Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Jacqueline Strum EDITOR & PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR, PRINT John Capone CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marco Turelli EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Rachel Tepper Paley SENIOR EDITOR, PRINT Stacy Briscoe 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 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, Reggie Solomon, Jesica Vargas, Roger Voss, Aleks Zecevic SPIRITS Kara Newman BEER John Holl DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES & OPERATIONS Emily Matson ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sherrill Flaum…

Your family holidays might or might not resemble a Berzatto Family Christmas, but we can all use a little support in creating the happiest holidays. Your friends at Wine Enthusiast would like to help. We asked our staff for their favorite holiday tips, how to’s and hacks for making merry without losing it. Plus, the WE Tasting Dept. recommends bottles to bring to the feast. TIP: PREP YOUR PASTRY If you’ve inherited the role of resident baker like I have, it can be a simultaneously fun and stressful task. When juggling hosting with preparing pies for dessert (yes, it is always plural in my house), I get my pastry formed, rolled and into the desired tins to store in the freezer the week prior. That way, when ready to bake,…

“This drink is an homage to winter holiday traditions amidst the Southern California climate,” says author and bartender Garret Richard. Fittingly, he starts with the bright profile of a summer drink and rebuilds it for colder weather with rich notes of spice. Richard, who runs the nautical-themed Sunken Harbor Club above Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner restaurant, spotlights in-season winter citrus in this unusual tropical drink, coupled with smoky mezcal and flash blends it with ice for a “light and velvety” texture, “with a head that sips like Guinness.” For best results, make the drink in a milkshake machine—aka a flash blender—which uses a spindle or paddle to mix and aerate. Richard recommends the Hamilton Beach DrinkMaster. In a pinch, a regular blender or immersion blender will do the trick,…

Quick Caramel Sauce In a small heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, ⅓ cup water, and ½ teaspoon salt until sugar dissolves. Place over medium heat, without stirring (you can swirl the pan if you like), until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in ¾ cup heavy cream, stirring with wooden spoon or heat-resistant rubber spatula until bubbles subside, and return to heat until it reaches 225°F on a candy thermometer. Transfer to a heatproof container and cool. Keeps two weeks, refrigerated. STICKY-SWEET It’s no secret that caramel is sweet, but it’s hardly sweet like a mango; this is a dark, even dank, sticky kind ofsugar rush. Ice Riesling, the Finger Lakes’ take on Canadian Icewine, has intense sweetness to match, but with piercing acidity that somehow refreshes,…

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, Sonoma Craig Chamberlain: Virginia Stacy Briscoe: Nothern California & California AVA 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 &…

WHITE WINES CONDRIEU 96 E. Guigal 2020 (Condrieu). An exuberance of perfectly ripe yellow and white peaches, apricots, melon, pineapple and delicate white floral aromas overflow from the glass. The palate is luxurious and balanced, with an abundance of melon, dehydrated pineapple, apricot, quince, candied ginger and oak spice. Impressive acidity accentuates its stone finish and helps reset the palate for another sip. Vintus LLC. Cellar Selection. —A.C.C. abv: 14.5% Price: $38 95 Domaine Martin Clerc 2020 (Condrieu). Focused aromas of yellow pear and apricot, quince, marzipan and honeysuckle linger on the nose. The palate is dry and delicious, with notes of yellow pear, Pink Lady apple, pulverized stone, and white tea drawn long through the finish. Easily pair with steamed or grilled dense white fish preparations. Wine Wine Situation.…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 98 Beringer 2020 Lampyridae Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder). Elegant, layered and complex, this wine from possibly the highest elevation in Napa Valley opens with black currants, cedar and spearmint followed by tangy but also ripe-tasting black cherries, black currants, cinnamon and balsam. The tannins are fine-grained and deftly integrated, for a silky texture and good aging potential, too. Best from 2027–2037. Cellar Selection. —J.G. abv: 14.9% Price: $150 97 Beaulieu Vineyard 2020 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Fascinating, fresh and ripe fruit flavors fill this full-bodied, velvety-textured wine with blackberries, raspberries and cranberries. Subtle oak spices add interest from the aroma through the finish. Decant this time-tested wine if drinking soon. Best from 2027–2040. Cellar Selection. —J.G. abv: 14.7% Price: $160 97 Beringer…

