Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & 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 COORDINATORS Craig Chamberlain, William Johnson DIGITAL ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR Emily Saladino SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Dylan Garret DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard ASSISTANT DIGITAL EDITOR J’nai Gaither SOCIAL SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Marco Bruno DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon 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 Virginie Boone, Mike DeSimone, Jim Gordon, Paul Gregutt, Anna Lee C. Iijima, Jeff Jenssen, Matt Kettmann, Christina Pickard, Michael Schachner, Sean P. Sullivan SPIRITS…

SHIFT TO DRINKS There’s no perfect time to get involved in wine. Entering the industry after a career in another field (or two, or three) can mean approaching things with fresh eyes and an out-of-the-box perspective. We checked in with a variety of pros who did just that to see how their previous experiences informed, helped them navigate or otherwise benefitted their current roles. Here’s what they had to say. —Sarah E. Daniels & Layla Schlack DANA SPAULDING Founder and CEO, Wander + Ivy, Denver “I spent almost a decade within JPMorgan’s Asset Management division. My early career was based in New York City, managing wealth for hedge fund principals and Wall Street executives. There, I learned how to navigate an extremely fast-paced world. My later years at JPM…

Produced exclusively in and around its namesake town on the Italian island of Sicily, Marsala is a fortified wine made with indigenous red grape varieties like Pignatello and Nerello Mascalese, and white ones like Grillo, Inzolia, Catarratto and Damaschino. It’s fortified with brandy, and ranges similarly in color, available as ambra (amber), rubino (ruby) or oro (gold). Marsala varies in style, too. It can be dolce (sweet), semi-secco (semisweet) or secco (dry), with flavors that swing from dried fruit and nuts to floral and fresh, to vanilla and licorice. Bottlings are also classified by age and range from young, fine expressions aged a minimum of one year, to Stravecchio bottlings, which are aged in oak for at least 10 years. In modern times, Marsala has developed a reputation as…

“We’re really trying to pay attention to the microbiology of the soil [and] create an emphasis on the sense of place.” Create wines of place. That’s the goal Randall Grahm set for himself in 2011, when he purchased his 280-acre Popelouchum estate in San Juan Bautista, California. He says he wanted to make wines that express true distinction and originality, that act as “terroir amplifiers.” The 80 planted acres are home to “conventional varieties”—Pinot Noir, Grenache Blanc and Gris. “But we’re trying to grow them in an old fashion, simpler way,” says Grahm. “The use of dry farming, biochar, limited yields, no till. We’re really trying to pay attention to the microbiology of the soil—all those things create an emphasis on the sense of place, the distinctiveness of the…

At Manta, a seafood restaurant that’s in The Cape hotel on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, the specialties are mezcal, Tequila and saké. All are options for this extremely versatile cocktail, where each plays well with the freshness of cucumber and lime. When mixing at home, however, you needn’t feel limited to those three choices: This cocktail is designed to accommodate just about any white spirit. (Vodka, gin or white rum would make fine additions.) In fact, the recipe is so flexible that it can even go boozeless—all you have to do is add an extra squeeze of lime to balance out the sweetness of the ginger beer. THE BUFFALO GREEN Courtesy of Katia Morales, lead mixologist, The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, Los Cabos, Mexico 2 ounces fresh cucumber juice¼…

Isis Daniel, 26 Sommelier/Wine Content Creator • Washington, D.C. The Millennial Somm While many in the industry were fretting about whether or not millennials would buy and drink wine, Daniel was speaking to them directly. The sommelier and consultant started making #TastingThursday videos on Instagram, where she could taste and learn along with viewers. Over the course of the pandemic, she started working with brands to integrate them into videos. She’s also expanded her digital footprint on TikTok, where, as of press time, her humor and knowledge reach more than 120,000 viewers and counting. Aaron Polsky, 34 Founder/CEO, LiveWire Cocktail Co. • Los Angeles Bartender Defender A decade-plus in the bar industry, most recently at Hollywood hotspot Harvard & Stone, and a lifetime admiring musicians led Polsky to launch LiveWire,…

