Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR, PRINT John Capone TASTING DIRECTOR Anna-Christina Cabrales CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR, PRINT Stacy Briscoe DIGITAL EDITOR Kristen Richard ASSISTANT EDITOR, DIGITAL J’nai Gaither ASSISTANT EDITOR, PRINT Jacy Topps EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, DIGITAL Jaime Brown CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FOOD Nils Bernstein WEB PRODUCER Samantha Sette DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Monica Simon DIGITAL VISUALS EDITOR Evan de Normandie DIGITAL DESIGNER Eric DeFreitas VISUALS PRODUCER Jesse Reiter ASSOCIATE PHOTO PRODUCER Tom Arena TASTING SENIOR EDITOR, TASTING Jim Gordon SENIOR TASTING COORDINATOR Craig Chamberlain ASSISTANT TASTING COORDINATOR Cody Wexler ASSISTANT TASTING COORDINATOR Russell Peborde SOCIAL DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST Marco Bruno COMMUNITY COORDINATOR Ruya Kirac VIDEO SUPERVISING VIDEO PRODUCER Braxton Parr VIDEO PRODUCER Rob Martin WRITERS AT LARGE WINE Michael Alberty, Virginie…

APPLES TO APPLES Grapes fermented by themselves are one thing, and apples or pears fermented alone are another, but fermenting two disparate fruits together results in a different thing entirely. The various fruits that bubble away in barrels together are only part of the story. In Northern California regions, beset by drought and wildfires, a community of like-minded co-mingled cofermenters may hold the answer to even more important questions. Butterfly Effect The apples for North American Press’ cofermented grape cider come from an 80-year-old organic dry-farmed Gravenstein orchard in the middle of a butterfly sanctuary in western Sonoma County. Owner Matt Niess is one of many winemakers fermenting whatever fruit the land offers and blurring the line between craft cider and wine. Ellen Cavalli and Scott Heath of Tilted Shed…

The special edition English Sparkling Wine released earlier this year in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee sold out rapidly, weeks before the nation’s four-day fête in June honoring Her Majesty’s seven-decade reign, which sadly came to an end September 8. This wasn’t the first time the Queen had dipped her royal toes into the wine industry. In fact, you can now toast Her Majesty’s memory with bubbles made from a vineyard a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle. The Windsor Great Park in Berkshire vines are in the same place William the Conqueror hunted deer in the 11th century, King Edward III bred horses for the Hundred Years’ War and Queen Victoria retreated after the death of her beloved Albert. The park first saw a vineyard cultivated by…

With more than 9,000 breweries in the United States, the opportunity to drink local has never been better—and competition never stiffer. Brewers are looking to expand their reach beyond taprooms and store shelves, and many have begun to appeal to the überfan by offering club memberships that deliver special beers and other exclusive items on a regular basis. Some provide early releases and limited, special allocations for their members. For the discerning beer drinker, these clubs offer insight into a brewer’s mind and process while guaranteeing something different to open at the next bottle share. ALESONG BREWING & BLENDING Eugene, OR The brewery’s Blender’s Circle offers exclusive beers that are never available to the general public. It also includes tastings and parties at the brewery’s taproom and discounts on…

1 91 Highlands 41 2020 Black Granite Red Blend (Paso Robles). This is a rather meaty, substantial wine for a fair price. Aromas of boysenberry, elderberry, roast beef and violet lead into a thick palate of cassis, more violet and pleasant mocha touches. —M.K. abv: 14.9% Price: $15 2 90 Harken 2020 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (California). This full-bodied wine leads with bold new-oak aromas of grilled bread, wood char and butter, followed by luscious, ripe pear and vanilla flavors accented with toasted almonds. It’s an unapologetic, barrel-fermented wine that gives a lot of pleasure. —J.G. abv: 14.5% Price: $15 3 90 Jean-Luc Colombo 2021 Cape Bleue Rosé (Mediterranée). A blend of 67% Syrah and 33% Mourvèdre sourced from vineyards outside of Marseille, this is a svelte yet juicy wine packed…

If you like Pinot Noir (and who doesn’t?) this Buying Guide arrives just in time to help you make buying decisions about two excellent vintages from California. Both 2019 and 2020 produced hundreds of highly rated Pinot Noirs, but it’s not necessarily the vintage date that you should pay the most attention to. It’s the diverse styles of Pinot Noir. A trend over the past 10 to 12 years has solidified today, arraying high-quality California Pinot Noir across a range of styles. A trend over the past 10 to 12 years has solidified today, arraying high-quality California Pinot Noir across a range of styles. On one side of the range are richer-tasting, more full-bodied and more oak-influenced wines. On the other hand there are leaner-tasting, lighter-bodied and more acid-driven wines.…

