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Slideshow
Top 10 wines in the US press
Will Lyons recommends a sparkler with “finesse and elegance”, while Laurie Daniel reveals “one of the best domestic rosés” he’s tasted this year.
In the Wall Street Journal, Lyons features English sparkling wine, speaking to Nick Hall of Herbert Hall Wines. Lyons wrote: “Herbert Hall is one of a string of vineyards planted in the past 10 years in what will surely be known as the great English wine boom of the early 21st century. From a standing start in the 1950s, England now has more than 400 commercial vineyards, with a handful—Sussex’s Nyetimber and Ridgeview, Cornwall’s Camel Valley and Surrey’s Denbies, in particular—claiming to produce sparkling wine as good as, if not better, than their counterparts in Champagne.
“When good, English vineyards produce a dry, delicate sparkling wine with floral fruit and a burst of light, zippy, refreshing acidity. Where English sparkling wine falls down, in my opinion, is the constant comparison with Champagne. The two wines, although made in the same way with the same grape varieties on similar terroir, taste quite different.”
Click through the following pages to find out which wine Lyons and other US wine writers have recommended over the last week.
2010 Domaine J.A. Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé
This wine is recommended by Irene Virbila in the LA Times. She wrote: “Pouilly-Fuissé is one of those wines that scare people. The heart stops a beat before attempting to pronounce the hyphenated name. Maybe the French need to make a series of little videos on how to pronounce certain pesky wine names the way Jeremy Parzen did for Italian varietals on his blog Do Bianchi. It’s worth learning, though, to be able to order this stern but enchanting white wine from the village of Fuissé in southern Burgundy (by the way, it’s poo-yee fwee-say). Domaine Ferret — now that’s an easy one to say (fair-ay) has been making Pouilly-Fuissé from Chardonnay grown on the estate since 1840.
In regards to the wine, Virbila added: “The 2010 delivers a lovely, flowery nose, with a refreshing acidity and minerality in balance with ripe fruit flavours. Classic Pouilly-Fuissé. Drink it with roast chicken, fricassees, seared scallops, salmon and fish in sauce.”
Montes Twins, Colchagua Valley, Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
The Dallas Morning News‘ Rebecca Murphy picked out this wine, writing: “The twins are the grape varieties featured in this wine. Cabernet Sauvignon brings its blackcurrant fruit with a touch of dried herbs, tight structure and chewy tannins. Malbec offers its plush, plummy black fruit and roundness. It’s a great combo for summer’s grilled meats or a sausage pizza.”
Louis Latour Bourgogne Gamay 2011
In the Washington Post, Dave McIntyre picked out “bargain-priced summer wines to try”.
He wrote of this wine: “Bourgogne Gamay is a new appellation controllee with the 2011 vintage. The grapes must be grown in the cru villages of Beaujolais, but they do not have to be entirely of the Gamay variety. This wine is 15% Pinot Noir, which makes it a nice “bistro wine” for casual dining, with earthy qualities for extra interest.
Branger Le Fils des Gras Moutons Muscadet Sur Lie 2012
McIntyre also recommended this wine, writing: “Citrusy and refreshing, this is a ‘food wine’: Don’t sip it by itself on the patio, but pair it with raw oysters, seafood salads or other light fare, and it won’t let you down.”
2011 Big House Unchained Naked Chardonnay
Colette and John Bancroft, from the Tampa Bay Times, wrote that this wine, “kicks off with a nose of light zesty lemon and a hint of pineapple”.
They added: “Green apple leaps to the fore on the tongue and is joined by lemon and tropical fruits in a bright and refreshing combo. Amazingly in such a light wine, a decidedly creamy mouthfeel is evident from mid palate through a long soft finish. All in all, another perfect summer wine.
“Unchained would be great with Baja-style fish tacos or Southern fried chicken.”
Herbert Hall 2010
This is the English sparkler recommended by Will Lyons in the Wall Street Journal. He wrote: “Produced from Nick Hall’s organic vineyard in Marden, Kent, this wine really punches above its weight for the price. The style is one of finesse and elegance above power and a rounded, bread flavour. Exceptionally pure, this has an attractive, clean acidity that refreshes but is complex enough to intrigue the taste buds into wanting a second glass.”
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon Blanc 2012
This wine comes recommended by Sandra Silfven in the Detroit News, who wrote: “It’s a crisp, dry white (the name means “old farm”) with aromas of white peach, white flower, hazelnut and melon. A bracing floral/herbal character is pronounced on the palate. It has good acidity for structure. It’s a blend of Grenache, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.”
2011 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich GG Mosel Riesling
Katherine Cole in The Oregonian, picked out this wine, writing: “Notes of fresh citrus, yellow plums and galia melon make this crisp, bone-dry white an utter delight on a hot day. The ‘GG’ indicates that this is a dry wine from one of the best parcels of one of the top vineyards in Germany. Because GG wines are so rare in the United States, you may need to ask your wine merchant to special order one for you.”
2012 Barnard Griffin Sangiovese Rosé
This is the wine recommended by Laurie Daniel in the San Jose Mercury News. Daniel featured rosés, writing: “Dry rosé can be made from any red grapes, but in California, Rhone varieties such as Grenache and Syrah are particularly popular. There are also good pink wines made from Sangiovese and Pinot Noir.”
He added: “One of the best domestic rosés I’ve tasted this year was made from Sangiovese: the 2012 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese, from Washington state, which displays juicy cherry and cranberry flavours and a persistent finish.”
Churchill’s Estates Touriga Nacional 2009
And finally this wine comes recommended by Dennis Sodomka in the Augusta Chronicle. He wrote: “Wine drinkers are grateful that at last we are getting to taste the incredible Touriga Nacional grape in a table wine. As you taste it, the wine unfolds layer after layer of luscious flavour. It is dry, with solid tannins that don’t overpower the wonderful flavours of raspberry, plum and cherries. It finishes with a crisp acidity. As you sip the wine you can almost see the rugged hillside vineyards in the Douro region where it is grown.”