Formally recognized in 1991, Oregon’s Rogue Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is south of the Umpqua Valley AVA. Both are part of the larger Southern Oregon AVA. Given their relative isolation and distance from the tourist-heavy Willamette Valley, Rogue wineries have been largely unencumbered by Oregon’s reputation as “the Pinot Noir state.” The region’s roughly 4,000 vineyard acres are planted to more than 50 varieties, about two-thirds of which are red. Near its western border, the ocean-influenced climate favors white wines. As you venture east, it’s warmer and drier than the Willamette Valley, and it’s more diverse in its varieties. Rogue Valley winemakers are inclined to experiment in the vineyard and the winery. So far, they have found notable success with Mediterranean and Iberian varieties. But don’t rule out the…

CHARDONNAY 96 Walter Scott 2019 X-Novo Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). This offers palate-piercing flavors of bitter herb, lemon zest, grapefruit, apple and green melon. It’s compact and extremely youthful. The details and accents that lie within must be teased out with extra aeration. It’s aromatic and inviting, showing just a little of the impact of aging in some new barrels. The entire Walter Scott lineup of Chardonnays hews to a very specific style, and all are ageworthy. Drink this one after 2024, and it will still have another prime decade of life. —P.G. abv: 13% Price: $85 95 Walter Scott 2019 Sojeau Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). This may be Walter Scott’s first Chardonnay from this vineyard. It’s dense and rich, marrying barrel toast and toffee to the tang of brisk…

WHITE WINES MINHO 94 Aveleda 2019 Parcela do Roseiral Alvarinho (Minho). Produced in a parcel close to the Aveleda family house, this wine reveals considerable depths. With a touch of spice to balance the baked-apple and zesty lemon flavors, this perfectly ripe wine is ready to drink. Aveleda Inc. —R.V. abv: 13.5% Price: $35 92 Aveleda 2019 Solos de Granito Alvarinho (Minho). This is one of a pair of wines that showcases different soil types and Alvarinho. From vines on granite soil, this wine is tightly textured, with intense tangy white fruits and a strong, steely edge. The wine will be better as it softens further and matures. Drink from 2022. Aveleda Inc. —R.V. abv: 13% Price: $20 92 Aveleda 2019 Solos de Xisto Alvarinho (Minho). This wine is one…

BAROLO 98 Cavallotto 2015 Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva (Barolo). Aromas of underbrush, camphor, new leather and woodland berries mingle with a whiff of pressed rose petal on this compelling red. Still youthfully austere but already incredibly delicious, it delivers raspberry compote, truffle, tobacco and licorice framed in tightly knit, noble tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Another fantastic showing from this wonderful estate. Drink 2025–2040. Skurnik Wines, Inc. Cellar Selection. —K.O. abv: 14.5% Price: $160 98 Massolino 2015 Vigna Rionda Riserva (Barolo). For full review see page 115. Cellar Selection. abv: 14.5% Price: $194 96 Famiglia Anselma 2016 Bussia Vigna Pianpolvere (Barolo). For full review see page 116. Cellar Selection. abv: 14% Price: $92 96 Famiglia Anselma 2016 Le Coste (Barolo). Rose petal, red-skinned berry and truffle aromas…

There should be no argument: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s pale ale is the benchmark for the American-style Pale Ale category and one of the most beloved beers in the modern era of brewing. When it was first brewed and released in 1980, it was a revelation: a hop-forward wonder, with aromas and flavors of pine and citrus. It also pushed boundaries. It registered in the 30s of the International Bittering Units (IBU) scale at a time when many of the available lagers were in the single digits. These hoppy ales shifted consumer tastes and made bitter a vogue taste sensation. For more than 40 years, it has been the beer that craft beer drinkers have celebrated and brewers have tried to replicate in their own recipes. Other pale ales soon…

In another life, in another city, I was a rising-star sommelier, with my hopes pinned on a Court of Master Sommeliers’ pin. I was 25 years old when I got my first gig as a cellar rat (a term bestowed on those of us who came to the cellars for free to stock bottles, haul cases and learn), 27 when I passed my certified exam. I worked those late nights on the floor like there was no other way to work. Restaurant life has its compulsive cachet, of course, but being a sommelier, for me, meant more than opening bottles at gueridon. It meant meeting with vendors, organizing inventory, educating staff, conducting profit and loss reports, carrying bottles up and down stairs, creating pairings, reading the minds of guests…

