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Below is a summary of issue #210-215, published July 2023-June 2024. This issue is available for purchase online by clicking “Add to Cart” below.

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Featured in This Issue

Notebook:

Increasingly Cost-Conscious Customers

Recommended Wines:

A Range of Top Quality-Great Value Wines from 12 Countries

Focus on Top California Wines:

Sparkling Wines & Dry Whites

• Including outstanding classic method sparkling wines from Roederer Estate and Sonoma-Cutrer… Remarkable 2022 Chardonnays from Nielson and Tassajara among moderately priced ones; and those from Marimar Estate (Acero), Freeman (Hawk Hill), and Dutton Estate (Warren’s) at higher prices…
• Many superb 2021 Chardonnays are still available—we highly recommend those from Ancien, Benovia, Knights Bridge, and Rhys Vineyards… And from Russian River Valley, these 2021s are among the finest California Chardonnay I have tasted: Benovia La Pommeraie & Martaella; Bowman RRV; Domaine de la Riviere (Next Door Neighbor & Ritchie Vineyard); Kanzler Vineyards Walker Station; Joseph Jewell Ritchie Vineyard; Maritana Kent Ritchie; Merry Edwards Olivet Lane; Tongue Dancer Bacigalupi; and Williams Selyem (Unoaked & Heintz)—among many more…
• Other Whites. Exciting Albarinos are being produced in California; the latest from Marimar Estate and Morgan are outstanding—the first unoaked, the second aged several months older French oak barrels… Moshin is best known for Pinot Noir, but is also producing a fine, dry Chenin Blanc from Solano County grapes…The Rhone Rangers keep riding on—Truchard has released another outstanding vintage of Roussanne… Terminin’s latest Cepages d’Or is its best yet… Knights Bridge makes outstanding Sauvignon Blancs—try the Pont du Chevalier and/or the Fairview for top versions … Dutton Estate’s 2022 Sauvignon is outstanding, as is St. Supery’s 2022 Virtu, a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc… Lastly, the terrific Emeritus Hallberg Blanc (Pinot Noir Blanc): an extraordinary dry wine, from 100% Pinot Noir in the style of a very fine, vintage dated Champagne—minus the bubbles.

Red Wines

• Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc. One of Napa Valley’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon values is Truchard’s 2021—one of the winery’s best ever… Turnbull’s latest is also superb, and reasonably priced… While the Whitehall Lane Leonardini is a rich, complex wine with years of development ahead…Ladera, too, is among the finest Cabernet values among the best Napa Valley producers… Yet, the elegance of Corison’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignons—all three of them—is extremely impressive… As is the 2020 Helios Cabernet Franc, one of the best being made (also from Corison)…
• Walk through the 2021 Secret Door and discover the superb Cabernet Sauvignons from Hirondelle and Sage Creek vineyards… Turnbull’s higher price 2021 Cabernet Sauvignons, Reserve and Black Label are extraordinary wines… Another top 2021 Cabernet to seek out is Gravel Pit’s Oakville bottling, but only 200 cases were made… Next door to Napa, in Knights Valley, Knights Bridge winery is making remarkable Cabernets, especially its single block bottlings…
• Pinot Noir. Hard not to be impressed by California 2021 Pinot Noirs: some leading ones include Benovia’s Tilton Hill & Three Sisters; Cuvaison’s Los Carneros; Dutton-Goldfield’s McDougall Vineyard; Freeman’s Akiko’s Cuvee; Lombardi’s Gap’s Crown; Merry Edwards’ Dach; Paul Hobbs’ West Sonoma Coast; Truchard’s Carneros; Tongue Dancer’s Putnam Vineyard; the Anderson Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains Pinots from Rhys Vineyards; and virtually all the remarkable 2021s from Ancien…
• Russian River Valley. 2021 was also a splendid vintage for Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. We highly recommend the Russian River bottlings from Ancien (Jouissance); Balletto (Sexton Hill & 18 Barrel); Benovia (RRV, La Pommeraie, Martaella & Tilton Hill); J. Bucher (Three Sixty & Opa’s Block); Domaine de La Riviere (Two Forces & El Diablo Vineyard); Dutton Estate (La Familia); Dutton-Goldfield (Emerald Ridge); Freeman (KR Ranch, Yu-Ki Estate & Gloria Estate); Gary Farrell (Russian River Selection); Kanzler Vineyards (RRV, Mes Filles, Walker Station, One Fifteen & Estate Reserve); Maritana (Martaella); Merry Edwards (Olivet Lane, Georganne, Coopersmith & Meredith Estate); Sonoma-Cutrer (RRV); and Williams Selyem (RRV & Westside Road Neighbors), among many others…
• Other red wines. Two fine Tempranillos now in the market are those from C.L. Butaud, Farmhouse Vineyards, High Plains, Texas (2021 vintage), and Marimar Estate’s 2018, Don Miguel Vineyard, Russian River Valley… Also from the Russian River: Foppiano’s outstanding 2017 Petite Sirah… One of California’s best Syrahs is produced by Terminim Wines, the French-California project launched by François Villard (Domaine François Villard) and Donald Patz (of Maritana Vineyards and Secret Door) in 2017. The wines have steadily improved, and its 2021 Syrah—the best to date—is exceptional.

