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23 Articles

WineSpectator.com

Visit www.winespectator.com/103115 to find links to all of the following resources. Free resources for all of our WineSpectator.com readers: DAILY WINE PICKS Great wine finds, in three price ranges, six days a week. Check our site daily for the latest picks or follow them on our Twitter feed, via @winespectator.com. NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE Join us Oct. 22 to 24 for this year’s great lineup of tastings and seminars. Our full cov-erage of the event will bring the world’s best winemakers and chefs to you with photos, articles and videos. Relive your fa-vorite moments or catch up on what you missed. WHAT AM I TASTING? Test your tasting skills in our mystery wine game. Every two weeks, we post a real Wine Specta-tor tasting note, with clues from the color, aromas, flavors and structure.…

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Americans mostly love Italy, and wine lovers probably more than most. Whether we’re talking about the fashion, the food, or the diverse and delicious wines, there’s something compelling about Italian style. In this issue, you’ll find an in-depth profile of Illy, a family enterprise that embodies the best of Italian style. This third-generation company began as a cof-fee roaster and shipper after World War I, and has since expanded to chocolate, tea and wine. In their coffee business, the Illys combine a high quality product with artful marketing and presenta-tion. They are dedicated to finding the best and most distinctive beans and processing them with the most advanced technology to ensure that the coffee you drink meets their very high standards. They have also engaged artists and the best contemporary designers to…

Readers respond to Matt Kramer’s “risk aversion hotline” and his assertion that most wine lovers are afraid to take a chance on a wine they don’t know. (“Are You Risk Averse?” online, Aug. 4). From sommeliers to novices, consumers balance the risk of getting a good bottle when considering a wine’s price, unfamiliarity and the look of the label. The point about some wine lovers being risk averse due to a wine being inexpensive is very true, as I’ve often heard the same “How good can it be if it’s so cheap?” ar-gument when recommending inexpensive wine. I guess we all have our wine hang-ups. Eric Pottmeyer Portland, Ore. I’m very fond of looking at the back label to see if I can at least get some intelligence on the varietal composition. When the…

Disease Threatens the World’s Vines

Almost every month, David Gram-aje, a plant pathologist in Rioja, holds a seminar on the same topic. Despite the repetition, he never lacks an audience: Worried Spanish winegrowers continually come to hear about esca and other vine trunk diseases. It’s a threat they fear will be the defining vine blight of the 21st century. The Spaniards are not alone. From Califor-nia to Germany, Australia to France, vintners are reporting a rapid rise in fungal diseases spreading through vine trunks. Grapegrowers and scientists are trying to find a solution, but time may be running out. “Some people have compared the present situation to the phyl-loxera crisis,” said vine expert Richard Smart, referring to the root louse that killed more than 6 million acres of vines in France alone. “I am one of…

Disease Threatens the World’s Vines

Moderate Wine Consumption May Fight Alzheimer’s

We’ve heard time and again about the benefits of reading and crossword puzzles for keeping your mind sharp, but new research from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center finds that certain dietary guidelines, including a daily glass of wine, may help preserve cognitive abilities and fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. “Very moderate alcohol consumption has been observed to slow cognitive decline with age,” Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist and the lead researcher on the study, told Wine Spectator. “Red wine is rich in polyphenols that have been linked to brain protection.” The study, published in Alzheimer’s & De-mentia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation and funded by the National Institute on Aging, introduces a new diet based on previous research. “We have been studying the effects of nutrition on dementia for…

Moderate Wine Consumption May Fight Alzheimer’s

Three Tools to Make a Soul-Satisfying Dish

PASTA E FAGIOLI MADE SIMPLE Bring two cups of dried beans covered by water to a simmer. Sauté some big matchsticks of pancetta, then set aside. In their fat (plus olive oil if needed) cook diced onion, celery, garlic and carrot until soft. If you have any Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds in the fridge, toss them in too. Add a bit of tomato paste and pepper flakes at this point if desired. (Start a pound of pasta cooking.) Add a few cups of bean broth and a sprig or two of rosemary; cook until it begins to reduce. Add the cooked beans and pasta, salt and pepper, and toss over heat for a few minutes to bring it all together. Adjust for desired soupiness and seasoning. Serve in bowls and top with liberal…