If I say Rioja, you say what? Tempranillo? Garnacha? Sure, Spain’s most famous wine appellation may be best recognized for its reds. But until the start of the 20th century, more of Rioja’s acres were planted with white grape varieties, says Jesús Martínez Bujanda, owner and CEO of Washington’s Valdemar Estates, who represents the fifth generation of the family that founded Spain’s Bodegas Valdemar. Back then, white wines were often considered to be safer than the local drinking water and white grapes’ prolificacy enabled winemakers to maximize production. It was phylloxera’s arrival in France that caused Rioja makers to refocus and match the export market’s new demand for red wines. Today, white grapes make up just 10% of the region’s plantings. However, there’s recently been renewed excitement around white…

If you’ve ever left juice in the refrigerator and returned to find it spritzy, you’re acquainted with a key feature of fermentation: carbon dioxide (CO2). Produced naturally when yeasts convert sugar to alcohol, CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas present in all wines. In sparklers, it’s the bubbles. In still wines, its presence is more subtle, enhancing the perception of acidity and movement on the palate. The decision of whether to remove CO2 before bottling, and how much to remove via a process called degassing, is critical to the development of a wine’s final profile. Too much CO2 can prevent a wine from settling properly, resulting in a cloudy appearance. Such wines can present reductive aromas of varying desirability. (In good cases, this can mean gunflint. In bad ones,…

At a growing number of restaurants, a request for the bottle list may summon a vintage beer menu in addition to, or even instead of, the expected directory of wines. According to Certified Cicerone Anne Becerra, the overwhelming majority of today’s popular beers are pasteurized pale lagers or India pale ales (IPAs), generally meant to be consumed as fresh as possible. “Neither are great candidates for cellaring, so the idea of aging beer might not seem like a natural thing to do,” she says. At Treadwell Park in New York City, where Becerra oversees the beverage program, however, guests are offered a reserve list of aged brews “to show off the benefits of patience.” She’s not the only one to embrace the idea. This is something beer collectors have…

Syrah’s ascension in Washington State has been swift. First planted in 1986 at Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima Valley, the grape almost immediately garnered attention, with high-quality bottles from the likes of McCrea Cellars and Glen Fiona in the 1990s. Come 1997, Frenchman Christophe Baron planted the first in a series of vineyards on an ancient cobblestone riverbed in Walla Walla Valley. At Cayuse Vineyards, Baron forever changed Syrah’s fate in the state, putting a focus on single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines. Two years later, K Vintners from Winemaker Charles Smith had its first offerings. It is the third most produced red variety in the state and makes many of the region’s best wines. The success of these early advocates and others launched an entire industry. Washington Syrah production was not even…

CÔTE-RÔTIE 95 Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin 2018 La Landonne (Côte-Rôtie). The flagship wine of this producer, this velveteen Syrah matured 18 months in 100% new French oak. Crème de cassis and blueberry compote on the palate are shaded by streaks of allspice, smoke and licorice candy. Opulent and silky in profile, the wine shows well already but will meld and gain subtlety through 2035 at least. Taub Family Selections. —A.I. abv: 14.5% Price: $400 94 Dauvergne & Ranvier 2018 Grand Vin (Côte-Rôtie). For full review see page 119. Editors’ Choice. abv: 14% Price: $85 94 Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin 2018 Côte-Bodin (Côte-Rôtie). A new cuvée from Jean-Michel Gerin released in 2020, the Côte-Bodin represents a concentrated, mineral expression of schist from 30-year old Syrah vines. Ripe in black-plum and berry flavors and…

Lean, quick-cooking pork tenderloin is the perfect roast for weekends and weekdays alike. This recipe ensures the meat will stay moist and be packed with flavor, thanks to a brine in apple cider. CIDER-BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLE GREMOLATA 1¼ pounds pork tenderloin1 12-ounce bottle hard cider1½ tablespoons kosher salt1½ tablespoons sugar3 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons unsalted butter3 garlic cloves, mincedApple Gremolata (recipe follows) Place pork in large, sealable plastic bag. Combine cider with salt and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Pour cider mixture into bag with pork. Seal and refrigerate for 4–12 hours. When ready to cook, remove pork from brine and pat dry. Reserve ¼ cup brine. Heat oven to 450˚F. Warm oil in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. Turning occasionally with tongs, cook about…

