Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 59

TOP 100 VALUES
growing on old sandstone terraces, is as
intense in flavor as a wild strawberry, with a
similar faint herbal complexity, and it moves,
whisked along on a sea-salty, breezy acidity,
even while the stony flavors hold it firm. It's
elegant and lasting, ready for a lobster dinner
this summer. (W&S 8/16) § Jenny & François
Selections, NY
213408

91 | Compagnie Viticole
de Provence

$13

2015 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Brin de
Rosé ^ A blend of cinsault and grenache grown
at the base of the dramatically deep Verdon
Gorge west of Nice, this pale salmon-colored
rosé is dry and lean, the flavors centered on
spice and orange peel. Those flavors last,
firm and ready for mussels in a yellow curry.
(W&S 8/16) § Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY
213990

90 | Dio Fili

$12

2015 Siatista Xinomavro Rosé ^ Xinomavro's ruddy fruit shows in this wine's pale
color and earthy, tangy flavors. It's dry and
savory, a touch of tannins adding gravitas to
its delicate flavors. It's light enough to make
a refreshing aperitif, and firm enough for
dinnertime. (W&S 8/16) § Verity Wine Partners, NY
213193

90 | Domaine Saint Roch

$14

2015 Touraine Rosé ^ Denis Bardon produces
this wine from the free-run juice of gamay,
farmed at his family estate in Meusnes, on
the hills above the Cher River. The wine's tart
plum and grapefruit flavors carry through a
silken texture, with green-peppercorn spice
lasting in the end. A great buy for summery
refreshment, this would be terrific chilled
with fish and chips, or any batter-fried seafood. (W&S 8/16) § Massanois Imports, NY
444489

89 | Wagner Vineyards

$15

2015 Finger Lakes Rosé of Cabernet Franc ^
This bright rosé has a scent of fresh strawberries with a minty top note. The flavors are
savory, almost salty, lean and flinty enough
for shellfish, like chilled prawns. (W&S 8/16;
923 cases) §

RE D

119420

92 | Viña Maitía

$12

2016 Maule Valley Aupa Pipeño ^ David
Marcel, from France's Basque country, was
working in Maule as a bulk wine broker
while building his own project, Maitía, back
in 2012. That's when he fell in love with the
refreshing pipeños, the traditional wines of
Chile's south, usually made from país. He
buys grapes for Aupa from dry-farmed vines

in Loncomilla, the país (70 percent) more
than 100 years old, the carignan over 70
years. The result is a lovely, refreshing and
red-fruited pipeño, with vivid, shining acidity. It's the kind of wine you won't stop drinking. (W&S 2/17) § Brazos, Brooklyn, NY
219179

91 | Opta

$10

2014 Dão ^ With minimal time in neutral oak
barrels, this wine presents the delicate, pretty
side of Dão. Its tart fruit flavors bring to mind
muddled cherries and sarsaparilla, with spicy
notes of pink peppercorn and fennel. A floral, mountain-grown red, this has the lightness to pair with fish in a red wine sauce.
(W&S 4/17) § Elixir Wine Group, Bend, OR
221204

91 | Batono

$12

2015 Kakheti Georgian Classic Collection
Saperavi ^ Deeply purple in color, scent and
flavor, this fills out its plummy fruit with
fleshy, earthy, smoky tones that bring to
mind grilled eggplant. Left on the skins for
18 days and fermented in stainless steel, it's
a rich wine that feels supple and easy, with
spice, floral notes and a brisk acidity adding
lift. For roast pork shoulder-or charred,
stuffed eggplant. § Corus Imports, Stamford, CT
220725

91 | Georges Vigouroux

$12

2015 Cahors Pigmentum ^ A blend from the
best parcels of Georges Vigouroux's three
châteaus, this is polished, modern Cahors.
But under all its smoky, sweet fruit, there's
a tense acidity that leads the wine into more
delicate territory, where red strawberry notes
light the way, and herbal notes bring freshness. It's a terrific bargain at the price, a
red to play off of rosy slices of duck breast. §
Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY
119744

91 | Morandé

$14

91 | Alvaro Castro

$15

2015 Maule Valley Reserva Malbec ^ Super
tight and firm, this feels like a compact block
of black fruit, a malbec that's drier and more
austere than many of its peers from Argentina. The fruit flavors are ripe, traveling
in tandem with sharp acidity. This is built
for beef stew. (W&S 2/17) § V2 Wine Group,
Sonoma, CA
219417
2013 Dão ^ If you like the bright, floral rusticity of a great cru Beaujolais, check out this
sunny Dão. It smells of red roses and tastes
like rock, even as it's infused with the presence of rich black fruit to keep the texture
generous. A chewy young Dão, this is built
for cured meats. (W&S 4/17) § Domaine Select
Wine Estates, NY

119299

91 | J. Bouchon

$15

90 | Domaine de la
Petite Cassagne

$13

90 | Altavins

$14

2016 Maule Valley Canto Sur ^ This is half
carménère blended with carignan and país.
It feels bright, filled with red fruit and spices
floating over a layer of dense tannins. A luminous wine for roast turkey. (W&S 2/17) § Vine
Connections, Sausalito, CA
217853

2014 Costières de Nîmes ^ Diane de Puymorin purchased this 124-acre estate in 1998,
changing the name to Château d'Or et de
Gueules. She still bottles this wine under
the estate's old name, making it in a traditional style, fermented and aged in concrete
tanks. A blend of equal parts grenache and
syrah with carignan and mourvèdre, it stands
out for its clarity, the wine clean, bright and
plummy, underlined with a little savory minerality. (W&S 2/17) § Domaine Select Wine &
Spirits/Robert Kacher Selections, NY
216431
2011 Terra Alta Tempus ^ A terrific value, this
is a blend of garnacha, syrah and cariñena, all
from mature vines. The flavors lie behind a
curtain of smoky tones, but past the smoke
you'll find bright red fruit and pungent acidity to refresh barbecued ribs. (W&S 2/17) §
Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY

118565

90 | Fowles Wine

$15

2015 Victoria Farm to Table Pinot Noir ^ If
you like delicate pinot noir, check out this
light, savory red. It has scents of raspberry
jam and tight, lithe flavors with a strawberry
WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2017