S’MORE BOURBON Charred, toasted or both, barrels make the bourbon. Tell me how you like your marshmallow toasted, and I’ll tell you whether you prefer bourbon or brandy. This challenge was issued around a campfire, as a round of s’mores (and hot toddies) marked the end of a spirits trade event. At first, it seemed like a ridiculous litmus test, until the challenger (Dan Farber, of Osocalis) elaborated. “It’s about how the barrels are treated,” he explained. “The insides of brandy barrels are typically toasted, while the insides of bourbon barrels are always charred.” So, it follows that if you’re among those who prefer to thrust a marshmallow directly into the campfire flame so it blackens to a delightful gooey mess, you’re likely also a fan of the flavor that…

Listen to Aminé’s latest album, Kaytraminé, his collaboration with producer Kaytranada, released this past spring, and you may feel compelled to pour yourself a little something. That’s due in part to the copious references the rapper makes to drinks like the French 75. His love of cocktails, wines and spirits—and the good times they facilitate—played a role in the album’s creation. “We were always having natural wine in the studio when me and Kay would link,” Aminé says. “Then [we’d] make music for a week straight and then throw a party and play that music while drinking wine.” As a result, drinks feature heavily throughout the album’s visual components. Aminé is holding up a glass of sparkling on the colorful cover, and an oversized wine glass appears in the video…

Any doubts about how much the actual coast plays into the newly created San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast appellation are erased at a wide turnout on Highway 46 West. With views of the sparkling Pacific Ocean extending from the dramatic eruption of Morro Rock up toward the jagged shorelines beneath Hearst Castle, this is the place to shuck a dozen or so of Morro Bay Oyster Company’s finest while sipping on zesty Scar of the Sea pét nat, made from Pinot Noir grapes grown less than two miles from Avila Beach. “There’s just a ton of access to seafood,” explains Scar’s proprietor Mikey Giugni, listing off the oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, sea bass, urchins, halibut and rockfish that are reliably plucked from the nearby waters. “All of those things are…

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 2,500 wines that scored 80 or higher 215 of these were designated Cellar Selections and deemed the most age-worthy by our reviewers 152 of those were red wines, 21 white and 39 sparkling (all from Champagne); the remainder were port or sweet wines The average price of an ageable red was $85; white $95 Know when to hold ’em and when to pop ’em by consulting our vintage chart at wineenthusiast.com/wine-vintage-chart Top 5 Cellar Selections Our reviewers have determined these wines are exceptionally ageworthy. 98 Robert Weil 2021 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Trockenbeeren Auslese Riesling (Rheingau) $700/375ml, 7.5% abv 98 Ceretto…

PERSON OF THE YEAR Dina and Don Opici President, Opici Family Distributing & Managing Director, Opici Wines Glen Rock, New Jersey Isabel Guilisasti Vice President of Fine Wines & Corporate Image, Viña Concha y Toro Santiago, Chile John Sutton CEO, Wine Group Livermore, California Magdalena Pesce CEO, Wines of Argentina Mendoza, Argentina Paul Hobbs Owner & Winemaker, Paul Hobbs Winery Sonoma County, California WINE REGION OF THE YEAR Charlottesville, Virginia Lambrusco, Italy Provence, France Swartland, South Africa Victoria, Australia RETAILER/MARKETPLACE OF THE YEAR 3 Parks Wine Shop Benchmark Wine Group Fermented Wine Boutique Millésima USA The Communion WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR Alessio Planeta CEO & Chief Winemaker, Planeta Wine Sicily, Italy Juan Pablo Murgia Technical Director, Grupo Avinea Mendoza, Argentina Kristen Barnhisel Winemaker, White Wine, J. Lohr Vineyards &…

VINTAGE 97 Billecart-Salmon 2008 Cuvée Nicolas François (Champagne). A blend of fruit from mainly Grand Cru vineyards, this beautiful Champagne is now fully mature. With toasty characters, touches of fresher fruit and taut acidity, the wine has a little spice from wood fermentation. It is a great Champagne ready to drink. Billecart Salmon USA. —R.V. abv: 12% Price: $250 97 Lanson 2008 Clos Lanson Blanc de Blancs Brut (Champagne). This is from a single vineyard of Chardonnay on the edge of Reims. With its fine age and rich acidity, it is well-balanced, ripe and touched by spice. Drink now. Terlato Wines International. Cellar Selection. —R.V. abv: 12.5% Price: $450 96 Billecart-Salmon 2005 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Brut (Champagne). This beautifully balanced single-vineyard Champagne is ripe with Pinot Noir and intense. Its…

