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July 2, 2024 Issue
Mendoza:
Red:
Marcelo Pelleriti, Valle de Uco (Mendoza, Argentina) Cabernet Franc “Signature” 2020 ($19, Go Wine USA):  Wine economics are not good for Argentina producers, but I have still been impressed with this line of wines and the very reasonable prices it commands. Marcelo Pelleriti's Signature Cabernet Franc is very fresh and lively with substantial red and black raspberry fruitiness, some savory barrel notes, lots of acidity in the finish and mostly integrated tannins.
92 Roger Morris Jul 2, 2024
Rosé:
Landhaus Mayer, Niederösterreich (Austria) Zweigelt Rosé 2023 ($23, M.S. Walker Inc):  Zweigelt is Austria’s most popular red variety with over six-thousand hectares planted as of 2023 based on the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture. While I am not surprised to find a Zweigelt Rosé, I am incredibly impressed with the quality and freshness that Landhaus Mayer’s Rosé offers. Zweigelt is known for making both fruity and age-worthy reds. Its Rosé benefits from the fruitiness with notes recalling fresh strawberries, grapefruit pith, pears, white peaches. A light creaminess on the body makes the wine very approachable. Add the combo of screw top and low-ish 12.5% alcohol and this is the ideal summer picnic wine.
90 Vince Simmon Jul 2, 2024
Loire Valley:
Red:
Domaine Guiberteau, Saumur Rouge (Loire Valley, France) “Les Arboises” Brézé Monopole 2015 ($115, C’est Vin, LLC):  Domaine Guiberteau is crafting some of Saumur's most compelling whites, reds, and rosés. The 2015 Domaine Guiberteau Les Arboises Cabernet Franc opens with a delicate bouquet of spiced cherry, licorice, pencil lead, and forest aromas. On the palate, it is broad and deep with a subtle herbal edge reminiscent of Earl Grey tea and green peppercorn, complemented by an opulent core of red and black fruit. Impeccably balanced with silky tannins and a polished quality, this red wine can easily cellar for ten-plus years. Enjoy it with spicy Thai food or some excellent chèvre.
93 Miranda Franco Jul 2, 2024
White:
Kir Yianni, Florina (Amyndeon, Greece) Assyrtiko “The North” 2022 ($21, Diamond Wine Imports):  Santorini is the famous home for wines of the Assyrtiko grape. The wines have become so popular that Assyrtiko is being planted widely in vineyards on mainland Greece. Ktima Kir Yianni has long been recognized as a top producer in northwest Greece, and they started planting Assyrtiko a decade ago in sandy soils at 700 meter elevation. The vines have now matured enough to provide a delicious northern rendition of this classic Greek grape. This is a pure and textured white that can age beautifully but is a delicious treat even on release. The 2022 Kir Yianni Assyrtiko offers a bouquet of peach, apple, lemon zest and a hint of cream. The flavors are pure and exciting, with peach, apple, citrus and tropical fruit flavors underlain by subtle creamy and yeasty tones. It will provide great tasting enjoyment for the next 2 to 3 years.
92 Wayne Belding Jul 2, 2024
Sparkling:
Valdo, Prosecco Rosé (Italy) “Marco Oro” Brut 2022 ($15, C. Mondavi and Family):  Valdo’s Rose Prosecco is a blend of 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Noir. In the glass it has a pale, peachy color, or rose gold as it says on the label. It has light, delicate strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors with vigorous bubbles. It is fresh, crisp, and dry in the mouth. The price may encourage you to make it your summer house bubbly.
91 Rebecca Murphy Jul 2, 2024
Fiol, Prosecco Rosé (Italy) Extra Dry NV ($22, Monsieur Touton):  Is it a sin to like Prosecco Rosés more than we like most Proseccos outside the classic region? Then bless me, because I have found that to be the case. Fiol's Prosecco Rosé is a nice one, with 15% Pinot Nero – very good, refreshing fruit intensity to satisfy the thirst plus light and slightly creamy strawberry fruit to keep us happy.