Three Tools to Make a Soul-Satisfying Dish

New Beacons in California Wine Country

Chef-restaurateur Charlie Palmer added Harvest Inn to his burgeoning hospitality empire last year. The 40-year-old luxury hotel has 74 rooms on 8 redwood-forested acres at the south end of St. Helena, in Napa Valley. A revamp in May added a 110-seat restaurant. Helmed by Levi Medick, of the estimable Restaurant 1833 in Monterey, Harvest Table looks to be a star in the making; on a recent visit, the coastal California ingredients pulsed with life, and flavors shone brightly, striking a balance that cozied up to wines of all stripes. An appetizer of crispy braised pork head was served with a classic sauce gribiche whose pick-les tamed the meat’s richness. Succulent pan-roasted wild king salmon was pink in the center, exactly as requested, and Castelvetrano olives and shellfish broth kept the dish…

New Beacons in California Wine Country

Roquefort: A Miraculous Confluence

The story of the world’s most famous blue cheese begins millions of years ago with the volcanic collapse of a small mountain in what is now south-central France. This obscure seismic event left a 2,300-foot cliff fronting fractured limestone caves. There is no understating its significance to the his-tory of cheese. According to legend, a young shep-herd in ancient times took shelter in one of those caves. One day, he spotted the girl of his dreams, took off after her and forgot his lunch—a slice of rye bread and a chunk of fresh cheese. Re-discovering that lunch months later, he found the dank environment had speckled his cheese with pockets of blu-ish-green mold, transforming it into something much more interesting—spicy, creamy, lip-smackingly sharp and delicious. Quelle miracle! “Le Roquefort c’est l’alliance du…

Roquefort: A Miraculous Confluence

A Collection Born of Song

Known to his fans as the Maltese Tenor, Joseph Calleja performs the arias of Mozart, Verdi and Puc-cini in the world’s most hallowed op-era houses. Over the past four years, amid taking the stage at the likes of London’s Covent Garden and New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Calleja, 37, built a house of his own, in Mel-lieha, a coastal town in his native Malta. Built around an interior court-yard, the multistory house sits on a ridge overlooking a nature preserve and the Mediterranean Sea. Calleja’s private quarters are on the top two floors, where his collection of Grand Cru Bordeaux resides in a 400-square-foot cellar next to his office. Custom mahogany shelves hold more than 4,000 bottles, including cases of Château Figeac back to the 1960s, decade-long verticals of Châ-teaus Angélus, Ausone,…

A Collection Born of Song

BELLA TOSCANA Tuscany offers great value, whether from a tra-ditional style based on Sangiovese, such as Chi-anti or Rosso di Montalcino, or a contemporary style that uses international grapes. Basciano’s I Pini is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Mer-lot and Syrah, and Enrico Santini’s Bolgheri blends those three grapes with Sangiovese. FATTORIA DI BASCIANO Colli della Toscana Centrale I Pini 2013 (94, $30) Elegant, supple; violet, black currant, blackberry, spice, mineral ARCANUM Toscana Il Fauno 2010 (92, $30) Cherry, earth, tobacco; rich CARPINETO Chianti Classico Riserva 2010 (92, $26) Dense; black cherry, tar, tobacco ARGENTIERA Bolgheri Poggio Ai Ginepri 2013 (91, $22) Black cherry, blackberry, plum, sweet spice; rich, structured RICCARDO BARACCHI Toscana O’lillo! 2014 (90, $20) Racy; black currant, black cherry CASALVENTO Chianti Classico 2011 (90, $20) Leather, cherry, woodsy; dense CASTIGLION DEL BOSCO Toscana Dainero 2012 (90,…

Manfred Krankl Begins Again

Athrill seeker and a passion for racing highspeed motorcycles can be a deadly combination. In September 2014, while navigating the back roads near his home in Ojai, Calif., Manfred Krankl spilled his bike on a sharp curve. He came this close to writing the final chapter of what has been a truly amazing career in California wine. Krankl is a tall, broad-shouldered Austrian émigré best known for the eclectic wines he makes under his Sine Qua Non label. There is nothing in his upbringing to suggest he would achieve what he has as a vintner, artist and wordsmith. An only child from a family of meager means, Krankl had little exposure to fine arts and even less to fine wine; the first good wine he encountered was as an altar boy…

Manfred Krankl Begins Again

Can We See a Wine for What It Is?

