BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

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Hogue 2009 Genesis Syrah (Columbia 90 Valley). Well made and muscular, this compact effort brings black fruit, black olive, black licorice and espresso flavors together in a balanced and strikingly complex Syrah. The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet, Lemberger, Sangiovese and Merlot—unusual, but it works. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $16 Jarvis 2010 Estate Grown Cave Fer- 90 mented Tempranillo (Napa Valley). Shows the impeccable viticulture and winemaking talent that mark all of Jarvis’s red wines. The tannins and acidity are considerable, giving the cherry flavor such a nice bite. A lovely wine to drink now with steak or Italian-inspired beef dishes. —S.H. abv: 13.8% Price: $70 90 La Crema 2010 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley). A rich, creamy wine, with flavors of buttered toast, vanilla cream, pineapple and orange. It’s rich, but fine in dry acids and minerals. —S.H. abv: 14.2% Price: $30 10 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | JULY 2012 90 La Crema 2010 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast). A bone-dry Chardonnay for drinking now. This shows great structure, with a keen cut of acidity that brightens the mineral-driven orange and pineapple flavors. —S.H. abv: 13.8% Price: $22 90 MacMurray Ranch 2009 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast). A proper, textbook Pinot Noir— it’s dry, nicely crisp, with smoothly astringent tannins. It has pleasant, complex cherry, pomegranate, plum, tobacco, bacon and sandalwood flavors. Not an ager, so drink up with upscale fare. —S.H. abv: 13.9% Price: $27 90 Maryhill 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley). Tight and focused, this has a fine core of black cherry and cassis. Layers of coffee and dark chocolate are wrapped around the fruit, and the wine is compact and textural. Excellent now, but probably better in a few years. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 13.6% Price: $17 90 Maryhill 2009 Proprietor’s Reserve Malbec (Columbia Valley). An excellent Washington Malbec, this spicy delight sets up beautifully on the palate with bright, crisply defined, varietal fruit flavors of boysenberry, black cherry and cassis. Precise and penetrating, with excellent balance, it keeps the barrel flavors light and minimal. —P.G. abv: 13.3% Price: $25 90 Merryvale 2010 Chardonnay (Carneros). This is a good followup to Merryvale’s 2009. While it was barrel fermented in nearly half new French oak, it never feels overly manipulated or fussy. Marked by crisp acidity and Carneros minerality, it’s an elegant, clean wine, with subtle Meyer lemon, lime and Asian pear flavors. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $35 90 St. Supéry 2009 Dollarhide Petit Verdot (Napa Valley). The 2009 Dollarhide Petit Verdot is an excellent wine that reflects its terroir, but overall it’s a tad one dimensional, with a dark color, strong tannins and ripe, sweet blackberry flavors. —S.H. abv: 14.2% Price: $50
Vina Robles 2008 Syrée (Paso Robles). 90 This is a ripe, full-bodied red, made mostly from Syrah, with about one-fifth Petite Sirah for tannic weight and depth. It’s a big wine, front-loaded with blackberry and black pepper flavors, with a spicy, smoky finish that tastes of grilled Canadian bacon. Drink this savory wine now. —S.H. abv: 15.5% Price: $39 89 Starmont 2010 Chardonnay (Napa Valley). This is a wine that offers lots of class at a very good price. It’s marked by flavors of streamlined citrus fruit, Asian pear, honey and a hint of buttered toast. It finishes thoroughly dry. With nearly 37,000 cases produced, this should be relatively easy to find. Editors’ Choice. —S.H. abv: 13.9% Price: $22 88 Mezzacorona 2008 Riserva (Teroldego Rotaliano). This opens with dark, inky concentration and savory aromas of leather, black fruit, tobacco and black cherry. The wine feels smooth and rich on the palate. Prestige Wine Imports Corp. —M.L. abv: 13% Price: $16 87 Hill Wine Company 2010 Sustainably Grown Chardonnay (Napa Valley). A rich Chardonnay, with plenty to offer. It’s creamy and smooth in the mouth, with dry flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, vanilla and buttered toast, and brisk, clean acidity. —S.H. abv: 14.1% Price: $18 85 Hill Wine Company 2009 Sustainably Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). There is a lot of sweet, upfront blackberry and cherry fruit in this Cabernet. A good wine that should pair well with everyday fare. —S.H. abv: 13.5% Price: $25 94 SPIRITS Michter’s US*1 Unblended American Whiskey (USA; Michter’s Distillery, LLC, Louisville, KY). This small-batch whiskey is a treat, butter-soft and loaded with sweet toffee and hazelnut aromas and flavors. The long finish rolls toward dry espresso and mocha flavors, pepped up with clove and cinnamon. abv: 41.7% Price: $43 91 SPIRITS 93 Clyde May’s Whiskey (USA; Spirits Acquisitions, Dallas, TX). A spry chameleon of a whiskey. At first, this dark amber spirit reads as light and sweet, from its distinct ripe apple and hazelnut notes to the light-bodied feel. But just when you think it’s going to be a lightweight, there’s surprising oomph on the finish, dry leather and clove notes that balance it out. This sippable whiskey would be great for whiskey sours and other cocktails. Best Buy. abv: 42.5% Price: $29 BEST BUYS Hogue 2010 Gewürztraminer (Columbia Valley). With the snap and concentration of a tasty lemon-drop cocktail, this lovely Gewürztraminer pays homage to the floral aspect of the grape without drowning in it. Perfumed, not soapy, with superb fruit flavors of peaches and citrus, it’s a sensational value. Best Buy. —P.G. abv: 13.5% Price: $11 90 Château Saint-Pierre 2011 Tradition Rosé (Côtes de Provence). This is a well-balanced wine that is both crisp and breezy and full of delicious red-berry fruits. It has a tight texture, with some minerality and a tangy aftertaste. This should make for an excellent apéritif. Luxe Vintages. Best Buy. —R.V. abv: 12.5% Price: $15 WineMag.com | 11
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Page 21 and 22: wines. It’s also sweet and high i
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Page 37 and 38: SPAIN RUEDA 91 Naia 2008 Naiades Ve
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Page 41 and 42: and mildly complex. Drink now throu
Page 43 and 44: TORO 92 Maurodos 2007 San Román (T
Page 45 and 46: 92 Kellerei Kaltern Caldaro 2008 Gi
Page 47 and 48: citrus. On the palate it’s easy a
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Page 51 and 52: ance being Grenache), which no doub
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92 Salomon-Undhof 2011 Pfaffenberg
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ST. LAURENT 91 Johanneshof Reinisch
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Reserves, this one shows a healthy
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90 Corsair Ryemageddon (USA: Corsai
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