90 Roger Morris Jul 2, 2024
Campania:
White:
Feudi di San Gregorio, Greco di Tufo DOCG (Campania, Italy) “Cutizzi” 2022 ($16, Terlato Wines International):  Feudi di San Gregorio was established in 1986 by the Capaldo Family. The winery and its 740+ acres of vineyards planted with native varieties, like this Greco di Tufo, are located in the Irpina region of Italy near Mount Vesuvius. The wine has a light golden color and aromas and flavors of Meyer lemon, green apple and white peach with subtle herbal and mineral notes. Four months of lees contact has made the wine smooth and silky in the mouth and crisp acidity provides the perfect balance. The unique bottle design was inspired by Massimo Vignelli, one of the most important designers of the 20th century.
94 Rebecca Murphy Jul 2, 2024
Tuscany:
Red:
Montefili, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (Tuscany, Italy) 2020 ($40, Envoyer Imports):  It has been interesting to watch the Gran Selezione classification develop over the past several years as wineries have begun to figure out how to make it so that it is not just different than their Chianti Classico Riserva but actually better than their Chianti Classico Riserva. This one – my intro to the brand – is very smooth, with black and purple fruits, some refreshing tart acidity, and the standard raspy tannins in the finish. It is fairly elegant and long on the palate.
92 Roger Morris Jul 2, 2024
Veneto:
White:
Quintarelli Giuseppe, Veneto (Italy) Bianco Secco “Ca' del Merlo” 2021 ($60, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant):  Quintarelli is renowned as perhaps the most famous producer of Amarone della Valpolicella. However, the white wine that Quintarelli produces is also a masterpiece. The Quintarelli Giuseppe is an artful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Saorin. This wine leaps from the glass with an enticing floral bouquet and a brisk, round palate packed with tangy, citrus texture. Like all Quintarelli wines, it continues to evolve in the glass and finishes with considerable length and mouth-watering acidity.
92 Miranda Franco Jul 2, 2024
Red:
Mud House, Central Otago (New Zealand) Pinot Noir 2020 ($18):  Fans of Central Otago Pinot Noir will find plenty to like here for the price. It is grown and made in a straightforward style that is neither over-ripe nor over-oaked but captures what makes Central Otago Pinot so inviting. The wine begins with an attractive black cherry and cranberry aroma with a floral component and a hint of spice. With similar flavors, it is medium-bodied with a plush, silky-smooth mouthfeel. While not a complex, age-worthy Pinot, it has enough depth and gentle tannins to make it a good choice when you need a versatile, food friendly Pinot Noir.
90 Norm Roby Jul 2, 2024
White:
Black Elephant Vintners, Swartland (Western Cape, South Africa) Chenin Blanc “The Power of Love” 2023 ($24, Well Crafted Wine & Beverage Co):  Self-proclaimed misfits of the wine industry, Black Elephant Vintners & Co. was founded by Kevin Swart, Raymond Ndlovu, and Jacques Wetnzel after all three left their previous jobs to start their own winery. At the winery's tasting room, each wine is paired with a specific song on individual headphones – music is the winery’s preferred wine pairing choice. The Power of Love Chenin Blanc’s fruit ranges from pear and grapefruit zest to lychee and pineapple. On the body, a touch of sourdough and butterscotch round out the flavors and provide extra complexity and body. The lees aging notes on are a nice change from the Chenin Blanc’s traditional zippy profile. Personally, I enjoy the winery’s pairing recommendation: Jimmy Hendrix.
93 Vince Simmon Jul 2, 2024
Pays Basque:
Rosé:
Bodegas Rezabal, Getariako Txakolina (Spain) Rosé 2023 ($20, Ripe Wine Imports):  This is a zesty and refreshing Rosé from Basque country vineyards on the Atlantic Coast of Spain. Txakoli is famous for its white wines with a formidable level of acidity. The Rosé versions are equally tart and lively but with a touch of red berry fruit and an herbal snap. The bracing tartness makes the wine so quintessentially refreshing. The Bodegas Rezabal Txakoli Rosé is a delicious and zesty white made from Hondarrabi Beltza (80%) and Hondarrabi Zuri (20%). It has a lively bouquet of cranberry, lemon and fresh herbs. Clean, pure and lively on the palate, the red berry and citrus fruits are all the more evident because of its razor’s edge of acidity. The herbal complexity is reminiscent of a Loire Cabernet Franc Rosé. It is a perfect aperitif or companion for lighter summer dishes.
