sophistication than brawn, though it brings plenty of both. Best after 2030, with a decade beyond that. Cellar Selection. —S.S. abv: 14.7% Price: $138 96 Leonetti Cellar 2017 Reserve (Walla Walla Valley). Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 58% of this wine, followed by an impressive 32% Petit Verdot and 10% Malbec. The aromas pull you into the glass, with notes of dark cherry, coffee, flower, plum, graphite…

GEWURZTRAMINER 95 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2018 Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer (Alsace). Hints of gunpowder and flint mix with a subtle but sonorous tone of Damask rose on the nose of this wine. The palate brings a much brighter, lemony note of sunny peach ripeness, suggesting the juiciness of peach compote. The purity of flavor is highlighted by lemony accents that frame this generous, nectar-like wine. Drink 2025–2050. Kobrand. —A.K. abv: 13% Price: $99 94 Domaine Weinbach 2018 Cuvée Laurence Gewurztraminer (Alsace). Damask rose and crushed elder leaf make for a subtle yet aromatic topnote on the nose of this wine. The palate comes in with gentle, medium sweetness that accentuates peachy juiciness at the core and rounds things out with smooth, candied-lemon flavor. Freshness balances this harmonious wine with an endless, off-dry…

SAUVIGNON 94 Jermann 2019 Sauvignon (Venezia Giulia). Elderflower, hay, wild herb and crushed tomato vine align with juicy green melon aromas on this radiant white. The palate is both savory and elegant, doling out ripe white peach, honeydew and pineapple alongside crisp acidity. A mineral note evoking saline wraps up the close. LUX Wines. —K.O. abv: 13% Price: $34 93 Castelvecchio 2019 Sauvignon (Carso). Enticing varietal aromas of grapefruit, crushed tomato leaf and botanical herb propel out of the glass. The racy, elegant palate shows more restraint, delivering green melon, the same grapefruit note from the nose, graphite and fennel. Vibrant acidity adds to the compelling mineral tension that keeps you coming back for more. Friuli Italian Wines. —K.O. abv: 14% Price: $22 92 Borgo Conventi 2018 Sauvignon (Collio). For…

The India pale ale is the most popular style in craft beer. These hop-forward ales helped fuel the growth of the category as dedicated drinkers were drawn to the assertive, intriguing and punchy aromas and flavors brought out by lupulin, a sticky powder inside of hop cones. For a long time, IPAs were most commonly associated with bitterness, but an evolution in the style has brought new fans into the fold and served as an introduction to craft beer for coming-of-age drinkers. The IPA originated in England where it was a well-hopped beer with a noticeable malt base. When the first generation of American craft brewers started making the style 40 years ago, they turned up the dosage on the hops, trying to push the needle on the International Bitterness…

Follow us @WineEnthusiast YANNICK BENJAMIN, 40 UNDER 40, 2016 Opening a restaurant is hard. Doing so during a pandemic is nearly impossible. Benjamin details his experience and explains why the hospitality industry can no longer ignore people with disabilities, at winemag.com/OutpouringsYannick CHA MCCOY, 40 UNDER 40, 2019 New York City native McCoy’s global travels have demonstrated wine’s role in cultural connections. But Lisbon offered something unique, prompting the wine consultant to relocate. Find out why at winemag.com/OutpouringsCha JERMAINE STONE, 40 UNDER 40, 2020 For Stone, combining his love of wine and hip hop was never a question. The podcast host and importer speaks to why a bridge between cultures is necessary for the industry’s future, at winemag.com/OutpouringsJermaine…

Pasta carbonara is a traditional Roman dish known for its rich and velvety, but cream-free, sauce made from eggs, hard cheese, pepper and cured pork. Though Pecorino Romano is the traditional cheese used, much of what’s available in the U.S. is long-aged and can be too salty. Somewhat fruity and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, or a combination of the two cheeses, is better suited to this recipe that includes salty pancetta. Because there are so few ingredients, be sure to use the best quality you can find. PASTA CARBONARA 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano (or half Parmigiano, half Pecorino Romano), fine grated12 ounces dry spaghetti4 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch diceSalt, to taste In large bowl, whisk eggs, yolk, pepper and 2¼…