Other Wine Highlights:

Argentina

• Great value Malbecs from Argentina include the 2019 from Tapiz, the ’21 from Zolo, and the ’20 Reserva from Bodega Lamadrid—a winery that also produces a wonderful Cabernet Franc Reserva… Pascual Toso winery has truly upped the quality of its red wines in recent years—its most recent bottlings of the and ‘Alta’ tier (Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, both 2020) are superb, and attractively priced… At the top level, Toso’s 2020 Magdalena Toso blend (Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah) is a very fine wine…
• Bodegas Bianchi has also made great quality strides in the past decade, and its latest wines are wonderful, including the ‘Particular’ bottlings of Malbec and Cabernet Franc … Bianchi’s prestigious blend, Enzo Bianchi, seamlessly marries Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
• Speaking of exceptional, the wines from Terrazas de Los Andes just get better and better. Its 2022 Chardonnay Reserva is terrific at the price, and its reds are some of the very finest made in the country, including its single parcel wines (the Malbec Los Cerezos Parcel 10W is highly recommended), as well as its ‘Grand’ tier : the Grand Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the very finest in the country.

Australia

• Wakefield’s Estate Label wines are full flavored and reasonably priced for category; two to seek out are the 2021 Merlot and 2021 Shiraz…Wakefield’s Jaraman wines are multi-region blends, and offer more complexity and refinement in character and taste—attributes the current 2022 Chardonnay, 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2021 Shiraz all share… The St. Andrews designates from Wakefield are single vineyard wines solely from Clare Valley, and are both elegant and complex in style—currently, the 2021 Chardonnay and 2020 Shiraz are available—and highly recommended…
• Masterstroke wines are Wakefield’s are more concentrated and characterful wines still—such as the outstanding 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra… Wakefield showpiece varietal bottlings—The Visionary (Cabernet Sauvignon) and The Pioneer (Shiraz)—are single parcel selections produced in the best vintages. The current releases, both from 2016, are the finest of their respective varietals yet released.

Austria

Domane Wachau makes consistently excellent wines, as are the 2022s reviewed here, which are ripe and generously flavored. Especially recommended: two Federspiels (Terrassen Gruner Veltliner and Ried Trenning Riesling); and two Smaragds (Ried Achleiten Gruner Veltliner and Ried Brandstatt Riesling).

Chile

Gillmore is making some of Chile’s most interesting wines, including a fine a red blend and an Aglianico from prominent ‘Italian’ grapes. The red blend, Collezione del Maule, is a ‘collection of varieties grown in Maule: Montepulciano, Sagrantino, Primitivo, Dolcetto, and Cesanese. The Aglianco is also outstanding, and modestly priced.

France

• The Burgundy producer Auvigue made very fine whites in 2021. The Macon-Villages and Pouilly-Fuisse Les Villages are both first rate versions of their respectful appellations… The Provence producer Domaine de l’Ile, on Porquerolles Island, made its best ever dry Rose in 2022…
• Turning to the Rhone Valley, and specifically Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Andre Brunel is a leading estate, whose 2019 Cotes-du-Rhone Villages is an outstanding wine that is drinking beautifully right now… Brunel is one of the few wineries producing both a red and a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape—the most recent vintages of both are exceptional… From Burgundy, do not miss the rich, structured 2018 Cotes de Nuits Villages, from Pierre Mayeul; grapes are from Corgoloin, the village at the southern end of the Cotes de Nuit. The wine has serious depth, and will develop for several more years.

