Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

MANAGING EDITOR, PRINT John Capone TASTING DIRECTOR Anna-Christina Cabrales CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Rachel Tepper Paley SENIOR EDITOR, PRINT Stacy Briscoe SENIOR EDITOR, DIGITAL Arielle Weg ASSISTANT EDITOR, PRINT Jacy Topps 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 COORDINATORS Craig Chamberlain, Cody Wexler ASST. TASTING COORDINATORS Augi Anagnostos, Russell Peborde, Dan Storm SOCIAL DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Elyse Estrella SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST Marco Bruno VIDEO SUPERVISING VIDEO PRODUCER Braxton Parr VIDEO PRODUCER Rob Martin WRITERS AT LARGE WINE Michael Alberty, Danielle Callegari, Mike DeSimone, Matt Kettmann, Christina Pickard, Jeff Porter, Emily Saladino,…

The Wine Enthusiast Podcast, hosted by Jacy Topps, is your serving of drinks’ culture and the people who drive it. The podcast, which airs twice a month, features real conversations about beverage-related topics. Recently, we’ve been discussing the ways French wine is transforming, Napa’s future with younger consumers and innovation within the canned wine market. Listen everywhere you get your podcasts or at wineenthusiast.com/podcast. “Yes, there are some wines that clearly are tailored toward the more affluent and generally older wine drinker.”Peter Mondavi Jr. Co-proprietor of Charles Krug Winery EPISODE 143: Does Napa Valley Have a Problem with Younger Wine Drinkers? EPISODE 141: How the French Wine Industry is Transforming “Everyone talks about climate as a crisis. It absolutely is, but in the very narrow and selfish realm of French…

It’s fitting that a book inspired by outdoor adventures amid New Hampshire’s White Mountains includes a drink named for Franconia, a town nestled in the western side of those mountains, known for state parks and ski resorts. This autumnal drink riffs on the classic French 75. Compared to the gin- and Champagne-based classic, this version takes a “darker, decidedly New England spin,” the authors say, thanks to rich maple syrup and sparkling hard cider. Since the maple provides all the sugar this cocktail requires, you want a dry cider to maintain balance. Their pick: Vermont’s Shacksbury Dry Cider—a New England product, ’natch. Bonus: It comes in cans, “perfect for camp packing,” they say. To transform into a zero-proof version, substitute non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider, omit the maple, and replace…

Rip out this page and stuff it in your pocket for when you go to the wine shop next or just search wineenthusiast.com/ratings. FOR THIS ISSUE WE blind tasted more than 2,400 wines that scored 80 points or higher 455 of them were rated 93 points or higher 10 red wines from the Rhône Valley scored 93 or higher With an average price point of $30, wines from the Rhône Valley presented the best value of all the reds we tasted for this issue The best value in 93+-point whites came from Mendocino, with an average price point of $29.50 Find reviews for these wines in the Buying Guide that starts on page 103 Top 5 Best Buys These wines represent the highest value wines we rated for this issue.…

If there is one theme that unites this year’s Future 40 honorees across their many categories, it is advocacy—in every sense of the word. Advocacy for including people of all backgrounds in an industry that is struggling to find its footing in appealing beyond a traditional base as well as advocacy for the environment, advocacy for each other and advocacy for workers in the hospitality industry on which they all, in one way or another, depend. Get to know them on these pages and learn what they think about the current state and the future of the drinks space. Tara Gomez Cofounder & Cowinemaker, Camins 2 Dreams Lompoc, California @tgomez805 Tara Gomez is constantly working toward a more inclusive wine industry. She’s an advisor for the James Beard Foundation Legacy Network…

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. STAFF EDITORS Anna-Christina Cabrales Burgundy, Rhône Valley Jim Gordon Napa Valley, Sonoma Craig Chamberlain Virginia Stacy Briscoe California Jacy Topps Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Vin de France WRITERS AT LARGE Michael Alberty Oregon, Washington, Canada Danielle Callegari Tuscany & Southern Italy Mike DeSimone Spain, Croatia, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia, Hungary John Holl Beer, Hard Seltzer Matt Kettmann Central & South Coast California Kara Newman Spirits, RTD Christina Pickard Australia, New Zealand, England, New York Jeff Porter Piedmont & Northern Italy Emily Saladino Greece, Georgia Reggie Solomon Beaujolais, Loire Valley Jesica Vargas South America & South Africa Roger Voss Portugal, France: Bordeaux, Champagne, Southwest & Other France Aleks…

