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Acacia 2013 Winery Lake Vineyard Estate
Grown Pinot Noir (Carneros). There’s no
doubt this estate-grown wine is at first funky on the
nose, a mix of forest, mint and farmhouse cheese. It
develops in the glass to embrace its quirks, complementing
them with vibrant acidity, ripe texture, and
hints of orange, rhubarb and spicy clove. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $50
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Ballentine 2014 Estate Grown Merlot (Napa
Valley). Handfuls of Cabernet Franc and
Petit Verdot figure into this wine, a lovely, mediumbodied
beauty that finds balance in its measured
use of oak. Vanilla, plum and bold jolts of pepper
and cinnamon combine well on the lengthy palate.
—V.B.
abv: 14.6% Price: $35
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Castello di Amorosa 2013 Morisoli-Borges
Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford).
Compost aromas open this vineyard-designated
wine, a full-bodied, densely concentrated exploration
of juicy black licorice, coconut and dust. Soft
and lengthy, it develops slowly in the glass, providing
a vibrant showcase for the site. —V.B.
abv: 14.8% Price: $145
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Armida 2014 Tina’s Block Maple Vineyards
Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley). From a block
planted in 1910 consisting of hearty portions of
mixed blacks, this wine is abundantly floral in rose
petals, with a plummy core dusted in smoky oak.
The tannin structure is sizable, while the wine is
full of leather, cigar box and black pepper accents
that weave within the ripe fruit. —V.B.
abv: 14.8% Price: $48
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Balletto 2015 Teresa’s Unoaked Estate
Grown Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Russian
River Valley). This is a delightful wine, crowd
pleasing and complex. It benefits from its lack of
oak by focusing on its lifted fruit—a twist of freshsqueezed
lemon and grapefruit—its acidity nicely
measured and not one-dimensional. The crisp
freshness is complemented by a hint of white rock
and subtle lushness on the back palate. —V.B.
abv: 13.7% Price: $20
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Duckhorn 2013 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot
(Napa Valley). An integrated, powerful wine
from a famous northern Napa Valley site, this wine
offers notes of baked plum and cherry wrap around
the structured, spicy oak. Lingering accents of a
pepper, clove and graphite grace the finish. —V.B.
abv: 14.5% Price: $95
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Artezin 2014 Old Vine Zinfandel (Mendocino
County). “Wow” is the first word that comes
to mind when tasting this superconcentrated and
immensely fruity wine. It practically overwhelms
the nose and the palate with ripe, jammy boysenberry
and blackberry, sprinkled with licorice and
black-pepper nuances that add attractive complexity.
It’s a big wine all the way, but not extreme in
alcohol. Editors’ Choice. —J.G.
abv: 14.5% Price: $18
92
Brancaia 2012 Ilatraia (Toscana). Made from
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petit Verdot
and 20% Cabernet Franc, this has inviting aromas
of ripe black-skinned fruit, forest floor and a
whiff of cedar. The dense, polished palate delivers
ripe black cherry, clove, licorice and tobacco. Firm,
refined tannins provide support. E & J Gallo. —K.O.
abv: 14.5% Price: $70
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Eberle 2014 Steinbeck Vineyard Syrah (Paso
Robles). Tarry, gamy aromas provide an
intriguing entry into this bottling from pioneer
Gary Eberle’s winery, founded in 1982. The nose
also conveys charred blueberries, thyme, rosemary
and lavender. Leathery, rustic flavors show on the
palate, alongside hints of boysenberry, cracked peppercorn
and roasted venison. —M.K.
abv: 15% Price: $28
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