CHARDONNAY 93 Bryn Mawr Vineyards 2019 Estate Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). For full review see page 117. Editors’ Choice. abv: 12.3% Price: $40 92 The Eyrie Vineyards 2020 Estate Chardonnay (Dundee Hills). Clarified butter, stone fruit and spice aromas lead to a creamy-feeling palate, full of layering and texture. It still remains deft on its feet, with lemony acidity tying it all together. It’s exquisite. Editors’ Choice. —S.S. abv: 13.09% Price: $35 92 Nicolas-Jay 2020 Affinités Chardonnay (Willamette Valley). Clarified butter, toast and spice aromas lead to a bright, lively, lemony palate. It’s completely captivating. Decant and pair with shrimp scampi with butter, lemon and fresh parsley. Editors’ Choice. —S.S. abv: 13% Price: $50 91 Elizabeth Chambers 2019 Fairsing Vineyard Chardonnay (Yamhill-Carlton). The aromas are beguiling, with notes of char, toast,…

CÔTES DE NUITS 95 Edouard Delaunay 2019 Grand Cru (Clos de Vougeot). Undulating streaks of blackberry and blueberry preserves introduce this powerfully ripe, penetrating Pinot Noir sourced from the clay-rich limestone soils of the northern sectors of Clos de Vougeot. Matured 14 months in mostly new oak, it’s piquant with spice, tobacco leaf and smoky hazelnut tones now, but maintains a bristling acidic edge that should help it evolve gracefully. At peak from 2025–2040. Saranty Imports. Editors’ Choice. —A.I. abv: 13.5% Price: $330 94 Edouard Delaunay 2019 Premier Cru Les Perrières (Nuits-St.-Georges). Hints of truffle and violet petals perfume bright, penetrating blackberry and cherry flavors here. While richly concentrated and firm in structure, it’s a wine with considerable finesse and sensuality too. Fine-grained but rigid tannins are tightly wound in…

PROSECCO SUPERIORE 93 Case Paolin 2021 Sui Lieviti Brut Nature (Asolo Prosecco Superiore). Delicious, polished and loaded with personality, this wine made with organically grown grapes opens with delicate aromas suggesting white spring flowers and white stone fruit with a whiff of saline. Bone-dry, the polished, savory palate exhibits yellow apple, Meyer lemon, thyme and rosemary set against bright acidity. An elegant mousse provides a lovely backdrop. T. Elenteny Imports. —K.O. abv: 11.5% Price: $22 93 Nino Franco 2021 Vigneto della Riva si San Floriano Brut (Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore). From one of the denomination’s most iconic winemakers, this single vineyard sparkler shows the serious side of Valdobbiadene. Opening with delicate scents of white spring flowers and white stone fruit, it’s the elegant, understated palate that is the showstopper, delivering creamy…

WHITE WINES 91 Cornarea 2020 (Roero Arneis). Aromas of hay, acacia and white stone fruit emerge from the glass. On the polished, round palate, tangy oyster shell notes and fresh acidity accompany creamy white peach, ripe pear and honeyed almond. Vignaioli Selection. —K.O. abv: 13.5% Price: $24 90 Gradis’ciutta 2021 (Collio). Delicate aromas of spring field flowers and orchard fruit waft out of the glass. On the bright, savory palate, a flinty mineral note underscores ripe pear and yellow apple. Vineyard Brands. —K.O. abv: 14% Price: $NA 90 Gradis’ciutta 2021 (Collio). Delicate aromas of Alpine herbs, stone fruit and graphite form the nose. The full-bodied, elegantly structured palate offers ripe yellow apple, peach, star anise and grapefruit before closing on a note of walnut. Vineyard Brands. —K.O. abv: NA Price:…

“Christina!” Through the throngs of people at the packed Real Wine Fair in London, a winemaker calls me, waving me over to his table—he’s the only one from Lebanon. He introduces himself as Eddie Chami, who—uncharacteristically for his region—produces a pair of hazy pét-nats and a piquette under his label Mersel Wines. Chami presents a clear bottle radiating lipstick-pink liquid. “I read your article about piquette,” he says, referring to a piece I’d written for Wine Enthusiast in 2019 about the low-alcohol drink made from grape pomace. Chami had reached out to the winemaker featured in the article, Todd Cavallo, whose winery, Wild Arc, happened to be a 45-minute drive from my home in New York’s Hudson Valley region. “I needed to go straight to him as the piquette…

