Wine & Spirits - February 2018 - 76

US NEW RELEASES

bark without getting in the way of its supple,
succulent texture. Pour it with a crisp roast
chicken. (505 cases)

Our blind panels tasted 428 new-release US wines for this issue. Our critics rated
53 as exceptional (90+) and 16 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews California
wines; Patrick J. Comiskey reviews New York and Washington.
Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

93 | Matthiasson

C A L I FO RN I A S PA RK L I N G

509777

92 | Roederer Estate

$75

2009 Anderson Valley L'Ermitage Brut
Rosé ^ This wine's clean raspberry freshness
is underlined by a salty tang and the yeasty
scent of rising bread. Mouthfilling with a
gentle, persistent mousse, it feels complete
and integrated, a rosé to pour with Dungeness crab. (587 cases)

C A L I FO RN I A W H I T E

92 | Buena Vista

ALBARINO
509336

90 | Scheid

$22

2016 Arroyo Seco Albariño ^ Nutty at first,
with coastal saltiness, this wine develops a
fresher citrus tone with air. It lasts with a hint
of candied lime, a bracing white for clams in
garlic. (220 cases)

CHARDONNAY
509182

94 | Solomon Hills

$45

2015 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay ^
Located in the cool western reaches of the
Santa Maria Valley, ten miles from the Pacific,
Solomon Hills was planted in the late 1990s
by the Miller family, best known for their
Bien Nacido Vineyard. The wine was barrel
fermented without added yeasts, the oak 25
percent new, the fruit substantive enough to
produce an oceanic chardonnay, fresh and
airy, salty and mouthwatering. The round,
supple texture appeals in its richness, while
some rooty flavors, almost carrot-like in their
earthiness, ground the brighter lemon and
spring-meadow scents, combining to lend
the wine grandeur. Beautiful now, this will
gain complexity with cellar time. (200 cases)
509921

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2018

$55

2014 Sonoma Coast Michael Mara Vineyard Chardonnay ^ This vineyard is west of
the town of Sonoma, at the base of Sonoma
Mountain, where the crushed rock and volcanic soils were formed by a landslide. It's
planted to Clone 4, which Steve Matthiasson likes for its acid retention. He harvests
most of the vineyard early, leaving 30 percent of the fruit on the vine to pick late, and
adds that riper juice to the barrels to extend
the fermentation. Then he allows the wine
to undergo malolactic fermentation and 18
months of aging in barrel without racking
or stirring. Its flavor depth comes through
in notes of orange, gold and yellow fruits,
with ripeness that adds earthy complexity
but doesn't diminish the fresh clarity of the
scent. Serve this at cellar temperature with
sea bass roasted with chanterelles. (235 cases)
509242
$42

2015 Green Valley of the Russian River
Valley Natalia's Selection Chardonnay ^
Brian Maloney makes this wine with fruit
farmed by Charles Heintz at two vineyards,
Heintz and Searby. His 2015 is a gracious
chardonnay with apple-blossom scents and
fresh red-apple flavors, seeming to capture
the fog in its honeysuckle freshness. It's
round and creamy, the waxy richness supported by a fine structure of oak. Lovely to
drink now, this would complement a crab
and avocado salad. (439 cases)

509593

92 | Gary Farrell

$60

2015 Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay ^ This broad, savory wine
feels as naked as a Brut Nature style of Champagne, its unadorned, slightly oxidative richness allowing the lemony acidity to come
up and refresh all of its weight. The wine's
golden oak notes hint at nutmeats and tree

509367

92 | Talley

$27

91 | Buena Vista

$50

91 | Foley

$45

90 | DeLoach

$30

90 | Foley

$45

2015 Arroyo Grande Valley Chardonnay
(Best Buy) ^ There's complexity to the fruit flavor of this chardonnay, grown in calcareous
soils and fermented without added yeasts in
barrels (25 percent new). The flavor ranges
from just-ripe yellow peach to apricot skin
and squash blossoms, with spice notes of
mustard seeds. It's integrated and smooth,
a wine to chill for aperitifs.
509245
2015 Sonoma County Private Reserve
Chardonnay ^ Buena Vista's top chardonnay comes from the Thornton Vineyard, an
exposed site on the ridge between the town of
Sonoma and Petaluma. It's clean with fresh
pear and richer pear-nectar notes, the texture supple and round. The structure comes
through in light touches of oak tannins,
stony notes and the peppery feel of olive oil.
Pour it with roasted arctic char. (518 cases)
509273
2015 Sta. Rita Hills Bar Lazy S Ranch Chardonnay ^ This is from Rancho Santa Rosa, the
same vineyard as Foley's T Anchor and Steel;
Lazy S grows farther up the hill, where it's
more exposed to the sun. This starts out with
the charry scent of a wood-oven pizza crust,
jumbled with citrus fruit to give it a grilled
lemon flavor. It's warm and sweet, that sweetness building the creaminess of the wine, its
richness cut by the salinity of a sea breeze.
Chill it for fish tacos. (333 cases)
509248
2015 Russian River Valley O.F.S. Chardonnay (Best Buy) ^ A warm and luscious chardonnay, this is full of buttered-toast flavors,
melding oak and lees into the sweet orchard
fruit. It's broad and a little rustic, with green
tea and ripe peach notes, an ample wine to
please lovers of oaky chardonnay. (310 cases)
509271
2015 Sta. Rita Hills T Anchor Ranch Chardonnay ^ These vines rise from 500 to 1,000

https://www.talleyvineyards.com/product/2015-Talley-Vineyards-Estate-Chardonnay?pageID=5F992DBE-938D-D631-C9E8-8F2D2582ADBE&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=100& http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.roedererestate.com/wines.php?Wine=2554 https://shop.garyfarrellwinery.com/product/2015-CHARDONNAY-ROCHIOLI?pageID=9551DD9D-C8D4-72C9-0130-E8FCA9CE058E&sortBy=DisplayOrder&maxRows=99&

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2018