“Così Fan Tutte was virtually unknown a half-century ago, considered a trivial farce scarcely worth reviving. Now it is admired as one of Mozart’s most profoundly ambiguous and psychologically disturbing stage works.”—Peter G. Davis, New York Times (2007) While sitting in the beautifully sculpted open-air opera house in Santa Fe late this summer, watching, as it happens, a Mozart comic opera (La Finta Giardiniera), I couldn’t help but think of the observation cited above. I’m no opera maven, so it was a surprise to me to read that Così Fan Tutte was virtually unknown a half-century ago and that it was thought a trivial farce. Has such a turnabout in consideration and esteem occurred with fine wine? You bet it has. In fact, we now live in an age that is witnessing—and…

Can We See a Wine for What It Is?

illy’s WINNING BLEND

Andrea Illy holds a spoonful of dark liquid to his lips and slurps it in one quick shot. A moment later, after a ritual spitting, he notes, “It’s the terroir that makes a difference in what is expressed.” Illy, 51, the high-octane president of Illycaffè, is explaining the nuances of coffee aromas and chemistry in the testing laboratory at the company’s roasting plant and corporate headquarters in Trieste, Italy. With focused intensity, he examines each of the nine arabica coffee components in Illy’s signature single blend. Local climate and soils, shade from plants, and varying altitudes influence the beans and the final product—from the intense cocoa and slightly bitter flavors of Brazilian arabica to its aromatic Ethiopian counterpart. “We get more linalool from Costa Rica,” Illy says of the natural compound responsible…

illy’s WINNING BLEND

NAPA VALLEY’S CONTRARIAN

Describing Jayson Woodbridge requires a thesaurus. Passionate is a good word, along with driven, charismatic and hedonistic. You could add exacting, arrogant and volatile. Woodbridge is happy to paint a target on his chest and dare you to shoot if he’s trying to make a point. And he’s always trying to make a point. “I had cancer when I was 18, and I don’t view the world the same way as everyone else. I want to make sure everything I do is the top of the game,” says Woodbridge, 51. He’s had high-profile run-ins with neighbors as well as county officials over the years over the construction of his underground winery outside St. Helena. “I’m not known as a diplomat in this valley. I’ve told more than a few people to…

NAPA VALLEY’S CONTRARIAN

A TALE TWO TUSCANYS

It’s a great time to be a fan of Tuscan wine, whether you are enthralled with the native Sangiovese grape or a devotee of the super Tuscan–inspired blends that rely on international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Tuscany, with its complex array of picture-perfect landscapes, diverse soil types and varying climates, provides ideal conditions for both styles of wines. With recent releases spanning vintages from 2014 to 2009, plus a smattering of older years, Tuscany offers wines that are ready to drink now as well as bottles to cellar for future enjoyment. Its vibrant whites are mainly from 2014, while 2010 is the current release for Brunello di Montalcino, with earlier harvests comprising the region’s big reds and its heady dessert wines known as Vin Santo. Vintages are important guideposts…

A TALE TWO TUSCANYS

CHIANTI’S HIDDEN TREASURE

VOLPAIA IS ONE OF THOSE SEDUCTIVE TUSCAN PLACES THAT TEMPTS people into quitting their jobs and uprooting their lives. The hilltop town sits nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, looking over Chianti Classico, reachable only by a narrow road that climbs through sunbathed vines, olive trees and cypresses. A relic of the 12th century, the old village is home to fewer than 60 people, living behind walls that Siena’s medieval soldiers found intimidating and modern visitors find charming. On a sunny but cool morning, just a few tourists are walking on the old stone streets, soaking in the fresh air and historic charm, never suspecting that one of Tuscany’s best wines is coursing through steel pipes beneath their feet. Volpaia’s chief commercial enterprise is Castello di Volpaia, a winery that produces…

CHIANTI’S HIDDEN TREASURE

New Zealand wines continue to surge in popularity in the United States, where record-breaking sales are a clear sign of this island country’s burgeoning reputation. The U.S. has just overtaken Australia to become the largest export market for New Zealand wines by value. It seems that wine lovers can’t get enough of these wines, particularly the zingy Sauvignon Blancs that have become the country’s trademark varietal. In 2014, Kiwi wine exports to the States jumped by 19.3 percent from the previous year, to 5.67 million cases, concluding a three-year period that saw exports rise 55 percent, according to Impact Databank, a sister publication of Wine Spectator. Looking ahead, New Zealand winemakers plan to improve on their strengths while also diversifying their offerings. Since my previous report (“New Zealand Spreads Its Wings,”…