Where Pierre Sourzat goes, truffles follow. “Everywhere in the world where we talk about truffles, I have been,” says the 70-year-old Frenchman, who founded La Station Trufficole de Cahors-Le Montat more than 30 years ago and consults on the development of truffle orchards everywhere from Paso Robles, California to Perth, Australia. “I have been in China, I have been in Japan. I have been in South Africa, Morocco, Finland—everywhere, even in the U.K.” Today, black truffles—the most commercially viable version of this fungal delicacy, which historically hail from France, Spain and Italy—can be found on every continent except Antarctica. “Where there is wine, you can produce truffles,” says Sourzat, who lives in southwestern France, very close to where he grew up. “It’s almost the same ecology, almost the same requirements.”…

When you combine enthusiasm for boundary-pushing flavors with a love of puns, you get this drink from bartender Shaun Traxler. Think of it as a margarita with an extra punch, thanks to add-ons that should be easy to find at most grocery stores: frozen fruit purée, Dijon mustard and olive oil, plus a crisp splash of Sauvignon Blanc. Added bonus: It’s fun to make friends request the drink: “The name is my favorite thing in the world,” Traxler says. CELINE DIJON Shaun Traxler, general manager, Vault, Fayetteville, AR 1 ¼ ounces Reposado Tequila (like Corralejo)¼ ounce Sauvignon Blanc (preferably French)1 ounce passionfruit Dijon Syrup*½ ounce lime juiceDrops of olive oil, to garnish Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake well. Strain into Nick & Nora or…

In her classic 1941 book Consider the Oyster, M.F.K. Fisher wrote: “Oyster stuffing, for turkeys naturally, is as American as corn-on-the-cob or steamed coot, as far as Americans know or care. To many families it is a necessary part of Christmas dinner, so that its omission would at once connote a sure sign of internal disintegration, as if Ma came to church in her corset-cover or Uncle Jim brought his light-o‘-love to the children’s picnic.” Certainly oyster stuffing deserves a comeback. President Barack Obama served it at every White House Thanksgiving dinner, a nod to its ubiquity in the late 1800s when Chesapeake Bay oysters were so plentiful that they were virtually free, even as they retained an air of luxury (oyster stuffing makes an appearance in a White…

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 Anna-Christina Cabrales (Burgundy, Rhone), Senior Editor, Tasting Jim Gordon (Napa, Sonoma), Senior Tasting Coordinator Craig Chamberlain (Virginia), Senior Editor, Print Stacy Briscoe (California), Assistant Editor Jacy Topps (Languedoc-Roussillon, Vin de France) and Writers at Large Michael Alberty (Oregon, Washington, Canada), Mike DeSimone (Spain, Croatia, Israel, Turkey, Georgia, Lebanon, Armenia, Hungary), John Holl (Beer), Matt Kettmann (Central and South Coast California), Kara Newman (Spirits), Christina Pickard (Australia, New Zealand, England, New York), Emily Saladino (Greece), Layla Shlack (Alsace), Jesica Vargas (South America and South Africa), Roger Voss (Portugal, France: Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Champagne, Loire, Provence, Southwest France),…

SYRAH 96 WeatherEye 2019 Estate Syrah (Red Mountain). WeatherEye is a new site established on the top of Red Mountain, farmed by legendary grower Ryan Johnson, with this wine made by esteemed winemaker Todd Alexander. The aromas are brooding, with notes of huckleberry, flower, crushed rock and barrel spice. Full bodied, ripe intense dark fruit flavors follow. It’s a full-on flavor and textural assault, taking no prisoners. Hedonism in a glass. Best after 2026. Cellar Selection. —S.S. abv: 15% Price: $85 95 Force Majeure 2019 Estate Grown Syrah (Red Mountain). The aromas bring notes of fractured basalt, red and black fruit, moist earth, fresh herb and spice. Pillowy soft, textured, ripe, intense dark-fruit flavors follow. A long, lingering, fruit-filled finish caps it off. The appeal is as much about feel…

WHITE WINES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 95 Domaine Chante Cigale 2019 Extrait (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). This is a richly textured, ample blend of Roussanne (70%) and Grenache Blanc (30%) packed with flavors of fresh apricot and white peach. While full-bodied, creamy and voluminous, it’s lifted by streaks of salt, smoke and graphite along with swathes of chamomile and fresh mint that linger on the finish. Delicious young but should hold well through 2028. Fruit of the Vines, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —A.I. abv: 14.5% Price: $75 94 Domaine du Pegau 2018 Cuvée A Tempo (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). While opulent and weighty in ripeness, there’s a delightful mineral vitality to this full-bodied blend of nearly equal parts Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. White peach and Mirabelle flavors are succulent but pristine, etched by veins of honey, charred clove and…

