Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 105

33RD A NNUA L B U YING G U ID E

A RGE N T I N A

ness, and you might have something like this
rainwater-fresh, vibrant white. Its floral notes
of white tea hint at the wine's leesy tannins,
suggesting the complexity to come after a few
years of bottle age. (W&S 10/19) § Old Bridge
Cellars, Napa, CA -J.G.

SHIRAZ

124556

94 | Salentein

$19

2017 Gualtallary Reserve Malbec ^ This may
be a fraction of the price of Salentein's Primum Malbec, but it's just as good, in a completely different style. There's no spicy oak
or tobacco-scented tannins boosting the fruit
here; instead, it's just pure, fresh, floral malbec, purple and bright. Herbal notes add a
cool spice, giving it a vibrant Andean feel.
(W&S 10/19) § Palm Bay Int'l, Port Washington, NY -T.Q.T.

A UST R A L I A
RIESLING
123395

94 | Jim Barry

$20

2017 Clare Valley The Lodge Hill Riesling ^
Jim Barry planted this vineyard in the 1970s,
on a ridge rising to 1,575 feet, the south-face
devoted to riesling. It grows on loam over clay
before hitting slate bedrock, a vertical uplift
that allows water to drain down through it.
In Clare's cool, late 2017 vintage, Barry produced the best Lodge Hill we can remember.
It has the depth of a classic Mosel wine with
the zingy acidity of Clare, the intensity of flavor tightening around scents of white flowers, earthy radish and searingly dry peach.
It's fresh and built to age. (W&S 2/19) § Loosen
Bros. USA, Salem, OR -J.G.

SEMILLON

124678

91 | Brokenwood

$20

124681

92 | Innocent Bystander

$20

2016 Yarra Valley Syrah ^ Beautifully fragrant, harmonious in its notes of green peppercorn, olive and chorizo, this is a meaty
syrah with cranberry and porcini flavors. It
offers a bright, brisk line of fruit-an earthy
pleasure, not full, but complete. § (W&S 10/19) §
Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA -J.G.
123592

93 | Penfolds

$30

2016 South Australia Bin 28 Kalimna
Shiraz ^ Named for one of Penfolds' Barossa
vineyards, this wine also includes fruit from
McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Adelaide and
Wrattonbully. After a year in neutral American oak barrels, the wine has matured into
a luscious red with layers of detail to the
plummy fruit, integrating mint and pepper
into the cocoa and cinnamon of oak. There's
freshness in the tannins, their grip opening
with air to reveal floral tones and a graceful
texture of iron and silk. (W&S 2/19) § Treasury
Wine Estates, Napa, CA -J.G.
123378

92 | Small Gully Wines

$18

2015 Adelaide Plains The Formula Robert's Shiraz ^ Most of this wine comes from a
vineyard with 50-year-old vines on the Adelaide Plains, the blend including some shiraz
from Barossa. Having rested 24 months in
barrel, then six months in bottle at the winery, the wine's oak and fruit are seamlessly
knit. Together, they provide flavor concentration without excess weight, a comforting
saturation of baked-cherry ripeness and tarry
tannins. Compressed and powerful, this is a
pretty great buy at $18. (W&S 2/19) § Vine
Street Imports, Mount Laurel, NJ -J.G.

Wine & Spirits

AUSTRIA WHITE
G R U N E R V E LT L I N E R
236953

94 | Josef Fischer

$20

91 | Stadt Krems

$16

2017 Wachau Rossatz Grüner Veltliner
Federspiel ^ Blended from a range of sustainably farmed vineyards on a variety of soils
and fermented spontaneously in stainlesssteel tanks, this is pretty in a very veltliner
way: The wine smells of pea shoots and
lemon blossoms, its bright guava center
flecked with a sea-salt minerality. The clarity and precision of its flavors give the wine
impressive length and finesse. (W&S 4/19) §
Monika Caha Selections/Frederick Wildman
and Sons, NY -T.Q.T.
236215
2017 Kremstal Grüner Veltliner ^ Textbook
grüner, this wine's lemon-lime fruit dovetails with a zippy, fresh snap-pea note. What
more could you want for $16? Bottled under
screwcap, it also lasts for days in the fridge
after opening. (W&S 4/19) § Craft & Estate/
Winebow Imports, NY -T.Q.T.

RIESLING
235980

94 | Hirsch

$26

2015 Kamptal Zobing Riesling ^ This is an
astounding wine for a village-level riesling.
Johannes Hirsch sources it from a variety of
his biodynamically farmed vineyards, which
seem to have handled the warm vintage well:
This is all clarity and finesse, the limey fruit
bright and fresh, the mineral notes almost
glassy. It feels focused and steadfast, an elegant riesling that's shining right now. (W&S
4/19) § Terry Theise Selections/Skurnik Wines &
Spirits, NY -T.Q.T.

AUSTRIA DESSERT
273294

93 | Kracher

$28/375ml

2017 Burgenland Auslese Cuvée ^ This
straddles the space between dry wine and
sweet, with honeyed flavors of pineapple and
quince countered by savory herbs, like gentian. A blend of chardonnay and welschriesling vinified in stainless-steel tanks, it's clean
and precise, lean enough to chill as an aperitif, and rich enough to serve after dinner with
fresh fruit or goat cheeses. (W&S 10/19) § Terlato Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL -T.Q.T.

2018 Hunter Valley Semillon ^ Think lemongrass cream puff, then take away the richWINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2020

105

https://www.bodegasalentein.com/ https://www.innocentbystander.com.au/product/2017-syrah/ https://www.brokenwood.com.au/?method=pages.showPage&PageID=C370CF41-EFCA-EDCC-13BE-F760E51F3B0A&originalMarketingURL=Wines

Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

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