♦ EARTHY Few foods are as earthy as mushrooms, which often taste like the soil in which they grow. If this quality appeals to you, pick a wine that will tease it out, rather than overwhelm it. Red Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits is a great earthy expression of Pinot Noir with mushroom-like undertones. ♦ PEPPERY Many mushrooms, especially when raw, have a subtle peppery, throat-tickling quality akin to that of radishes. Tannins can accentuate this sensation in an unpleasant way, so try a rich white wine to smooth it out. As it ages, Rioja Blanco develops nutty, caramelized aromas and an almost creamy texture that match beautifully with mushrooms. ♦ UMAMI The so-called “fifth taste,” umami describes an intense savoriness found in cured meat and aged cheese, as…

Zidanelia Arcidiacono, 37 Pinot Noir Winemaker, Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards • Windsor, CA Cultivating sustainable power and Pinot A Texas native raised in Argentina surrounded by winemakers, Arcidiacono followed her Universidad Juan Agustín Maza-earned degree in winemaking with harvest in France before landing in California wine country. Now, she works exclusively with Sonoma Cutrer’s outstanding Pinot Noir, which she calls its “best kept secret.” She has also championed the winery’s employee resource group, which provides tools, career development assets and education for women within the organization, and helps to promote and implement the producer’s range of green initiatives. Rachel Adams, 31 Founder/Executive Director, Assemblage Symposium; Owner, Kendall-Adams Consulting, LLC • Newberg, OR Blending industry insights In 2018, Adams launched 501(c)(3) nonprofit Assemblage to promote the education, advancement and empowerment of women…

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…

MALBEC 95 Kaiken 2016 Mai The First Malbec (Mendoza). Bold black-fruit aromas are slightly reduced and tarry at first, but with airing alluring herbal notes and complexity take over. While this is fully ripe and full in body and color, it’s lively in feel. Toasty, almost charred oak goes toe to toe with deep black-fruit flavors. All of this is backed by a smoky, chocolaty finish. A huge success for a 2016, a year marred by rain. Drink through 2030. Guarachi Wine Partners. Editors’ Choice. —M.S. abv: 14.5% Price: $80 95 Matervini 2017 Piedras Viejas El Challao Las Heras Malbec (Mendoza). A dark purple-meets-black color and concentrated black-fruit aromas set up an extracted palate that’s grapy and pulpy but not soft, jammy or out of balance. Inky blackberry and cassis…

BARBARESCO 98 Cantina del Pino 2016 Ovello (Barbaresco). Rose, iris, woodland berry and crushed mint aromas shape the irresistible nose on this radiant, classy red. Showing a remarkable combination of structure, elegance and pedigree, the delicious, focused palate delivers juicy red cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and an almost salty minerality while firm but ultrarefined tannins provide seamless support. Bright acidity bestows impeccable balance and youthful tension. Drink 2024–2036. Vinity Wine Company. Cellar Selection. —K.O. abv: 14.5% Price: $65 97 Cascina delle Rose 2016 Rio Sordo (Barbaresco). Opening with enticing aromas of fragrant purple flowers, spiced cranberry and camphor with a whiff of new leather, this is an absolutely gorgeous wine. The delicious palate takes up where the nose leaves off, delivering juicy Morello cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and cinnamon.…

Around the world, vermouth is continuing to expand in exciting ways. The category shows increasing personality and flair, in part owing to where it is made. Spain, for example, capitalizes on the winemaking traditions of Jerez with a spate of Sherry-based vermouths from legacy makers such as Lustau and Gonzàlez Byass, among others. These entrants are complex and delicious enough to sip straight, as well as to add interest to cocktails like the classic Bamboo, made with equal parts Sherry and vermouth. After all, at the heart of vermouth is wine, albeit aromatized and fortified. Meanwhile, California producers are taking strides toward building accessible, quaffable vermouths. Consider offerings from Massican Winery, one of the few vermouth producers to provide vintage years on their bottlings—after all, at the heart of vermouth…

Twenty-five minutes. Was a four-hour road trip worth a 25-minute tasting session? It was the last day of a weeklong visit to my home state, California. By 5 pm the next day, I would be back in the Big Apple. The idea of a train, two buses and an Uber once I arrived in Napa, all for a short wine tasting at someone’s house, was daunting. But a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers had helped me set up this meeting, so I went. Andrea Robinson, MS, greeted me with huge, bubbly energy that was contagious. I peered behind her and noted an arch of six wines on her table. After we rushed through introductions, Andrea asked what brought me here. I paused. I felt I would be…