WHITE WINES 92 Henry of Pelham 2021 Classic Sauvignon Blanc (Niagara Peninsula). The mineral-driven nose on this wine features aromas of gunflint, saline and stones, along with honeydew melon and beeswax. Ample acidity lights up the palate, with flavors like white grapefruit, fresh basil and yeasty sourdough starter shining through. Henry of Pelham Winery. Best Buy. —M.A. abv: 12% Price: $12 90 Henry of Pelham 2021 Classic Chardonnay (Niagara Peninsula). A fresh, crisp combination of aromas suggests lime peel, white grapefruit and peach. These lead into flavors like honeydew melon, saline, sage and tonic water with a twist of lemon. It has refreshing acidity and lively mouthfeel. Henry of Pelham Winery. Best Buy. —M.A. abv: 12.5% Price: $12 SPARKLING WINES 95 Inniskillin 2021 Sparkling Vidal Icewine Vidal (Niagara Peninsula). For…

WHITE WINES CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 95 Henri de Villamont 2019 Les Embazées Premier Cru (Chassagne-Montrachet). This wine’s energy and depth mark its cellaring potential. The nose is inviting and reminiscent of a brioche pastry with brown butter and vanilla, filled with fresh citrus filling. Brisk acidity helps cut through its texture and richness, but the wine has more to show than what it does now. Cellar beyond 2028+ to allow the wine to harmonize further. Milton’s Distributing Co., Inc. —A.C.C. abv: 13.5% Price: $70 94 Louis Latour 2019 Cailleret Premier Cru (Chassagne-Montrachet). A taut nose of white lilies, acacia, fresh pears and apples laid on warm white stones and drizzled with honey fills the glass. The palate is powerful and textured, with notes of citrus pith and fresh almonds that persist on…

RIESLING 96 Hillick & Hobbs 2020 Estate Vineyard Dry Riesling (Seneca Lake). Paul Hobbs’s Seneca Lake winery has cemented, in just a few short years, a spot at the top of NY Riesling. Only the second release, the 2020 is stunning. It’s lucid and bright, but also concentrated and powerful, with aromas of lemon pith, apricot kernel, orchard blossoms, talcum powder and nutmeg. The bone-dry, rock-strewn mineral palate is slippery, even a little viscous, but it’s quickly drawn into center by a laser beam of crystalline acidity. There’s a pulse of juicy citrus to the long, tingly finish. Drinking beautifully now, it has at least another decade of life left. The best part? It’s a total bargain. Editors’ Choice. —C.P. abv: 12.5% Price: $36 94 Hermann J. Wiemer 2021 HJW…

VSOP COGNAC This is what your Sidecar is missing. A recent event celebrating the launch of a new Cognac bottling included a rare beast: a flawless Sidecar. While the event was intended to spotlight the debut of an XO—aged a minimum of 10 years—the drink was made with VSOP. In the U.S., VSOP typically is the most popular Cognac, valued both for sipping and mixing into drinks—like the Sidecar. Since the French brandy can be expensive, most bartenders opt for either VS (aged a minimum of two years) or VSOP (aged a minimum of four years) when mixing cocktails. Most Sidecars are forgettable, but this one inspired musing about why we don’t see more Cognac cocktails… “VSOPs are usually our choice because they are full in flavor and body, and…

Two months before The Tinder Swindler was released on Netflix, I had my own run-in with a “diamond-exporting,” truth-bending, wine-stealing date. Leandro was Italian-Brazilian with short salt-n-pepper hair, dark eyes and an attentive personality. Initially attracted to his persistence, his knowledge of Puglia and the prospect of trips to Rio, I matched with him and we chatted for two days before he claimed to be an heir to a diamond mine… excuse me! This is new. Living in the Bay Area, my world sometimes intersected with the wealth of tech and new money, but rarely did I meet someone with an occupation worthy of a Bond villain. I couldn’t resist his invitation to Zuni, a local institution in San Francisco. I was running early—well, I was on time, so,…