Italy

• One of Italy’s finest metodo classico sparkling wines is produced by the top Chianti Classico estate Villa Calcinaia, in Greve. Made entirely from Sangiovese, the 2017 Mauvais Chapon Rosato Brut was aged on the yeast for more than 4 years… A terrific white blend to seek out is Scaia’s 2022 Garganega-Chardonnay, from Trevenezie (IGT), a wine with elegant flavor and a zesty palate impression…
• Alois Lageder is one of Italy’s most renowned winemakers, and his 2020 Forra is a wonderfully exotic dry wine with toasty overtones—and made entirely from the Manzoni Bianco variety (a 1930s crossing of Riesling with Pinot Bianco)… Another outstanding dry white to seek out is Inama’s 2020 Soave Classico, Carbonare—a single vineyard wine that is unusually rich for the type. It is unwooded and made from 49 year old vines.
• Lungarotti’s latest red wine releases are some of its best, ever. For example, the 2021 Rubesco, an eminently drinkable red blend (based on Sangiovese), first made in 1962. A Rubesco Riserva is also made, from a single cru (top vineyard), Monticchio, and solely from Sangiovese. The 2018 is the finest version yet… Lungarotti also made a luscious, smoothly textured 2020 Montefalco Sagrantino that is surprising enjoyable even now—with the potential to develop with 10 or more years of aging…
• The 2018 Barolo from Perla Terra is a shockingly good wine at the price, and is drinking well now… Another top value is the Merlot blend, Lagone, from Aia Vecchia… Poliziano is a leading Tuscan winery in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and its 2020 is a great example of its DOCG—with some aging potential… Also from Tuscany, the 2018 Carmignano (a Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend) from the prestigious Capezzana winery, is perhaps the best I have tasted… Amarone is one of Italy’s classic wines, and the ‘Selezione Antonio Castagnedi’ from Tenuta Sant’Antonio is a splendid wine, at a relatively modest price (for the category and the quality of the wine)… Many wine drinkers are unaware that Lambrusco can be both a dry and a truly fine wine. One of the best available is the single vineyard bottling (Vigneto Cialdini) made only from Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes in the Castelvetro zone—a superb, lightly fizzy, dry wine with outstanding character—from Cleto Chirarli, perhaps the finest producer.

Lebanon

A brief layover in Lebanon to highlight the superior quality of the current Levantine de Musar from Chateau Musar, the country’s most famous winery. A blend of Cinsault, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon, from an organic estate vineyard in the western Bekka Valley. The 2021 is an opulent, rich, unwooded wine that is well worth the price—and one of the best wines I have tasted from this winery.

New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain

• The wines from River Farm in Marlborough, New Zealand are modestly priced, quality wines; the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris are particularly good… Quinta de la Rosa in Portugal’s Duoro makes an excellent Estate Red wine that is medium rich, fine in flavor, and can develop further… The same winery’s Tawny Porto is also one of the best…
• South Africa’s Simonsig winery is known for it classic method sparklers; the 2021 Cap Classique Kaape Vonkel Brut Rose is a fine wine, made mostly from Pinot Noir… The 2022 vintage of Raats Old Vine Chenin Blanc does it again—great quality and very distinctive wine at a moderate price… Kanonkop’s 2020 Kadette Pinotage is one of the best the winery has produced, and a top Pinotage value… Taaibosch is deservedly known for its excellent Cabernet Franc blend, Crescendo. The 2019 is another top version that drinks well now…
• From Spain: Bodegas Muriel’s 2022 Rioja Blanco is outstanding for the type… Also from Rioja, but red, the 2016 Conde de los Andes is an exceptional wine… Bodegas Volver is making a range of rich and opulent wines that are extremely good values, including the 2018 Tarima Hills, Old Vines, Alicante; the 2020 Tempranillo, Single Vineyard, Castilla; the 2018 Cuvee Old Vines, Castilla (a Tempranillo blend); and the Quinta del ’67 from Almansa, made entirely from Garnacha Tintorera grapes (aka Alicante Bouschet).