NEW ZEALAND WINE

A BRIEF HISTORY Winemaking in New Zealand may be a relatively recent development, but its history goes back further than generally recognized. Early pioneers saw the country’s potential, and their influence is still felt today. Missionaries introduced grapes to New Zealand in the early 1800s to supply sacramental wines. Mission Estate Winery in Hawkes Bay—considered the oldest winery in New Zealand—is descended from the first vineyard in the region, originally established in 1851 by Catholic priests. The first commercial wine venture dates back to 1863, when Charles Levet, an English coppersmith, planted 7 acres and made a living making and selling wine to other settlers. It was also at this time that the South Island’s Central Otago region became a magnet for gold miners, about a decade after California’s own gold rush. Some…

NEW ZEALAND WINE

PUGLIA OUT OF THE SHADOWS

Italy’s star continues to rise in the wine world, and Puglia, the area encompassing the heel of the Italian boot, is providing some of the fuel for liftoff. Puglia’s past focused on large volumes of bulk wine, but its future looks increasingly bright. Producers are upgrading and investing in vineyards and winery infrastructure, and embracing new philosophies and techniques. “It’s a turning point for the wines of Puglia,” says Vito Palumbo, export manager for Tormaresca winery, the southern outpost of Tuscany’s Antinori family. “We’ve always been great farmers. What we were missing was a winemaking history, but we were also missing new ideas, new technology.” In the past year, I have reviewed more than 150 wines from Puglia in official blind tastings at Wine Spectator’s New York office. On a visit there…

PUGLIA OUT OF THE SHADOWS

SPECTATOR SELECTIONS

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 95 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2012 $90CALIFORNIA Amazingly pure, rich and complex, with tiers of dark berry, blackberry, wild berry, blueberry and boysenberry layered on top of black licorice and dusty, gravelly earth details, all well-centered. The finish sails on, with a mocha brownie aftertaste. Drink now through 2028. 3,500 cases made.—J.L. 95 Antinori Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso 2012 $102ITALY Alluring violet, black currant, blackberry, wild herb, spice and mineral aromas coat the dense underlying structure at first, but the latter emerges as this cruises to a long conclusion. Shows excellent balance and expression of fruit and place. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best…

SPECTATOR SELECTIONS

About the Buying Guide

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world and the results of special tastings reported on in greater depth elsewhere in the issue. Complete tasting notes are provided for all new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below); notes for wines scoring 84 points or less are included at the discretion of the taster. Additional reviews appear on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. If no reviewer’s initials appear, the wine was tasted by a panel of Wine Spectator editors. James Laube California Harvey Steiman Australia, Oregon, Washington Thomas Matthews Spain Kim Marcus Argentina, Austria, Chile, Germany, Portugal Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Italy James…

New Wines From Around the World

ARGENTINA Malbec & Blends 90 Capataz Malbec Mendoza 2012 $35A ripe and muscular red, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, dried blackberry and cherry tart, offering plenty of Asian spice notes. Dark chocolate and light smoky details linger on the rich finish. Drink now through 2019. 1,580 cases imported.—K.M. 90 Kaiken Malbec Mendoza Mai 2010 $75Rich and plush, with firm flavors of dried blackberry and dark cherry, supported by sinewy tannins. The creamy finish is filled with plenty of dried juniper and beefy notes. Drink now through 2019. 191 cases imported.—K.M. 89 Bodegas Tahuan Malbec Mendoza 2012 $16Suave, with concentrated fruit flavors of red currant, raspberry and dark cherry, matched to notes of Asian spice. The supple finish is fresh and silky, featuring hints of dried herbs. Drink now through 2019. 15,000 cases made.—K.M. 88…

New Wines From Around the World

Sauvignon Blanc is native to France’s Loire Valley, where it shines in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. But its reach extends around the world, from the esteemed sweet wines of Sauternes to the popular juicy versions of New Zealand. And without Sauvignon Blanc, we wouldn’t have one of the world’s most important reds. DR. VINNY Dear Dr. Vinny, I’ve seen wine reviews for Sauvignon Blanc that reference “cat’s pee.” Is that not a flaw? —Mike, Richmond, Va. Dear Mike, “Cat’s pee” is indeed an aroma associated almost exclusively with Sauvignon Blanc—and it’s not necessarily a bad thing! Organic compounds called pyrazines give Sauvignon Blanc much of its personality (they’re also found in Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). Pyrazines can give wines a bell pepper or vegetal note that sometimes strays into asparagus, freshly cut grass or musky cat’s…

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