BOLGHERI 90 Ceralti 2020 Scirè (Bolgheri). Made with organically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, this opens with aromas of dark-skinned fruit, cedar and Mediterranean brush. The juicy palate offers blackberry, white pepper and cinnamon alongside velvety tannins. Drink through 2028. HB Wine Merchants. —K.O. abv: 13.5% Price: $20 89 Podere Prospero 2019 (Bolgheri). This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc opens with aromas of dark-skinned fruit, Mediterranean scrub and toasted oak. The structured palate offers ripe black raspberry, clove and roasted coffee bean alongside close-grained, rather drying tannins. Winebow Imports. —K.O. abv: 14.5% Price: $55…

CAVA 92 Naveran 2018 Perles Roses Cuvée Antonia (Cava). Medium peach in color with small, steady bubbles, this wine has a bouquet of clementine, green apple and honeysuckle. Flavors of green pear, nectarine, croissant and dried Mediterranean herbs coalesce in an orange-scented finish. Olé Imports. Editors’ Choice. —M.D. abv: 12.5% Price: $37 91 Joan Sardà NV Brut Reserva (Cava). Light straw in the glass and gently bubbling, this wine has a bouquet of grapefruit, lemon and geranium. It is pleasantly tart at first sip, with flavors of grapefruit and pineapple that are joined by notes of white chocolate, marzipan and soft spice. A sense of brightness remains on the palate from first sip through the lingering finish. Vinos Libres. —M.D. abv: 11.5% Price: $20 90 1+1=3 NV Cygnus Albireo Brut…

Shochu, Japan’s native distilled spirit, represents a relatively small slice of the market here in the U.S. But with rising interest here in Japanese-inspired bars and restaurants, it’s time to get to know shochu a little better. In brief, it’s a traditional spirit, with roots that can be traced back to the 1500s. The production process is unique: shochu can be made from more than 50 agricultural products, including rice, barley, sweet potato and sugarcane, and uses koji (usually a grain or legume inoculated with koji mold spores) for fermentation. “Shochu is also a very versatile ingredient for cocktails because the flavor profiles within the category are so distinct and diverse.” Of course, there’s much more to it—but the upshot is a wide-ranging spirit that spans from delicate to robust,…

PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY This past August, our media team descended upon Paso Robles, California for the annual Wine Enthusiast media conference. WE had the opportunity to explore the diverse wine region. The three-day conference included visits to Tablas Creek Vineyard, DAOU Vineyards, J Lohr Vineyards, Hope Family Wines and Robert Hall Winery, just to name a few. The team planned for the upcoming year and was immersed in unforgettable experiences in Paso wine country. Here’s a glimpse of the group’s fun-packed few days.…

BITTER There’s no getting around it: Chicories are bitter, which is what chicory lovers like most about them. It makes them one of the few vegetables that can go with red wine, even when raw; its ripe red fruit balances the pungency. Sangiovese, the star of chicory-loving Tuscany, has the tannins and acidity to stand up to the vegetable while still contributing complementary flavors like cherry, plum, dried herbs and roasted tomato. SWEET When cooked, chicories release a latent sweetness that is uncommonly tasty alongside its edgier notes. Play this up with Quarts de Chaume, a sweet wine made from late-harvest and botrytized Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. It tastes of stone fruit jam balanced with mineral notes and Chenin’s trademark acidity, and almost works as a honeyed dressing…

A bruzzo, in central Italy just a two-hour drive east of Rome, is a region noted for its signature red wine grape, Montepulciano. With its thick skins, it produces deeply colored, concentrated red wines that—when tended to properly in the vineyard and cared for delicately in the cellar—can produce quality wines with longevity. “Abruzzo is the region where the Montepulciano grape shows its best character due to the latitude, the altitude gap, the daily intermittence of the sea and mountain breezes,” says Paolo de Strasser, owner and winemaker of Abbazia di Propezzano located in Abruzzo’s Colline Teramane DOCG zone. Stretching along the Adriatic coast, many of Abruzzo’s vineyards are within sight of both the rugged Apennine Mountains (Italy’s “spine”) as well as the ocean, receiving cool winds from both and…