RED WINES BAROLO 97 Sandrone 2019 Aleste (Barolo). The nose on the Aleste is beguiling and seductive with aromas of wild red and black fruits, clove, anise, rose and wild herbs. Though generous, the wine is holding back just a tad, asking you to cellar it. Black cherries, oolong tea, wildflowers and sandalwood all show up on the beautifully crafted palate. Drink 2028–2040. Vintus LLC. Cellar Selection. —J.P. abv: 14.5% Price: $202 97 Vietti 2019 Monvigliero (Barolo). Alluring aromas of wild red berries, medicinal herbs and sweet and savory spices with subtle tea aromas swirl in the glass. The lifted palate is almost weightless before it gives juicy cherry notes and crushed wildflower flavors, finishing with elegant tannins and nearly perfect acidity. Dalla Terra Winery Direct. Cellar Selection. —J.P. abv:…

CHARDONNAY 96 Paringa Estate 2022 Estate Chardonnay (Mornington Peninsula). One of the few Mornington Peninsula wines to reach U.S. shores, this is a cracking example of the cool, maritime region. Wild fermented from just nine rows of over-30-year-old vines, it opens with concentrated aromas of lemon and stone fruit. Woven between are more lactic, sulfide notes that add character and let you know you’re in Chardonnay territory. There’s a phenolic grip to the somewhat austere palate that tugs on the tongue, with a laser beam of acidity and long finish. This could cellar comfortably for a decade or be drunk now with a wide variety of cuisine. Fox Beverages USA. Hidden Gem. —C.P. abv: 13% Price: $50 96 Stella Bella 2021 Luminosa Single Vineyard Chardonnay (Margaret River). Rich, lactic notes…

BARREL-AGED Brewers who stuck with barrels push limits of flavors. On a recent visit to Massachusetts, I found myself strolling through the back area of a brewery I respect. Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing is known for its Kölsch and porter but has also developed a barrel-aging program with a few delightful surprises. Passing by the racks of stacked barrels, at the back of the brewery, I ran my hand across the coarse surface of one, and breathed in deeply for the full olfactory experience. The brewer, Matt Steinberg, noted that not all were filled with beer and that the interest in barrel-aged beer has waned over the last few years. A carefully chosen barrel with the right beer can produce heavenly results. But that takes time and money. Once it seemed…

Tune In 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 rise of orange wines on beverage menus and the impact of climate change on harvest season. Listen everywhere you get your podcasts or at wineenthusiast.com/podcast. “The Georgians just wanted to make white wine when they discovered orange.”Doreen Winkler Sommelier and owner of Orange Glou EPISODE 148: Why is Orange Wine Suddenly Everywhere? “Orange wine was kept a secret for 8,000 years.”Doreen Winkler Sommelier and owner of Orange Glou EPISODE 148: Why is Orange Wine Suddenly Everywhere? “We had a great string of vintages where the wines were made in the vineyard…

For decades, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have dominated plantings and sales. But with the realization that climate change is not only affecting what grapes can be grown where (scientists warn that up to 85% of the world’s current winegrowing regions could disappear due to warming) but also potentially ushering in new diseases and pests, growers are putting new grapes in the ground. “I decided to plant about an acre of Sauvignon Gris in 2019 after enjoying extremely high-quality wines made from it in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley,” Gustavo Gonzalez, winemaker at Napa’s Mira Winery, says of this gray mutation of Sauvignon Blanc. “It is not planted in high volumes anywhere—only about 70 tons were harvested in California the year we planted it—because it is extremely low-yielding.” In California, where…

Few wines are ageworthy. Most—even very good ones—are made to be uncorked within the first year after bottling. Their tasting characteristics reflect this. In the case of reds, tannins—the compounds astringent on the palate—are usually lower, and acidity as well, but red fruits are pronounced. Whites, meanwhile, might have high acidity and simple notes of citrus and green apple. But what wines are made for the long haul? And how do you know? The drivers sustaining these wines that can improve over a decade or more are acidity, alcohol, and for reds, tannin and for sweet wines, sugar. Every bottle of quality wine is a self-contained world where time moves slowly (larger formats, such as magnums, slow the process due to the ratio of air-to-wine in a given bottle).…