Fun-infused Whiskey Flavored whiskey is nothing new, from fruit-infused moonshine to Fireball’s cinnamon spice. But the latest wave hits differently, channeling specific sense-memory treats—and in some cases, generating big bucks. Looking back a decade or more, flavored whiskeys tended to leverage flavors already found in whiskey (vanilla, caramel, cinnamon) or that complemented whiskey (honey, apple, cherry). While that hasn’t gone away, explains Adam Rogers, research director for IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, “coming out of the pandemic, newer releases have taken more of an indulgent treat-oneself approach with nuanced flavors such as cookie dough, chocolate, pumpkin spice, peanut butter or combinations of these.” Which brings us to the juggernaut that is Skrewball. Created in 2018 by Steve and Brittany Yeng, the peanut butter-flavored whiskey found fans almost immediately, spurring a slew…

Auxerrois (awk-ser-WAH) may not be one of Alsace’s best known grapes, but it’s undeniably important and a little bit enigmatic. Called Pinot Auxerrois in the region, it is often mistaken for Pinot Blanc—another prominent Alsace white grape that isn’t included in any grand crus. These two white grapes look similar, share some parentage in Pinot Noir and complement each other well—but there was not always a formal distinction between the two. Genetic testing suggests that Auxerrois is a sibling of Chardonnay. Both are hybrids of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, and in the Moselle region of France, Chardonnay is often called Auxerrois Blanc. Auxerrois most likely takes its name from Auxois, a town in Burgundy, although it probably developed in Lorraine. Still, this confusion hasn’t turned Alsace winemakers off. Because…

The floor was packed at BarConvent Brooklyn, a spirits industry trade show, but no one stopped at the ecoSPIRITS booth. I stood off to the side and watched a constant flow of bartenders, sales reps and journalists glance and then walk past the rectangular metal containers, no match for the seductive flavors within the bottles, bottles everywhere—the very vessels ecoSPIRITS seeks to replace with refillable containers that hold the equivalent of several bottles. The spirits industry has a sustainability problem. While so many brands earnestly preach the virtues of supporting the environment by reducing waste, the spirits industry is among the worst in providing anything resembling eco-friendly packaging. Compared to the lightweight cans of the beer industry and recyclable glass and natural cork employed by winemakers, spirits producers seem to…

CHARDONNAY 96 Big Table Farm 2021 Elusive Queen Chardonnay (Willamette Valley). Is the Queen elusive because so few bottles exist, or because it is difficult to find words worthy of her? Either way, it is worth searching for her. Allow the wine’s tropical aromas of lime zest, grilled pineapple, coconut oil and a warm baguette be your guide. Flavors like orange, butter, Meyer lemon and green tea coat are your prize. Spectacular. Editors’ Choice. —M.A. abv: 13.3% Price: $95 95 Martin Woods 2021 Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). Yet another amazing wine made with Koosah Vineyard fruit. The wine’s nose is so fresh and clean, it’s like smelling a mountain stream splash by. Tangerine and cherry blossom aromas are followed by flavors of lemon drop hard candies, lime zest and…

RIESLING 98 Prager 2021 Ried Achleiten Smaragd Riesling (Wachau). This intensely mineral version has a light golden hue, which hints at concentration, but its acidity makes it incredibly graceful. Integration of elements is seamless, and its lively profile is decorated with rich flavors of melon, clementine and peach that are sprinkled with meringue and fleur de sel. The succulent, mouthwatering finish flows across the palate, inviting you for another sip. Best 2025–2045. Winebow Imports. Cellar Selection. —A.Z. abv: 13.5% Price: $85 95 Lesehof Stagård 2020 Ried Steiner Pfaffenberg Riesling (Kremstal). This phenomenal wine shows a somewhat idiosyncratic style at first. It is soft spoken and needs time to unravel, with hints of lavender and jasmine. White raspberry notes emerge midpalate, intermingled with sea salt, coriander and tarragon, all tied to…