Glossy orange persimmons are sweet and delicious eaten out of hand, but they can also be used in savory dishes in place of tomatoes, pears or plums. There are two types of persimmons, astringent and nonastringent, commonly sold in the U.S. as Hachiya and Fuyu, respectively. Unripe Hachiya persimmons are so tannic that they’re essentially inedible until the flesh ripens to a delectable, pudding-like consistency. Tomato-shaped Fuyu persimmons, on the other hand, are still firm when ripe, which makes them suitable for slicing. Try persimmons in fall salads of bitter greens, nuts and cheeses; minced in a spicy salsa with pork tacos; or wrapped in thin-sliced cured meat for a quick appetizer. In desserts, substitute persimmon purée for any recipes that call for pumpkin or applesauce. ♦ HONEYED When…

I’ve always had a soft spot for Cabernet Franc. To me, it’s one of the more seductively refined yet distinctly pronounced grapes. It speaks of its terroir like few others, painting a landscape of its origins through varying characteristics and intensities. The grape is a significant component to some of the world’s greatest and most sought-after wines, particularly Bordeaux blends, like Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. It can also be used to produce varietal wines, of which there are stunning examples made around the world, including California, Washington, New York, Italy and Canada, among others. Given its prominence and permeation, why does Cab Franc generally get such little respect? I say, it’s time to properly embrace the Franc. A good place to start is the Loire Valley in France.…

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, Associate Managing Editor, Print Layla Schlack, 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 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 94 Viña Cobos 2017 Bramare Malbec (Uco Valley). The nose on this Malbec is pure and direct but also lusty and rich, with aromas of blackberry, wild herbs, fine leather and turned earth. A calibrated palate is both lush and vibrant, while blackberry, cassis and chocolaty oak flavors finish with a smokier whack of toasty oak along with warmth, depth and length. Drink this exemplary Malbec through 2028. Paul Hobbs Wines. Editors’ Choice. —M.S. abv: 14.5% Price: $42 93 Alta Vista 2017 Single Vineyard Temis El Cepillo Malbec (Uco Valley). Aromas of violet petal, dried herb, black plum and blackberry are seamless on the nose. This single-vineyard Malbec feels deep, dense and ripe, albeit a touch soft and wan. Baked-berry and plum flavors are ripe and familiar to high-end…

PINOT BIANCO 94 Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano 2020 Schulthauser Pinot Bianco (Alto Adige). White spring flower, ripe white stone fruit and Alpine herb aromas mingle with an inviting whiff of freshly kneaded bread dough on this stunning, polished white. It’s dry, elegant and absolutely delicious, delivering creamy yellow apple, citrus, baking spice and tangy mineral alongside fresh acidity. Drink now through 2024. Winebow. Editors’ Choice. —K.O. abv: 13.5% Price: $24 92 St. Pauls 2019 Kalkberg Pinot Bianco (Alto Adige). Fermented and aged in large casks that lends depth and complexity, this full-bodied white has subtle aromas suggesting chamomile, hay, wild Alpine herbs and ripe stone fruits. The creamy palate offers mature Bartlett pear, yellow apple and lemon drop candy before finishing on a bitter almond note. Ethica Wines. —K.O.…

While London Dry gins get most of the attention, so-called New Western gins have grown quickly in recent years. What exactly is a New Western gin? It’s not an official designation. Portland bar consultant and Aviation gin cofounder Ryan Magarian generally is credited with coining the term to describe any gin that plays up botanicals beyond juniper. While juniper still is required in gin, its trademark pine flavor often takes a backseat to citrus, star anise and other flavorings in New Western-style bottlings. Sometimes it’s barely discernible at all. While juniper still is required in gin, its trademark pine flavor often takes a back seat to citrus, star anise and other flavorings. Interestingly, New Western is something of a misnomer these days. Originally, the phrase was intended to contrast gins…