PINOT NOIR 95 Madson 2020 Toyon Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains). In this wine, snappy aromas of raspberry are decorated in appealing and interestingly funky layers of tar, potpourri and game. There’s a compelling stony streak to the palate, which provides a mineral edge to the black-raspberry jam and ripe plum flavors. Light gamy flavors arise on the finish. —M.K. abv: 12.5% Price: $60 95 Masút 2020 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (Eagle Peak). For full review see page 114. Cellar Selection. abv: 14.3% Price: $45 95 Walt 2020 Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills). This is a crowd-pleasing style of Pinot Noir, starting with juicy aromas of black raspberry, boysenberry, rose petal, lilac and toasty oak, equally fresh and rich. It’s hedonistically satisfying on the palate, with…

RIESLING 95 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2019 Clos Saint Urbain Rangen De Thann Grand Cru Riesling (Alsace). Sometimes you stick your nose in a glass of wine and it just smells like Riesling, pure and true. This wine carries vibrant aromas of white blossoms, grapefruit flesh and wet stones. On first sip, it’s a harmonious blend of grapefruit, lemon and a bit of apricot that seems to add body in addition to complexity. A wave of acidity wipes the palate clean, allowing mineral and petrol notes to shine through. This is a wine that will only get better over the next few years. Kobrand. Editors’ Choice. —L.S. abv: 13% Price: $115 94 Christophe Mittnacht 2018 Grand Cru Rosacker Riesling (Alsace). Right away, this wine establishes itself as something quality and ageworthy, with…

RED WINES 93 Château de la Grenière 2019 Cuvée de la Chartreuse (Lussac Saint-Émilion). A dense, dusty wine, full of tannins and luscious fruit, this is impressively rich. It has a fine structure under all the opulent Merlot. The wine will certainly age well. Drink from 2025. Aquitaine Wine Company. Cellar Selection. —R.V. abv: 14% Price: $50 93 Jean-Luc Baldès 2019 Clos Triguedina Probus (Cahors). For full review see page 117. Cynthia Hurley Wine Imports. abv: 14% Price: $100 92 Château Bélingard 2019 Ortus de Château Bélingard (Côtes de Bergerac). Always a fine wine, the new release of Ortus continues the tradition. It is richly textured with tannins still firmly in place. Ripe blackberry fruits have been smoothed by wood aging into a sophisticated wine that is full bodied and…

CERASUOLO D’ABRUZZO 90 Tenuta I Fauri 2021 Baldovino (Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo). This concrete-aged Cerasuolo offers intense aromas of crushed cherries and strawberries mixed with steeped hibiscus and peppery herbs. Sour cherry and hibiscus flavors drive the palate, while fuzzy tannins and refreshing acidity give this lift and drive. Wineberry America LLC. Best Buy. —A.P. abv: 13.5% Price: $15 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO 93 Binomio 2018 Riserva (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo). Fresh dill and thyme lend a heady dose of herb to the plump black cherry and blackberry core in this red. It’s polished and full in nature, with rounded cherry and plum flavors meeting cohesive accents of clove, fresh herbs and cigar wrapper. Anise and grippy cherry skins linger on the finish. Dalla Terra Winery Direct. —A.P. abv: 14.5% Price: $52 92 La Valentina 2017…

PORT 96 W. & J. Graham’s 1950 Single Harvest Tawny (Port). This is old, but old as in its golden years. Dry yet mellifluously sweet, the wine has spice and great intensity. Its concentration is enormous, with old gold and acidity blending together. Drink this magnificent Port now. Premium Port Wines, Inc. —R.V. abv: 20% Price: $2000 95 W. & J. Graham’s 1974 Single Harvest Tawny (Port). In the series of great single harvest Colheita Ports, this is at a perfect age. There is a fine treacle and spice character to the wine along with a touch of orange zest freshness. Drink this great Port now. Premium Port Wines, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —R.V. abv: 20% Price: $500 94 Dow’s 2013 Quinta do Bomfim Vintage (Port). Just beginning to mature, this…

Pale lagers are the dominant style in the beer industry. It is the kind of beer that uses Clydesdales for marketing by some breweries, comes in small green bottles from others, or features mountains on the labels. The style is ubiquitous, and the main descriptor is “refreshment.” These are the ball game beers, the post-yard work reward, or the cooldown after a long day at the office during happy hour. With no room for flaws but plenty of canvas, craft brewers have begun using lagers as playgrounds for ingredients As craft brewers around the United States have become more comfortable in their skin, they have begun adding lager production to their schedules and offerings. While the style may be humble, the process takes great skill and time—often six to eight…