RED WINES CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 95 Clos Bellane 2018 Urgonien (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). This sophisticated expression is compelling now with each sip. Dark fruits like blackberries, blueberries and herbal tones fuel the nose, while stewed mulberries and raspberries coat the palate. Mouthquenching acidity and rustic tannins draw out a long, velvety and seductive finish. Skurnik Wines, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —A.C.C. abv: 14.5% Price: $NA 94 Domaine de l’Arnesque 2019 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). This bold yet beautifully balanced bottling unveils a bouquet of fresh cranberries, raspberries, violets and touches of cinnamon and nutmeg spice. The palate is velvety and generous. Although its tannins are quite young, the wine is delicious enough to drink now. Additional cellaring through 2028 will also be rewarding. Scoperta Importing Co. Inc. Cellar Selection. —A.C.C. abv: 15% Price: $46 93 Chateau Simian 2017…

THOUGH IT GOES BY ITS GERMAN NAME IN THE U.S., SAUERKRAUT is common throughout Central and Eastern Europe, and similar fermented cabbage preparations are ubiquitous in Korea (kimchi) and China (suancai). The signature dish of Alsace is choucroute garnie, sauerkraut cooked with various meats, where it’s paired with Alsatian Riesling, Sylvaner or Gewürztraminer (next time you have a hot dog with sauerkraut, close your eyes and think of Strasbourg). The “sauer” in sauerkraut comes not from vinegar but from fermentation with lactic acid bacteria, much like a sourdough starter. When pairing wine with sauerkraut-heavy dishes, the main rule of thumb is acidity—crisp foods want crisp wines. Beyond that, there are myriad directions to pursue. FERMENTED Think of the aromas of a winery in action; milk as it becomes yogurt;…

Steady warming trends may eventually make it impossible for now-premium regions to grow popular varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Scientists writing in PNAS, a journal published by the National Academy of Sciences, warn that human-induced climate change could shrink winegrowing regions as much as 85% by 2100—unless the trend is turned around and vintners expand the range of grapes they grow. Thankfully, grape breeders like Dr. Andrew Walker of University of California, Davis are responding to the challenge. In 2019, Dr. Walker released five new disease-resistant grapes—the first release of new grapes from Davis in decades. One in particular has California growers excited: Ambulo Blanc. This white grape is 97% Vitis vinifera, a cross of 62.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% Carignane, 12.5% Chardonnay, with the remaining percentage split…

What if forensic science could prove the exact origins of a wine, right down to the specific vineyard block? “Oritain’s scientific verification technology, to me, is another tool in the whole traceability world of fine wine,” says Steve Smith, MW, cofounder of AONZ Fine Wine Estates, which includes the iconic Pyramid Valley estate in New Zealand’s North Canterbury region. He uses the privately owned company’s technology to guarantee the origins of Pyramid Valley’s four single-vineyard wines. “It is totally different from other traceability technologies,” he says, referring to blockchain-based systems like NFTs, which rely on digital records and trace just the bottle. “This is the only technology that guarantees that what is in the bottle comes from a specific place based on an analysis of the physical wine. It…

As subsistence farmers in Punjab, Sukhi Dhaliwal’s parents were so poor, they sent him to live with an uncle in another town. Now, along with his brother Balwinder, he owns Kismet Estate Winery and is one of the largest wine grape growers in British Columbia’s Okanagan region. This tale of rags to rosé is a common one among the dozen-plus Okanagan wineries owned by Punjabi immigrants and their descendants. In the early 1980s, anti-Sikh policies and violence in India made Punjab an increasingly difficult and dangerous place to live. Punjabi immigration to B.C. was already common, and in the Okanagan, new arrivals found familiar aspects to the region: The Okanagan stretches north from the U.S. border into British Columbia’s interior, along a fertile river valley about 160 miles east…

