BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast
BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast
90 Gundlach Bundschu 2009 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast). Ripe fruit and new oak combine for lush, complex flavors in this dramatic young Pinot Noir. It shows real flair in the raspberry, cherry and cola flavors, with vanilla and buttered cinnamon toast from aging in French barrels. Easy to like now for its silky texture and long, pure spicy finish. —S.H. abv: 14.4% Price: $34 90 Joseph Drouhin 2009 Côte de Beaune- Villages. A wine that reveals its rich, jammy fruit slowly. When it arrives, the fruit is soft and generous, with strawberry jam and red plum flavors. It also has intense fresh acidity, a dry tannic core and aging potential. Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. —R.V. abv: 13% Price: $24 90 Occasio 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). Occasio has made a restrained and elegant Cabernet, alluring in its cola spice—almost sarsaparilla—aromas. Then the wine delves into dusty red and black fruit with ample structure, and a vein of minerality cradled into one delicious package. —V.B. abv: 13.5% Price: $36 8 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012 90 Penley Estate 2009 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra). Penley’s 2009 Phoenix offers classic cassis fruit, shored up by hints of mocha, vanilla and menthol. It’s medium to full bodied, powerful yet elegant, with tannins that are firm but not unapproachable. Drink now–2020. Old Bridge Cellars. Editors’ Choice. —J.C. abv: 14.5% Price: $20 90 Rodney Strong 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley). Here’s a fruity, soft, flamboyant Cabernet, packed with plum, blackberry, black currant, licorice, dark chocolate and spicy oak flavors. Delicious and savory, it’s probably showing its best now, so drink up. —S.H. abv: 15% Price: $45 90 Rubissow 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder). Shows the richness of Mount Veeder fruit and also the Rubissow style, which emphasizes massively extracted fruit. Just overwhelms with jammy blackberries, cherries, mocha, licorice and vanilla. The tannins are polished and pretty, being firm yet soft at the same time. Give it a decant and drink now. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $50 90 Salentein 2010 Reserve Malbec (Uco Valley). Compact, concentrated and clean, with all its components in place. The bouquet is dark with charcoal, but bright with berry fruit aromas. The mouthfeel is comfortable and balanced, with sweet berry flavors offset by mild spice and proper oak. Soft tannins define the finish; a fine Malbec that doesn’t overdo it. Palm Bay International. —M.S. abv: 14.5% Price: $19 90 Spice Route 2009 Pinotage (Swartland). A forward, oak-inspired character leads the nose with scents of vanilla and soft toast, but is supported by the solid fruit core of blueberry, mulled boysenberry and black plum guts. Attractive and rich in the mouth, with a firm but accessible structure and lifting acidity. Drink now–2015. Vineyard Brands. —L.B. abv: 14% Price: $23 90 Stonegate 2010 Chardonnay (Napa Valley). Good price for a Napa Chardonnay this rich and balanced. It’s enormously ripe in pineapples, oranges and golden mangoes, but grounded by zesty acidity and a minerality that comes from the soil. Editors’ Choice. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $25
