Wine & Spirits

Wine Advocate 94"The 2010 Milcampos Vinas Viejas comes from vines planted in 1930 and raised in French and American oak barrels. The nose is bashful at first with subtle black cherry, iodine and violet scents, but the palate is simply divine with filigree tannins and an effortless, pure, poised

Wine & Spirits 94"Long-time readers of this magazine will not be surprised that I love this wine. When it comes to chardonnay, Flowers’s Sonoma Coast bottling consistently delivers a fresh, fragrant, silken, mouthwatering wine. The freshness in the 2009 tastes real, the tension of the acidity

Wine & Spirits 92 "Old-vine complexity is more apparent in this wine than in the Tres Viejos, perhaps because this wine is fresher. There's a firm, dynamic acidity that drives it, lifting the juicy fruit away from the deeper mineral tannins and then bringing them back together through a long

Wine & Spirits 90"Apple-citrus aromas, light as a breeze, lead into the clear, bright citrus flavors of this well-made Cava. It's full of tangerine, lemon and lemon pith character, with a sparkly acidity and dry vivaciousness that would accompany shellfish.""A light cava appreciated for its

Wine & Spirits 91“There’s loads of fresh detail in this viognier-dominated blend from Fairview vintner Charles Back. A lemon thyme and green olive brightness lifts its buxom core of pear fruit, while salty honeycomb and macadamia nut undertones keep it savory. Its richness, which derives from

Wine & Spirits 92"Serge Hochar's estate red has a sweet, earthy succulence in 2000 that's hard to resist, a combination of raspberry liqueur, mocha, black olives and very rich earth. It's all interwoven with chewy, firm tannins and stony minerality. A fascinating cult wine, found on the wine

Wine & Spirits 91"This harnesses the power of the 2009 vintage in grace rather than excessive ripeness. Right from the beautiful aroma, this has the mushroom-crossed-with-raspberry flavor that makes a young Burgundy so lovely. It's refined Pommard with the strength to lift foods far beyond it's

Wine & Spirits 96"Gavin Chanin sources this wine from Bien Nacido's W Block'some of the oldest vine material in the Santa Maria Valley. The Miller family planted the stony benchland to riesling in 1973, then grafted it over to Clone 4 chardonnay in 1990. (Chanin discovered this parcel of vines

Wine & Spirits 92"Like the wine you might order at a bar in the town of Toro, this is deliciously rustic, its tannins full of astringency, its black fruit flavors bursting with sweet ripeness. A selection from 30-year-old vines in Toro and Valdefinjas, this feels like a little fiesta in the mouth,

Wine & Spirits 90"Stobi owns 1,500 acres of vines, all of which they hand harvest, providing fruit for their entire production. This zilavka comes from Tikves, a broad plain that’s the center of the Republic of Macedonia’s winemaking regions. It has the delicate florality and juiciness of a white

Wine & Spirits 93"Farmed under biodynamics at Grgich's American Canyon and Carneros estate vineyards, this wine has the intensity of flavor that fruit can give at the peak of ripeness. The depth of that fruit flavor ranges from a tart pear skin to kumquat, both brisk and resonant. Its underlying

Wine & Spirits 91"Straw color, smooth and fresh aromas; fine and fruity palate with a dry aftertaste. Clean, dry and crisp with citrus and apple flavors."

Wine & Spirits 91"Generous at the onset, this wine has the scent of pear slices spritzed with lemon juice. Those fresh fruit flavors get a warm toasted lees accent on the palate, along with a mineral finish. A versatile gris for a meal, whether a grilled chicken or stuffed squid. "

Wine & Spirits 91"The spice of a redwood forest infuses this smooth, balanced zin. After it's been open for a day, the wine develops into a blast of flavor, building on blueberry fruit with complex depths of tannins. Open and inviting. Decant it for grilled lamb chops."

Wine & Spirits 90"The golden color and peach nectar scent predict this to be rich, but a potent, nutty savor keeps it balanced. It finishes, clean, tight and grippy—a mouthwatering aperitif."Wine Advocate 90"The NV Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rustico is a rather exuberant yet steely,

Wine & Spirits 90" This estate-grown Riesling Kabinett embodies the racy, mineral-driven style of the steep, blue slate vineyards in the middle Mosel. It’s a crisp and juicy Riesling that pairs well with spicy Asian cuisine. "

Wine & Spirits 91"Mariano Garcia developed his winemaking reputation at Vega Sicilia before joining Aalto in partnership with Javier Zaccagnini. Their 2009 is a juicy and approachable tempranillo, rich with candied cherry notes that fill out the rough tannins—a texture that suggests a pairing with

Wine & Spirits 90"Balancing savory notes of herbs and sweeter rose and lemon curd flavors, this is a soft moscato with enough depth of flavor to accompany a pine nut tar.""The fragrence of its aroma, which comes directly from the grapes, is that of musk, locust & orange flowers, sage & honey,

Wine & Spirits 90"Bruno Trapan grows his malvasia in a terra rossa vineyard near Pula, not far from the sea. This 2011 seems to capture the sunny freshness of the area in its delicate scents of spring blossoms, salty air and crisp green herbs. Underneath, the wine feels broad and leesy, with a

Wine Advocate 90"A brilliant offering is the 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Seguret Les Pialons. Seguret is a top spot for quality, and this blend of 90% Grenache and the rest mostly Syrah and a little Mourvedre offers abundant aromas of ripe kirsch, lavender, dusty, loamy soil, pepper and spice. It

Wine & Spirits 90Wine & Spirit Magazines Year's Best" The nose reveals dried plum and dark fruits, exotic spices, with hints of violet and chocolate. Round and fleshy, with enticing crushed plum and boysenberry fruit enlivened by a liquorice snap note. Fresh acidity lies buried on the

Wine & Spirits 91" Layers of herbs and plummy fruit leather turn to layers of crushed rock as tannic intensity takes over this wine. A young, mineral tough, this is structured to age or to serve with braised beef cheese."Wine Advocate 90"Silky tannins frame a core of expressive red fruit in

Wine & Spirits 92" Petite Sirah from the Russian River Valley adds meatiness and brings out a dried sage scent in the fiery spice of this zin, which includes old-vine fruit from the Maple vinyard and some cool-climate zin from Parmelee-Hill on the Sonoma Coast. It has the smokiness and sparky

Wine & Spirits 92"Layered with complex, this starts out flinty, then yields more fragrance as it takes on air. The fruit ranges from honeydew to grilled pear, the acidity adding edges of persimmon and lemon. The lasting flavor has a coastel earthiness. Pour it with grilled langoustines.""

Wine & Spirits 90"From the warmer, eastern reaches of Casablanca, this sauvignon is generous in its citrus flavors, balanced by refreshing acidity. For aperitifs. Huneeus Vintners, Rutherford, CA."