Innholdsfortegnelse for December 31, 2015 i Wine Spectator

On Oct. 17, 239 lots of Château Margaux consigned directly from the famed Bordeaux estate sold at Sotheby’s New York auction house for $2.8 million—double the pre-sale high estimate. The sale was 100 percent sold, and 99 percent of the lots on offer exceeded the high estimate. Pris-tine provenance—the fact that none of the bottles had budged from the château’s stellar cellar until they were shipped to New York—accounted for the heated bidding. The auction’s showstoppers were a balthazar (12 liters) of Margaux 2009 that sold for $98,000 (dou-ble the high estimate) and a single bottle of the leg-endary Margaux 1900, which fetched $61,250 (four times the high estimate). For the first time at a Sotheby’s wine auction, 52 percent of the lots sold online. One Internet bidder was particularly…

To ring in the New Year in grand style, choose from a list of the best. Wine Spectator Grand Award–winning restaurants reliably serve great food and boast the best wine cellars anywhere. They also tend to raise the roof on special occasions. Here is a selection of fes-tive New Year’s itineraries from winners of the Grand Award. For the full list, visit www.winespectator.com/grandawardwinners. PEARL & ASH Website www.pearlandash.com The party standards are already high at New York’s Pearl & Ash, where staffers routinely jump on the bar and sabre bottles of sparkling wine. Last New Year’s, Pearl & Ash offered four courses over three seatings (the first cost $95; the others $135). Trae Basore is the new chef, and at a glance, his menu looks a bit heartier than the…

Growing up in his father’s Chicago res-taurant, Heaven on Seven, Jimmy Bannos Jr. was galvanized by the energy and activ-ity of the kitchen. “There was never anything else I ever wanted to do in life,” says the fourth-gener-ation restaurateur. After graduating from the College of Culi-nary Arts at Johnson and Wales University, Bannos went on to work with food luminaries Emeril Lagasse, in New Orleans, and Mario Batali, in New York, before opening his Wine Spectator Award of Excellence–winning Chi-cago restaurant, the Purple Pig, in 2009. Bannos credits the restaurant’s name to his dad. “Before we even broke ground on con-struction, he was like, ‘You know, if a pig drinks red wine, it’ll turn purple,’ ” Bannos laughs. The name stuck, and he found that his father had been right:…

The fixed firmament of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa Valley hardly captures what wine really is today. Whenever I’m asked about what’s changed in wine, I grandly and sweepingly declare, “Everything.” Of course that’s not quite true. The classified-growths of Bordeaux are still there. The great vine-yards of Burgundy are still there. The Cabernets of Napa Valley are still there. But this fixed firmament hardly cap-tures what wine really is today—an exploding universe of what might be called parallel greatness. And it comes from places and grapes that you or I might never imagine, like digging in your backyard and discovering pirate’s treasure. We live in radical wine times. Résonance Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2013 ($65) The 2013 Réso-nance is the inaugural Oregon Pinot from Burgundy’s Maison Louis Jadot, drawn entirely…

A small, little-known vineyard in Napa Valley’s Oakville District has produced a wine that epitomizes the mod-ern style of Napa Cabernet. Au Paradis is the newest offering from Peter Michael Winery. This producer’s stellar reputation was built on wines grown in Sonoma County, but the 2012 bottling of Au Paradis proves its deft touch extends to Napa. The wine speaks of its site, farmed and vinified to perfection by an experi-enced team capturing the brilliance of a bountiful vintage. Au Paradis 2012 offers a panoply of rich flavors that run deep and exhibit the telltale mix of dark berry, currant, black olive, savory herb and scorched earth character that comes from the vine-yard’s rocky red soil. The lavish use of new French oak adds both a graceful textural allure and…

HUBERT DE MONTILLE(1930–2014) The passionate propri-etor of Volnay’s Domaine de Montille revitalized his family’s winery. PHILIP DI BELARDINO(1946–2014) A driving force in wine marketing and educa-tion, he was Banfi’s vice president of fine wines. RAYMOND DUNCAN(1930–2015) An American entre-preneur, he was co-founder of California’s Silver Oak Cellars and Twomey Cellars. JOSEPH HENRIOT (1936–2015) Champagne Henriot’s owner revitalized Burgundy négociant Bouchard Père et Fils and Chablis estate William Fèvre. SERGE GASTON HOCHAR (1939–2014) In Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Chateau Musar’s co-owner was a pas-sionate ambassador for his nation’s wines. JOHN PEDRONCELLI(1925–2015) As the Pedroncelli family patriarch and winemaker, he guided his Sonoma County winery through 66 vintages. JOSEPH PHELPS (1927–2015) This path-breaking Napa Valley vintner made his mark for 40 years with iconic red wines such as Insignia. ANNE-CLAUDE LEFLAIVE (1956–2015) The…