89 Darcie Kent Vineyards 2008 Madden Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). Darcie Kent really nails this Cab out of John Madden’s Ranch. Pungently bold and moody, intensely herbal with green pepper and olive, wrapped within a wall of black pepper that lingers. Pair it with pepper steak. —V.B. abv: 13.9% Price: $24 89 Joseph Drouhin 2009 Chorey-les- Beaune. From its situation on the plain outside Beaune, Chorey is often overlooked. A wine like this, ripe and smooth, full of red fruit, offers a deliciously juicy drink and represents a great value in red Burgundy. Drink now, or keep for two years. Dreyfus, Ashby & Co. Editors’ Choice. —R.V. abv: 13% Price: $25 88 Fazeli Cellars 2008 Khayyam Cabernet Sauvignon (California). From Temeculabased producer Fazeli, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon features a lofty nose that’s quite herbal, drifting into eucalyptus land—and tasting of cranberry. Velvety tannins. —V.B. abv: 15.2% Price: $44 88 Fazeli Cellars 2008 Yalda (Temecula Valley). This newish producer pays honor to its Persian roots with Yalda, a Rhône-style blend of 41% Shiraz, 26% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache and 8% Cinsault that’s intense, coated like chocolate-strawberry jam, tobacco, leather and earth with a subtext of cheese rind. This wine definitely has character. —V.B. abv: 14.3% Price: $48 88 Lola Kay 2010 Proprietary Red Wine (Napa Valley). This is from Rubissow, and it’s a nice wine for the price. Essentially a Bordeaux blend with a splash of Syrah, it’s rich and satisfying in blackberry, cassis, mocha, bacon and pepper flavors, with a coating of sweet oak. Lovely now with anything from a nice steak to a beef burrito. —S.H. abv: 14.2% Price: $20 87 Darcie Kent Vineyards 2010 DeMayo Vineyard Chardonnay (Livermore Valley). This is a big, barrel-aged Chardonnay resplendent in caramel and honey, although it turns a bit bi-polar on the mid-palate, where it shows off lean minerality. A yin and yang wine, with a slight burn on the finish. —V.B. abv: 14.5% Price: $30 87 Darcie Kent Vineyards 2009 Crown Block Merlot (Livermore Valley). A dark, plummy Livermore Valley Merlot that reminds one of herbencrusted roasted meats, and would be a good wine to pair with such a feast. Full-bodied and lush, with a smoky, oaky finish and cedar lurking throughout. —V.B. abv: 13.5% Price: $35 86 Lola Kay 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley). Lots of ripe, forward citrus, tropical fruit, melon and peach flavors in this slightly sweet Sauvignon Blanc. A bit of oak brings a nice smoky creaminess. More controversial is the green, gooseberry tartness that will divide wine lovers into pro and con. —S.H. abv: 14.1% Price: $16 85 Perry Creek 2009 Zinman Zinfandel (El Dorado). Perry Creek’s popular, well-priced Zinman shows off leathery, cola spice and blackberry flavors and fruit that’s just at the precipice between ripe and overripe nice structure. —V.B. abv: 14.9% Price: $14 WineMag.com | 9
- Page 1 and 2: Clay McLachlan 2 ITALY 29 FRANCE 31
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- Page 5 and 6: 93 Marimar Estate 2008 Stony Block
- Page 7: 91 Coghlan 2009 Tourmaline Grenache
- Page 11 and 12: 88 BEST BUYS Releaf 2010 Made With
- Page 13 and 14: at the back will undoubtedly increa
- Page 15 and 16: Donna Olga 2007 Le Cacce in Villa 9
- Page 17 and 18: 90 Lazzeretti 2007 Brunello di Mont
- Page 19 and 20: long-lasting. This is a beautiful w
- Page 21 and 22: It’s tannic, firm and ready for a
- Page 23 and 24: ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 91 Capanne Ricc
- Page 25 and 26: 85 La Torre 2010 Rosso di Montalcin
- Page 27 and 28: 86 Collemassari 2010 Gròttolo Ros
- Page 29 and 30: and lemon soda. There’s a sharp,
- Page 31 and 32: texture, it revels in its fresh red
- Page 33 and 34: Devo Enterprises Corporation. Edito
- Page 35 and 36: 89 Cramele Halewood 2009 Kronos Lim
- Page 37 and 38: y. Drink now-2015. The Triton Colle
- Page 39 and 40: in a zesty, mouthwatering finish. D
- Page 41 and 42: turns crisp and edgy on the finish.
- Page 43 and 44: as more standard cassis and berry a
- Page 45 and 46: y and lightly oaky, minty flavors.