88 Wayne Belding Jul 2, 2024
California:
Red:
Alexander Valley Vineyards, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon Wetzel Family Estate 2020 ($35):  This has been one of the most reliable Cabernets from California for a solid three decades, and the fact that it can hold its own with the 2021s now on the market (which it certainly can) is quite impressive. Among its virtues is that there isn’t too much of anything — ripeness, density, oak, tannin — and yet there’s plenty of everything that you’d want for the foods that call for Cabernet. There’s a little streak of red fruit among the usual black fruit suspects, making for added complexity. This is a bargain, and a very notable accomplishment from a challenged growing season.
94 Michael Franz Jul 2, 2024
Jeff Runquist Wines, Jahant District, Lodi (California) Teroldego Creekside Vineyard 2022 ($32):  This looks like a winner even before it is tasted, with quite deep pigmentation very expressive aromas with fruit and woodspice nicely integrated. Medium-bodied at a minimum, it shows fully ripe fruit but also very refreshing acidity that lifts the flavors and makes it seem lighter than it would otherwise. Moreover, the intensity of the blackberry fruit is brightened by very energetic acidity, giving this a lot of linear drive, and truly recalling renditions from Trentino in northeastern Italy, which is essentially home turf for Teroldego. One can’t taste this without wishing that other American vintners would also plant this to see what it can do in their region.
94 Michael Franz Jul 2, 2024
Cathiard Vineyard, Napa Valley (California) "Hora" 2021 ($125):  In early 2020, Daniel and Florence Cathiard, owners of Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux, acquired the homestead and historic winery that once belonged to Napa pioneer Louis M. Martini, renaming it Cathiard Vineyard. Despite the challenging year due to wildfires, the estate's first vintage debuted in 2020. Looking ahead, the 2021 vintage reveals the estate's extraordinary potential. The “Hora,” a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Malbec, presents a multi-layered symphony of crushed red and black currants, cassis, cigar box, menthol, mint, and baking spices. The tannins are tantalizingly silky, the acidity is bright, and the finish is harmonious. This wine is a true stunner, built to impress for many years to come.
94 Miranda Franco Jul 2, 2024
Cain Vineyards and Winery, Napa Valley (California) “Cuvee NV13” NV ($49):  Inspired by his time making wine in France as well as the concept that multi-vintage wines offer consistency and complexity that single vintages can't; winemaker Jim Meadlock continues to produce this “non-vintage” Napa Blend which over-delivers complexity for its price. The current release in my area is the NV 13, which is composed of fruit harvested in 2012 and 2013, so we as buyers are getting a 10+ year old Napa red which is both accessible and ready-to-drink as well as being capable of gaining additional complexity with more bottle age. It is a bit more than 50% Merlot and more than 60% from Spring Mountain, with the remainder mostly Cabernet family and valley floor fruit. This was aged only in large, used oak demi-muids. Aromas here are all about Merlot's red fruit character with fresh strawberry and brambly raspberry notes. The palate balances energetic rosemary, savory blueberry and delicate floral flavors with slightly grainy mountain tannins. I was told when tasting with the director of sales that the largest restaurant clients for these wines are not steakhouses, but instead, Japanese Sushi restaurants!
91 Andrew Holod Jul 2, 2024
Dutcher Crossing, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir Cut Root Vineyard 2021 ($61):  A Pinot Noir that displays the important varietal virtue of punching above its weight, this is fresh and shows some delicacy, but then kicks in with expressive, deep, and lasting flavors recalling dark cherries and berries. The balance of fruit, acidity and wood is excellent, so this is ready to go but also has years of positive development ahead of it.
97 Michael Franz Jul 2, 2024
Anthill Farms Winery, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2022 ($54):  Anthill Farms’ sources their wines from six vineyards across the Sonoma Coast. The team produces a number of excellent single vineyard wines focused on the terroir, but their Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a blend of their best Pinot Noir across their Sonoma Coast vineyards. Cranberry, pomegranate, and red licorice, tobacco, and menthol are among the many complex notes in the wine. The wine needs time to open up and has all the notes of a high-quality Pinot Noir. Ultimately, Anthill Farms’ Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir demonstrates the elegance and complexity that Sonoma Coast is so well known for.