Every time you are about to use the word “smooth” as a wine descriptor, I want you to hear Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas intoning the word slowly, languidly under a Carlos Santana guitar lick and pause long enough to think about what you mean by it. With any luck, by the time the horn section kicks in you will have forgotten about using the word, because, although it might have won Misters Thomas and Santana a Grammy for Record of the Year, as a wine descriptor, “smooth” is next to useless. And like the song, the descriptor is popular, bland and ultimately meaningless. When someone uses the word “smooth” to describe what they just tasted, what do they mean? They could mean a red wine has well-integrated, soft tannins.…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 96 Passing Time 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain). This stunning 100% Cabernet Sauvignon strikes first with ripe blackcap raspberry, marionberry, hyacinth and lavender aromas that conjure memories of pies and garden strolls. Fuller-bodied blackberry and boysenberry flavors are flanked by touches of vanilla and thyme, all backed by sturdy tannins. Expect Tom Brady-like longevity and enjoy 2024–2038. Cellar Selection. —M.A. abv: 14.8% Price: $94 96 Passing Time 2020 Block 1311 Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills). This wine is so elegant, you almost want to dress like the late Robert Palmer to open the bottle. Aromas of blackberries and lemongrass swirl about the glass, joined by notes of chocolate ganache and espresso. Black cherry, aged balsamic, lavender and saline flavors glide seamlessly, ably supported by silky tannins. Enjoy now–2038.…

RIESLING 94 Joh. Jos. Prüm 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling (Mosel). Bracing and graceful, this offers ginger candy, sage honey and tropical-fruit aromas and flavors on an elegant frame. It is never in your face or overpowering, but rather flows with class, thanks to the acidity that keeps it focused. It is velvety in texture and the range of flavor just keeps expanding on the finish. Best after 2028. The German Wine Collection. —A.Z. abv: 7% Price: $81 94 Selbach-Oster 2020 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling (Mosel). This wine has a seductive velvety texture. The array of flavors includes dragon fruit, persimmon, gooseberry marmalade and apple tart. Hints of nutmeg and cardamom emerge with subtle saltiness that adds to the complex profile of this Riesling. The finish is long and mouthwatering. Skurnik…

RED WINES RIBERA DEL DUERO 95 Bodegas Viyuela 2018 Reserva (Ribera del Duero). This dark ruby-colored wine has aromas of black cherry, wild mountainside herbs and clove. It opens on a spicy note with anise and mint flavors that are joined by blackberry, cassis, mocha, violet and orange zest flavors. Polished tannins and a rich note of chocolate-covered cherry continue on the palate. Terroir Connections. —M.D. abv: 14.5% Price: $49 93 Bodega Virgen de la Asunción 2016 El Canto Del Ángel Tinto Fino (Ribera del Duero). This wine has full on aromas of red plum, black cherry and blackberry with a top note of eucalyptus. It has flavors of black olive tapenade, ripe black and red fruits and a touch of saddle leather. The tannins are bold but silky and…

CHARDONNAY 97 Flowers 2021 Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast). Vibrant fruit flavors fill out a creamy texture in this super well-balanced wine, offering toast, pineapple and butter aromas, then poached pear, lemon zest and almond croissant flavors on the palate. The combination of lively acidity and generous flavors is quite compelling. Best 2025–2032. Cellar Selection. —J.G. abv: 13.5% Price: $90 96 Kosta Browne 2020 Bootlegger’s Hill Chardonnay (Russian River Valley). This smooth, harmonious wine from a cool site near the Pacific Ocean offers a seamless blend of poached pears and golden apples, lightly accented by vanilla, toast and butter nuances that weave through the flavors and linger on the finish. —J.G. abv: 13.6% Price: $170 95 DuMOL 2021 Chloe Chardonnay (Russian River Valley). Balanced to a T,…

IPA EVOLUTION Dry hopped, hazy and Imperial beers expand the choices. The India pale ale remains the best-selling category in craft beer, and brewers are working hard to keep up with demand. What defines an IPA has changed over the decades and, in some cases, the term is a catch-all referring to generously or well-hopped beer. While the style was once polarizing for some drinkers because of the inherent bitterness hops bring to beer, there is now something for every palate. The major shift in IPA has come over the last decade as brewers embraced dry hopping as a method to impart big hop flavor without the bitterness. It’s a far cry from traditional British or West Coast-style IPAs where clarity is celebrated. Dry hopping means that hops are added…