BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING GUIDE
92
Laurent-Perrier 2000 Brut Millésimé
(Champagne); $69. A soft,
ripe Champagne, as befits the year. Attractive
apples, spice and toast go beautifully with sweet
acidity. It is developing richness and weight,
although not likely to age over many years,
Imported by Laurent-Perrier U.S.
92
Meander 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Napa Valley); $65. A beautiful 100%
Cabernet that comes from Rutherford and St.
Helena. It’s soft and dry and ultrarich, with blackberry,
cherry, licorice, cola, spice and smoky new oak
flavors. Seems best now and through 2014.
92
Pio Cesare 2006 Barolo; $61. Here
is a classic expression of Barolo from a
very good vintage that opens with bright fruit aromas
that are embellished by carefully measured
oak tones. You’ll recognize blackberry, cassis,
tobacco, mineral, cola and humus. The tannins
are young and this wine requires more years of
bottle aging. Imported by Maisons Marques &
Domaines USA.
92
Slaughterhouse Cellars 2007
Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford);
$50. There’s lots of new French oak on this
Cabernet, but the underlying wine is powerful
enough to take it. Shows rich, gentle tannins and
fine acidity framing complex, flavorful cherry,
blackberry and raspberry fruit. The near-perfect
balance suggests cellaring for a decade or longer,
although the wine is pretty enough to drink now.
92
Sonoma-Cutrer 2008 Russian River
Ranches Chardonnay (Sonoma
Coast); $23. This is a lovely Chardonnay, a super
restaurant wine list bottle. Dry and creamy, it offers
pleasantly rich pineapple, lime pie, green apple,
exotic spice and buttered toast flavors, accented
with crisp, clean acidity.
92
Tres Sabores 2007 Perspective
Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford);
$80. Young and oaky now, with toast, vanilla and
woodspice aromas and flavors that tend to dominate
the underlying cherry, cranberry and raspberry
fruit. Feels fat and sweetly opulent, with
smooth, fine tannins. Should develop gradually
over the next decade.
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92
Vina Robles 2007 Suendero (Paso
Robles); $49. A little soft in acidity, in
the way of Paso wines, but with just-in-time zest
and tannins that give the flavors some structure.
Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14% Petit Verdot,
the wine is dry and rich, with blackberry, currant,
cola, dark chocolate, violet, anise and cedar
flavors. One of the more complex Bordeaux-style
wines from this area. Drink now.
92
Vina Robles 2007 Syrée (Paso Robles);
$39. Shows enormous complexity of
flavor, a wine that really impresses for its myriad
blackberry, cherry, currant, cola, grilled meat,
sautéed mushroom, violet and chocolate flavors. If
the structure were more firm, it would be a perfect
wine. But this is Paso Robles, where the wines will
always be soft. A blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah.
91
Cadaretta 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Columbia Valley); $40.
Cadaretta’s largest production red is drinking
beautifully in this exceptional vintage. It seems to
be moving into midlife softness, with a well-integrated
blend of plums, cassis and black cherries,
highlighted with clove and coffee. Complex and
detailed, its tannins are grainy and dark, adding
heft and gravitas to the fruit.