93 Vince Simmon Jul 2, 2024
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sonoma County (California) “Symmetry” Red Wine 2018 ($70):  Just another gorgeous wine under this marque – the aptly named Symmetry never disappoints, delivering seamless integration of the elements deftly blended. One of the later releases from the vintage, it acquits itself as worth the wait, and it has a long life ahead. Once again, well done! Contains 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
95 Rich Cook Jul 2, 2024
Cain Vineyards and Winery, Spring Mountain District - Napa Valley (California) “Cain Five” 2009 ($159):  What a joy to be able to taste Napa red that is both restrained and elegant in style, and which has the additional benefit of proper storage. The Cain team holds back a portion of most vintages and releases it with some age, when they believe the wine has "acquire[d] that soft patina from bottle age." While this is more expensive than acquiring the wine upon release, it still seems a very reasonable additional cost to obtain this wine in such good condition. Here, aromas are layered as if a combination of confectionary and herbalist have joined forces with notes of kirsch, dusty cocoa raspberry tea, lifted, minty mountain herbs and zesty citrus oils. The tannins have softened to the point where they taste as if they had been extracted from bramble berries instead of Cabernet Sauvignon and finish with a slightly dusty tone. The blend is Grapes 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.
95 Andrew Holod Jul 2, 2024
Cain Vineyards and Winery, Spring Mountain District - Napa Valley (California) "Cain Five" 2017 ($125):  Cain's estate vineyards are located high on Spring Mountain. They have experienced wildfires for many of the last few years, including during this 2017 vintage. The vineyard team only managed to harvest 60% of their fruit in 2017 before smoke impacted the quality of the fruit and so Cabernet Sauvignon was not picked at all in this vintage. I must admit I failed to collect details on the specific blend here, but I'm not sure it matters much as the wine is in such a beautiful place (the components include the basic red Bordeaux varieties). This wine balances the opposing forces of market expectations (for dark, rich, powerful wine which is obvious upon the first sniff of sweet/tart cassis and dark chocolate) along with their earned knowledge (about what their site can offer as processed through decades of making wine). This second part of the equation may be more important as the resulting wine shows such drive, freshness and energy in the mid-palate that the darkness and seeming ripeness of the aromas is all but forgotten. This is impeccably balanced and should work well with a huge variety of foods. Impressive and tasty.
95 Andrew Holod Jul 2, 2024
White:
Franciscan Estate, California (United States) Chardonnay 2022 ($13):  This venerable Napa Valley brand that has passed through many iterations may have lost some of its cachet, but let’s not overlook that this is a very nice wine at a very nice price. Neither Burgundian nor buttery, the wine has somewhat intense spicy apple and preserved fruit flavors, a moderately full body, and a crisp finish. One could do worse for an everyday white.
91 Roger Morris Jul 2, 2024
ZD Wines, Carneros (California) Chardonnay Reserve 2022 ($85):  This bottling has a history of sitting at the top of the class when it comes to classic California Chardonnay, and it continues to do so with this vintage with bright apple, pear and citrus fruit, well folded oak tones, and a plush midpalate. The acidity is the magic sauce here, bringing the boldness of the fruit into harmony with the perfectly chosen oak. Great finish push that lingers and mellows just adds to the pleasure. Gorgeous wine!
96 Rich Cook Jul 2, 2024
Oregon:
White:
Weisinger Family Vineyards, Rogue Valley (Oregon) “Petit Blanc” 2023 ($38):  Made from 51% Semillon and 49% Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Blanc is a new addition and it is being evaluated as possibly the winery’s future flagship white. From the Cole Vineyard in the cool Applegate Valley sub-region, the Sauvignon Blanc portion was fermented and aged in barrel (neutral French oak) for six months. The Semillon from the Dark Hollow Vineyard was entirely fermented in stainless steel. The wine starts off with inviting fragrances of lemongrass, flint, and citrus and is rich and round on the palate. With the Semillon providing texture, the flavors show fresh pear and apricot with solid balancing acidity. It finishes on a palate cleansing note. The percentages will vary from vintage to vintage, but a thumbs up for this initial effort.