A couple months back, on a lovely summer afternoon, a friend stopped by for some afternoon beers. Before their arrival, I swept off the deck, picked out an assortment of seasonally appropriate beers for the cooler, grabbed some glasses and gave them a quick rinse before setting them out. Imagine my horror and embarrassment when, upon pouring the first lager, carbonation stuck to the side of the glass: the dreaded visual cue that the glass was not beer-clean. Bubbles are pretty to look at and all of us have come across situations where beer or soda, seltzer and Champagne have been served in glasses where the carbonation clings to the glass, forming a curtain. This is a bad thing—akin to being at a restaurant and getting a fork with bits…

Anna-Christina Cabrales is Wine Enthusiast’s tasting director and reviews the wines of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Within the wine world, there exists a category known as collectible wines. These bottles typically hail from esteemed producers who craft limited quantities of these masterpieces. Among these storied treasures, you’ll find Bordeaux First Growths, Super Tuscans, pedigreed Burgundy and cult Napa wines. Once relatively accessible, these bottlings have long been cherished companions on my wine journey. Now they are growing increasingly elusive and are often stratospherically priced, placing them out of reach for many enthusiasts. These wines … make us raise our eyebrows and say, “You’ve got potential.” The pandemic played a role in this development. During the past three years, prices surged due to economic flux, along with rising production and…

WHITE WINES CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET 96 Philippe Colin 2020 En Remilly Premier Cru (Chassagne-Montrachet). Citrus aromas entwined with acacia and honeysuckle perfume impress the nose. The palate is refreshed with mouthwatering acidity, adding delicacy to an elegant and refined expression with such a fine persistent mineral finish. Cape Classics. Cellar Selection. —A.C.C. abv: 13.5% Price: $110 96 Philippe Colin 2020 Les Vergers Premier Cru (Chassagne-Montrachet). Fresh aromas of lemons, green pears, Mandarin orange pith, fresh earth and flint on the nose. The palate is round and generous with ripe citrus and white florals evolving to citrus pith, stone and toasted almonds. Complex and well-balanced, the uplifting acidity allows for enjoyment in its youthful expression or cellaring well through 2030+. Cape Classics. Editors’ Choice. —A.C.C. abv: 13.5% Price: $115 95 Philippe Colin 2020…

RED WINES 98 Le Macchiole 2020 Paleo (Toscana). A riot of pepper lights up the nose, from cracked black to green peppercorn to hot chili. Flint and leather undertones empower the heat, while aromas of raspberry jam and vanilla provide balance. The palate stays spicy, with snappy, confident acidity, but a sweetness lingers, and a finish of chili and chocolate ties everything together. Transcendent. Drink 2030–2040 or beyond. Vintus LLC. Cellar Selection. —D.C. abv: 14.5% Price: $130 97 Petrolo 2021 Galatrona (Toscana). The nose showcases a vast world of savory aromas, from sanguine to metallic to woody to earthy, with cranberries, currants and dark berries providing sweet contrast. A lively palate runs with the warmth of earth and just-ripened fruit, alongside austere tannins that promise ageworthiness. An absolutely acrobatic feat…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 94 Dalton 2021 Estate M Oak Aged Cabernet Sauvignon (Galilee). A bouquet of blackberry, caramel and violet prepares the palate for Luxardo cherry, blackberry preserve, clove, milk chocolate and violet flavors that are backed by silky tannins. A nice vein of acidity remains on the palate from start to finish. Kosher. Allied Importers, USA, Ltd. Best Buy. —M.D. abv: 14% Price: $20 94 Dalton 2021 Estate Oak Aged Cabernet Sauvignon (Galilee). This deep violet-colored wine offers a bouquet of blackberry, caramel and dried thyme. Luscious blackberry, black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and violet flavors are encased in a sheath of opulent tannins that recedes into an enduring finish. Kosher. Allied Importers, USA, Ltd. Best Buy. —M.D. abv: 14% Price: $20 93 Benhaim Family Winery 2017 Grande Réserve Cabernet…