- Page 47 and 48: 90 Sarah’s Vineyard 2010 Chardonn
- Page 49 and 50: 91 Coghlan 2009 Tourmaline Grenache
- Page 51 and 52: and oak flavors. It’s one of thos
- Page 53 and 54: 87 Francis Ford Coppola 2009 Direct
- Page 55 and 56: lovely, but should develop over the
- Page 57 and 58: in blackberry and cherry fruit and
89<br />
Darcie Kent Vineyards 2008 Madden<br />
Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore<br />
Valley). Darcie Kent really nails this Cab out of John<br />
Madden’s Ranch. Pungently bold and moody, intensely<br />
herbal with green pepper and olive, wrapped within<br />
a wall of black pepper that lingers. Pair it with pepper<br />
steak. —V.B.<br />
abv: 13.9% Price: $24<br />
89<br />
Joseph Drouhin 2009 Chorey-les-<br />
Beaune. From its situation on the plain outside<br />
Beaune, Chorey is often overlooked. A wine like<br />
this, ripe and smooth, full of red fruit, offers a deliciously<br />
juicy drink and represents a great value in red Burgundy.<br />
Drink now, or keep for two years. Dreyfus, Ashby<br />
& Co. Editors’ Choice. —R.V.<br />
abv: 13% Price: $25<br />
88<br />
Fazeli Cellars 2008 Khayyam Cabernet<br />
Sauvignon (California). From Temeculabased<br />
producer Fazeli, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon<br />
features a lofty nose that’s quite herbal, drifting into eucalyptus<br />
land—and tasting of cranberry. Velvety tannins.<br />
—V.B.<br />
abv: 15.2% Price: $44<br />
88<br />
Fazeli Cellars 2008 Yalda (Temecula Valley).<br />
This newish producer pays honor to its<br />
Persian roots with Yalda, a Rhône-style blend of 41%<br />
Shiraz, 26% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache and 8% Cinsault<br />
that’s intense, coated like chocolate-strawberry<br />
jam, tobacco, leather and earth with a subtext of cheese<br />
rind. This wine definitely has character. —V.B.<br />
abv: 14.3% Price: $48<br />
88<br />
Lola Kay 2010 Proprietary Red <strong>Wine</strong><br />
(Napa Valley). This is from Rubissow, and it’s<br />
a nice wine for the price. Essentially a Bordeaux blend<br />
with a splash of Syrah, it’s rich and satisfying in blackberry,<br />
cassis, mocha, bacon and pepper flavors, with a<br />
coating of sweet oak. Lovely now with anything from a<br />
nice steak to a beef burrito. —S.H.<br />
abv: 14.2% Price: $20<br />
87<br />
Darcie Kent Vineyards 2010 DeMayo<br />
Vineyard Chardonnay (Livermore Valley).<br />
This is a big, barrel-aged Chardonnay resplendent in<br />
caramel and honey, although it turns a bit bi-polar on<br />
the mid-palate, where it shows off lean minerality. A yin<br />
and yang wine, with a slight burn on the finish. —V.B.<br />
abv: 14.5% Price: $30<br />
87<br />
Darcie Kent Vineyards 2009 Crown Block<br />
Merlot (Livermore Valley). A dark, plummy<br />
Livermore Valley Merlot that reminds one of herbencrusted<br />
roasted meats, and would be a good wine<br />
to pair with such a feast. Full-bodied and lush, with a<br />
smoky, oaky finish and cedar lurking throughout. —V.B.<br />
abv: 13.5% Price: $35<br />
86<br />
Lola Kay 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa<br />
Valley). Lots of ripe, forward citrus, tropical<br />
fruit, melon and peach flavors in this slightly sweet Sauvignon<br />
Blanc. A bit of oak brings a nice smoky creaminess.<br />
More controversial is the green, gooseberry tartness<br />
that will divide wine lovers into pro and con. —S.H.<br />
abv: 14.1% Price: $16<br />
85<br />
Perry Creek 2009 Zinman Zinfandel (El<br />
Dorado). Perry Creek’s popular, well-priced<br />
Zinman shows off leathery, cola spice and blackberry<br />
flavors and fruit that’s just at the precipice between ripe<br />
and overripe nice structure. —V.B.<br />
abv: 14.9% Price: $14<br />
<strong>Wine</strong>Mag.com | 9
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