ARGENTINA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 91 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 2011 $135 Taut and muscular, with concentrated flavors of mocha, roasted plum and Asian spice. Black olive and French roast notes enliven the fin-ish, showing plenty of dark chocolate details. Drink now through 2019. 1,850 cases imported.—K.M. 91 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Luján de Cuyo Bramare Marchiori Vineyard 2012 $90 Plush and spicy, with concentrated dark plum, blackberry and dark currant flavors, featuring some creamy notes. Choco late mousse details envelop the long, rich finish. Drink now through 2020. 113 cases imported.—K.M. 90 Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Alta 2012 $55 A ripe and deeply spiced red, with dark plum and dried blackberry flavors that are rich and smoky. Fresh acidity provides the backdrop, lead-ing to…

STAR TURN Washington is in the spotlight with this selec-tion of reds and whites, including both varietals and blends. A Syrah anchors the high end of the list, reflecting the quality of that grape in the lexicon of Washington wines. ÀMAURICE Syrah Walla Walla Valley Fred 2012 (94, $42) Expressive; black currant, blueberry, boysenberry, clotted cream COVINGTON Rough House Columbia Valley 2011 (91, $20) Cherry, spice, meaty; generous14 HANDS Chardonnay Horse Heaven Hills The Reserve 2014 (90, $25) Distinctive; pear, tobacco, cocoa, spice BROWNE Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley 2014 (90, $18) Refreshing; pear, guava, floral FOR A SONG Riesling Ancient Lakes Of Columbia Valley Caliche Lake Vineyard 2013 (90, $11) Off-dry, refreshing; pear, floral, chalk HOGUE Genesis Meritage Columbia Valley 2012 (90, $16) Supple; blackberry, floral L’ECOLE NO. 41Chardonnay Columbia…

Plan A—your favorite wine in perfect condition—can be tough to pull off. That’s why everyone needs a Plan B. We all love Plan A. Plan A for wine is opening a bottle of one of your favorites. A top producer in a top vintage. And if you’re lucky, it will be a well-aged bot-tle from a pristine cellar. But Wine Plan A can be tough to pull off. Your favorites may be in high demand among other wine lovers, too. That means scarce supply and high prices. Well-maintained and well-stocked cellars are hard to come by. Mature bottles of great wines in per-fect condition sometimes seem as rare as narwhals. That’s why everyone needs a Wine Plan B as a backup. Let me explain how that works for me. It…

2 QUILCEDA CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2012 96 points | $140 | Washington Quilceda Creek set the benchmark for Washington Cabernet Sauvignon in 2012, an ideal vintage that produced wines of power and elegance. Winemaker Paul Golitzin blended fruit from four vineyards to attain the distinctive flavors, polished texture and vibrant balance that are the hallmarks of this wine. The bulk of the grapes come from Horse Heaven Hills, including the Golitzin family’s Palengat Vineyard and neighboring Champoux Vineyard. The Klipsun Vineyard on Red Mountain provided additional structure and power. 4,125 cases made. 3 EVENING LAND Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Seven Springs Vineyard La Source 2012 98 points | $70 | Oregon Evening Land, known for compelling, terroir-driven Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, soared to new heights in the superb…

Acidity: Identified as the crisp, sharp character in a wine, acidity is an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors, and helps prolong its aftertaste. Alcohol: Grape sugar is converted into alcohol through the process of fermentation. The alcohol content of most dry table wines ranges from 12.5 percent to 14.5 percent. Aromas and flavors: These attri-butes, which help determine the character of a wine, originate as compounds in the grapes, yet as tasting descriptors they are essentially analo-gies—a wine smells or tastes like “green apple” or “dark chocolate.” The elements do not actually exist in the wine. Balance: Achieved when a wine is harmonious and no single element dominates. The “hard” compo-nents—acidity and tannins—balance the “soft” components—sweetness, fruit and alcohol. Body: The impression of…

Highly Recommended The issue’s most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 95 Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera 2011 $76 ITALY A clean, focused style, this red shows warmth, balance, structure and complexity, offering classic rose, cherry, tar and tobacco aromas and flavors, with plenty of fruit. Features a fine, intense aftertaste of cherry, mineral and tobacco. Best from 2019 through 2033. 1,250 cases made.—B.S. 94 àMaurice William Ivey Columbia Valley 2012 $40 WASHINGTON Focused, expressive and powerful, bursting with blueberry, black plum, cherry, floral and dark chocolate flavors that come together seam-lessly on the long and layered finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2022. 624 cases made.—H.S. 93 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2010 $70…

