Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016 - 112

100 BEST BUYS OF THE YEAR
for sausages or a generous cut of tuna off the
grill. (W&S 2/16) § MundoVino/The Winebow
Group, NY

116299

93 | Kingston Family

$18

2013 Casablanca Valley Lucero Syrah ^ Las
Dichas is in the westernmost part of Casablanca, about eight miles off the coast. Kingston farms 345 acres of vineyards on rolling
hills, mostly producing grapes for other
wineries. They keep a selection of the best
plots of syrah for this wine, a creamy red that
shows the influence of the sea in its spiced
red fruit flavors. It's soft and friendly, with a
distinctive meaty core that incites an appetite
for barbecued brisket. (W&S 2/16) § Kingston
Family Vineyards, Portola Valley, CA
117196

93 | De Martino

$17

2013 Choapa Valley Legado Reserva Syrah ^
In the midst of the Andes, around 180 miles
north of Santiago, Choapa is a remote and
isolated area for growing grapes. Only a few
producers are working in its arid conditions,
including De Martino. In 2013, winemaker
Marcelo Retamal produced a delicious syrah
from the region, full of red fruit and earthy
notes. Despite the strength of Choapa's sun,
the wine's flavors are clear and refreshing,
rich in acidity and subtly smoky, as is typical
in syrah from the north. (W&S 2/16) § Opici
Wines, Glen Rock, NJ

FRANCE
C H A M PA G N E
208885

90 | Pierre Gimonnet & Fils$43

Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Selection Belles Années ^ This is 74 percent grand
cru and 26 percent premier cru; one-third
of the blend is from 2010, with the balance
equal parts 2009, 2007 and 2006. This wine
picked up a toasty, caramelized roundness
by spending 40 months on the lees, developing into a buxom chardonnay that completely fills out its chalky structure. Notes
of mushrooms and fresh cream harmonize
its bright acidity with gentle aged character.
(W&S 12/15) § Terry Theise Selections/Michael
Skurnik Wines, NY
112

WINE & SPIRITS

ALSACE WHITE

CORSICA WHITE

209119

93 | Domaine Saint-Rémy

214251
$25

2013 Alsace Rosenberg Gewurztraminer ^
Philippe and Corinne Ehrhart farm this
domaine under biodynamics, making this
wine from a warm lieu-dit without added
yeast. As fragrant and lush as it may be, with
scents of hothouse flowers, rose hip tea and
orange blossom honey, those enveloping aromas feel as fresh as a sun shower. A touch of
bitter herbs and orange rind acidity balance
the sweet ripeness of flavor, the wine lasting
on honeyed fragrance rather than weight.
(W&S 12/15) § Robert Kacher Selections, NY

BORDEAUX WHITE
214537

92 | Ch. de Chantegrive

$20

2012 Graves ^ The Lévêque family makes this
white from 76 acres of semillon and sauvignon blanc, with grass and wildflowers growing between the rows. They ferment it in
stainless steel and age it on the lees, creating
a firmly structured wine with brisk lemonlime flavors and flinty smokiness. Its gentle
complexity extends over the course of a day,
suggesting this will age with grace. (W&S
10/16) § Esprit du Vin, Syosset, NY

BURGUNDY WHITE
210117

92 | Guillaume Vrignaud

$25

2014 Chablis ^ Guillaume Vrignaud makes
this wine from five parcels of his family's
domaine, which earned organic certification
in 2013. The 25.6 acres of vines that contribute to this blend average 27 years old, their
fruit fermented in stainless steel, producing a wine of blinding white limestone that
seems to extend to the horizon in all directions. Underneath, there's fierce mineral
acidity, compressed flavors of yellow herbs,
scents of linden and acacia. It's tense, a powerful force of herbal chardonnay greenness
that stores all the wine's future complexity.
Decant it this summer for a clambake, and
be sure to cellar some for enjoyment in the
years to come. (W&S 4/16) § Cape Classics, NY

JURA WHITE
214478

92 | Jean Rijckaert

$22

2012 Arbois Vieilles Vignes En Paradis
Chardonnay ^ A bold Jura white, this offers
fresh notes of pear and orange alongside
darker notes of oxidation and chalky earth.
Yellow spices weave through the flavors, leaving a cool impression. Pure Arbois pleasure.
(W&S 10/16) § Massanois Imports, NY

BUYING GUIDE 2017

91 | Dom. de Terra Vecchia$15

2015 Ile de Beauté ^ This takes the salty mineral flavors of vermentino and enriches them
with a little chardonnay. The effect is at once
mouthfilling and refreshing, lasting with delicate floral notes, as well as a firm lemony
savor. (W&S 8/16) § Gabriella Fine Wines, NY

LOIRE WHITE
211293

95 | Eric Chevalier

$18

93 | Dom. La Haute Févrie

$15

91 | Dom. Philippe Tessier

$18

2014 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu Sur
Lie La Noë ^ When Eric Chevalier took over
the 63-acre Domaine de l'Aujardière from
his father in 2005, he began to focus on bottling wine rather than selling grapes. He
now produces a range of vin de pays as well
as two Muscadets, including La Noë, from
a ten-acre parcel on granite soils, where the
vines are from 20 to 60 years old. As with
his other wines, he ferments the fruit from
this parcel in underground, glass-lined tanks
without added yeast. He doesn't rack or filter the wine, capturing its bold mineral savor
in deep tones that feel close to the earth, in
delicate scents of linden and white cranberries. Within its Atlantic context, the texture is
luscious and rich while the flavor is not at all
sweet. This is gracious and beautiful Muscadet, a wine collectors may choose to age, and
one that drinks well right now, lightly chilled,
with a plateau de fruits de mer. (W&S 4/16) §
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
211298
2014 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie ^
Claude and Sébastien Branger farm 74 acres
of vines, their parcels centered between SaintFiacre and Monnières. While they select their
oldest blocks and several crus for separate
bottlings, this blend, from 35-year-old vines,
represents the majority of their production.
It tastes like a salty peach, fresh and rich, a
sandy, kinetic wave of flavor. There's more
dynamic energy in this wine than most bottles at three times the price. The scents of
celery salt and acacia in the finish make it
a great partner to sushi. (W&S 4/16) § V.O.S.
Selections, NY
211222
2011 Cour-Cheverny La Porte Dorée ^
Philippe Tessier produces three wines from
Cour-Cheverny, including this cuvée from
his oldest romorantin vines, from 40 to 90
years of age, growing on silex and clay over
limestone. He ages it in demi-muids and barriques, presenting a wine that's broad and
rich, yet has plenty of energy. It leads off with

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016