92 Norm Roby Jul 2, 2024
Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, Umpqua Valley (Oregon) Grüner Veltliner Estate Grown “Cask 2 Schneckenleitner” 2023 ($44):  Um, $44 for an American Grüner? Yes, indeed... and where is the checkout line? This variety has been taken to heights by this producer that have even famous Austrian winemakers looking up at it from below. There’s also a “Green Lizard” release that sells for six bucks less, and that too is stellar, but this packs more deliciousness into a 750ml bottle than seems possible. Its viscous richness and fruity sweetness are just a bit jarring when considered in the context of many Austrian renditions that are nowhere near as luscious as this, but it only takes a few seconds for the lusciousness to overcome the element of surprise. Fruit aromas and flavors of rich white melon, apricot and citrus are all very appealing, and though there’s less peppery character here than in many renditions that are less opulent, nobody will feel short-changed after they leave the checkout line. I would advise you to start tasting this cold, then stick with it as it warms to see the full range of its very considerable charms.
95 Michael Franz Jul 2, 2024
Virginia:
White:
Early Mountain Vineyards, Virginia (United States) “Intention” 2020 ($90):  Premium Virginia wineries are no longer being apologetic about their intentions nor the quality of their wines and what they charge for them. Along with RdV, which recently sold to the French family than owns Château Montrose, Early Mountain has become an iconic winery that is daring to make great wines. This white, from the increasingly recognized Petit Manseng grape, is wonderfully structured with good freshness yet excellent complexity of flavors – apple, honeycomb, a light spiciness, and wood notes among them. Vibrant yet with substance.
93 Roger Morris Jul 2, 2024
Washington:
Red:
Echolands Winery, Walla Walla Valley (Washington) Cabernet Franc Blue Mountain Vineyard 2021 ($45):  While the Walla Walla Valley is perhaps best known for Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, there are other red wines made here that deserve attention as well. The Echolands Winery is one of many relatively new wineries in Walla Walla and their wines show a great deal of promise. Grown in deep loess soils in one of the coolest sites in the appellation, The Blue Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc grapes yield an elegant and complex wine (along with 3% Merlot). The 2021 Echolands Cabernet Franc offers a deliciously ripe and round style. The bouquet shows black cherry, red cherry fruits with floral hints plus elements of cocoa, herbs, cedar and spice. The red cherry and black cherry fruit flavors are underscored by a cocoa-like richness as well as floral and herb and spice tones. It has a silky texture and a delicious lift at the finish.
93 Wayne Belding Jul 2, 2024
Rosé:
Girl & Pop Family Wines, Walla Walla Valley (Washington) Rosé of Sangiovese Seven Hills Vineyard 2023 ($24):  Producers from all areas are offering dry Rosé wines to their customers. It is rare, however, for an American winery to offer a Rosé made from the Sangiovese grape. The 2023 Girl & Pop Family Wine Rosé of Sangiovese shows a lively and easy drinking style perfect for warm weather dining. This is a lovely and vibrant wine, offering a delicious combination of juicy fruit and lively spice. Made from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Seven Hills Vineyard of the Walla Walla Valley, it bursts with strawberry, red cherry and cranberry fruits enhanced by floral and spice elements. It is pure and lively, with juicy red fruits as well as subtle floral and spice tones. This is a bright and lively Rosé that will offer delicious drinking over the next few months.
90 Wayne Belding Jul 2, 2024
White:
Borealis Vintners, Washington & Oregon (United States) White Blend 2022 ($16):  The folks at Borealis Vintners in the Pacific Northwest of the United States have created a delightful wine from 55% Riesling, 20% Pinot Gris, 15% Muller-Thurgau, and 10% Gewurztraminer. It is an inviting wine with very ripe apple, pineapple, pear, and peach flavors, balanced with a bit of sweetness, crisp acidity and a long finish that lingers in the mouth. Serve it well chilled, especially in warm weather months. Enjoy it with a spicy Asian curry, or a pork stir-fry.
90 Rebecca Murphy Jul 2, 2024
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