Chanel, the global fashion firm owned by Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, is ex-panding to California wine, buying Napa Valley’s St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery from the Skalli family. The deal, sealed in October, includes the Ruther-ford winery and 500 acres of vineyards, split between two estates. The price was not disclosed, but one industry insider estimates the sale at between $80 mil-lion and $100 million. “[Founder] Robert Skalli has been looking for someone to continue the legacy,” said Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supéry, adding that it was Chanel’s inter-est in long-term growth that convinced Skalli to sell to the fashion house. “When you’re a winery in Napa, your focus has to be on long term and quality.” The Wertheimers are among France’s wealthiest people, with an estimated fortune…

Ernie Els Wines, the South African wine company founded by the champion golfer, has linked with a new German investor, Baron Hans von Staff-Reitzenstein, as part of its ongoing effort to expand on the international stage. “I have joined hands with an external inves-tor who shares a common vision to make Ernie Els Wines one of the foremost wine producers from the New World,” said Els. “The objective of this partnership is to add more resources to the brand and improve our capabilities. I am looking forward to my ongoing and active role in the company, and seeing the brand grow and fulfill its potential.” Baron Hans von Staff-Reitzenstein, 61, is a private businessman and wine lover who has spent the past 25 years amassing an extensive wine collection from…

I’ve been struck in recent years by the way the constant expansion of the spirits sphere introduces truly new flavors and formulations. This list represents some of the novel characters that have impressed me this year and changed their categories for the better. BOURBON JIM BEAM SIGNATURE CRAFT TRITICALE BOURBON A year that saw Bourbon still booming had a parade of innovative releases, with new wood treatments, a spate of older whiskeys and a trend for high proof. The Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Collection ($50/375ml) went as far as to toy with the essential grain makeup: Four of the six 11-year-old releases substituted other grains for the usual secondary component of rye, but the biggest step off the dime was utilizing triticale, a rye-and-wheat hybrid developed as a feed…

MONEY, TASTE, AND WINE: It’s Complicated! By Mike Veseth (Rowman & Littlefield, 208 pages, $25) Mike Veseth is professor emeritus of international political economy at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Wash. He has published numerous books on economics, with a fo-cus on issues around globalization. In 2007, he launched a blog called The Wine Economist, which he characterizes as “what you would get if you crossed Wine Spectator, America’s best-selling wine magazine, with The Economist, the world’s leading business weekly.” A bold ambition, perhaps, but its success has led to the publication of three books on wine and economics, of which Money, Taste, and Wine is the latest. In the book, Veseth addresses an eclectic selection of wine-related topics—and also craft beer, Indian restaurants in Britain and Italo…

2015 was a year of reunions and remembrances, but also new surprises, new successes and new enthusiasms. Déjà Vu: I was reunited this year with the ex-quisite 1985 Château Margaux on its 30th anniversary. Served at a dinner in June at the esteemed Médoc estate to celebrate Vinexpo, the wine reminded me of our first en-counter, which made a lasting impres-sion. We first met in 1988 when the ’85 Bordeaux vintage passed through the Wine Spectator tasting room at our old offices in San Francisco. With a release price of $76, the wine earned a near-perfect 99-point rating in my tasting at the time. Here’s what I wrote: “A beautifully structured and proportioned wine, soft yet rich with cascading flavors of ripe plum, cherry and cassis that are perfectly integrated…

The 2015 Top 100 emphasizes how much the wine world has changed since we put together our inaugural honor roll, in 1988. That year, the Top 10 counted three Bordeaux, including our Wine of the Year, four Burgundies, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 1985, two Italian reds and one California Cabernet. All four Gaja Barbarescos from the 1985 vintage were in the Top 20. Now, less than three decades later, outstanding wines from almost every corner of the globe compete with these historic leaders for consumers’ attention. This year, for example, a New Zealand wine and a South African wine earned Top 10 honors for the first time. Put simply, it’s a great time to be a wine lover. The wines our editors found among the most interest-ing in…

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world and the results of special tastings reported on in greater depth elsewhere in the issue. Complete tasting notes are provided for all new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below); notes for wines scoring 84 points or less are included at the discretion of the taster. Additional reviews appear on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. If no reviewer’s initials appear, the wine was tasted by a panel of Wine Spectator editors. James Laube California Harvey Steiman Australia, Oregon, Washington Thomas Matthews Spain Kim Marcus Argentina, Austria,…

The reviews that follow are the on-release tasting notes for the wines of the 2015 Top 100. Ranking is indicated by the number in the red box to the left of each note. Prices given are release prices. The date in parentheses indicates the issue in which the wine was first reviewed. An overview of this year’s Top 100 and profiles of each of the selected wines begins on page 52. 1 96 Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Au Paradis 2012 $195 Deliciously pure and supple, with explosive dark berry and red berry flavors and a silky, polished texture. The tannins become more evi-dent midway through, with a gravelly crushed rock profile that adds a dimension of dust and mineral. Drink now through 2030. 1,785 cases made.—J.L. (10/15/15) 2 96…