10
Achával-Ferrer
Malbec Mendoza Finca Bella Vista 2010
Malbec Mendoza Finca Bella Vista 2010
95 points /
$120
1,250 cases imported
Mendoza, Argentina
1,250 cases imported
Mendoza, Argentina
One of Argentina’s top wineries, Achával-Ferrer produces a trio of
flagship single-vineyard Malbec bottlings. The Finca Bella Vista comes from
100-year-old vines planted at an altitude of 3,100 feet in the prime Perdriel
district in the Luján de Cuyo appellation, which features a high proportion of
clay. Winemaker Roberto Cipresso keeps yields low, typically a minuscule 14
hectoliters per hectare (about 1 ton per acre), and ages the wine for 15 months
in 100 percent new French oak barrels.
9
Ciacci
Piccolomini d’Aragona
Brunello di Montalcino 2007
Brunello di Montalcino 2007
94 points / $60
3,750 cases made
Tuscany, Italy
3,750 cases made
Tuscany, Italy
Brother and sister Paolo and Lucia Bianchini are the team behind this
impressive Brunello. The family’s vines are located in the prized
southwest-facing vineyards of the region, which at their highest point reach an
elevation of nearly 1,200 feet. A traditional style, the wine was fermented in
stainless steel and concrete vats and then aged two years in Slavonian oak.
Ciacci also makes Brunello from the Pianrosso vineyard, including a riserva in
top years, but this label represents the best value.
8
Beringer
Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve 2009
Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve 2009
94 points / $45
3,602 cases made
Sonoma County, California
3,602 cases made
Sonoma County, California
One of the top California Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2009 vintage, and
a terrific value, this ripe, generous red hails from Knights Valley in Sonoma
County, just a few miles north of Napa. Beringer is the appellation’s largest
landowner, with more than 550 acres of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and other
Bordeaux varieties. Beringer was one of the first to start planting grapes
there, and first used the Knights Valley designation in 1976. Beringer veteran Laurie Hook made the wine.
7
Shea
Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard Estate 2009
Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Shea Vineyard Estate 2009
94 points / $40
3,555 cases made
Willamette Valley, Oregon
3,555 cases made
Willamette Valley, Oregon
In 1989, owner Dick Shea left a career on Wall Street to pursue his
interest in wine, purchasing 200 acres of land in the Willamette Valley and
planting it to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Shea sells grapes to some of Oregon’s
top producers, and in 1996 started making his own wine. The 2009 Estate
bottling blends Pommard, Wädenswil and Dijon clones from various portions of
the sprawling vineyard and is fermented in both stainless steel and wooden
tanks.
6
Château
Léoville Barton
St.-Julien 2009
95 points /
$105
21,000 cases made
Bordeaux, France
21,000 cases made
Bordeaux, France
Léoville Barton
has been in the Barton family since 1836, but under Anthony Barton, who took
over from his uncle in 1983, the estate significantly improved quality. Though
still actively involved, Barton recently passed ownership of the property to
his daughter, Lilian Barton Sartorius. The property’s technical team includes
consultant Eric Boissenot and cellar master François Brehant, who ferment this
Cabernet Sauvignon–dominated blend in traditional wooden vats and age the wine
for 18 months in oak barrels, of which 50 percent are new.
Château
Guiraud
Sauternes 2009
96 points / $60
11,000 cases made
Bordeaux, France
11,000 cases made
Bordeaux, France
This blend of 65
percent Sémillon and 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc comes from 35- to 40-year-old
vines on a 316-acre property co-owned since 2006 by Robert Peugeot (of Peugeot
automobiles), Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier), Stephan von Neipperg
(Canon-La Gaffelière and others) and Xavier Planty, the estate’s longtime
general manager. Planty, who oversees winemaking, strives for low yields; the
vines usually average nine-tenths of a ton per acre, about half the legal limit
in Sauternes. While 2009 was a banner year for red Bordeaux, the region’s sweet
wines are impressive, too—the best vintage since 2001.
4
Clos
des Papes
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010
98 points /
$128
6,000 cases made
Rhône Valley, France
6,000 cases made
Rhône Valley, France
Wine is in the
blood of the Avril family, winegrowers in the Southern Rhône since 1600. But
quality at this 80-acre estate has steadily improved since winemaker Paul Avril
took over from his father, Vincent, in 1987. His massive 2010 earns the winery
a spot in our Top 100 for the sixth time (including Wine of the Year in 2007).
Sourced from more than 20 different plots of low-yielding vines, this red
blends 80 percent Grenache with equal parts Syrah and Mourvèdre, vinified in
ceramic-lined vats and aged in large wooden foudres for up to 12 months.
3
Two
Hands
Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella’s
Garden 2010
95 points / $69
4,000 cases made
Barossa Valley, Australia
4,000 cases made
Barossa Valley, Australia
Two Hands does
well with a variety of grapes but excels with Shiraz. Owner Michael Twelftree
and winemaker Matt Wenk aim for a house style that emphasizes regional
character with their Garden series, a collection of six different Shirazes from
top growing regions in South Australia and Victoria. The Bella’s Garden
bottling consistently ranks among the best, with fruit sourced from 20
vineyards throughout the Barossa Valley. Wenk uses mainly older, 300-liter
French hogshead barrels to preserve the complex fruit flavors.
2
Château
de St.-Cosme
Gigondas 2010
Gigondas 2010
95 points / $41
3,330 cases made
Rhône Valley, France
3,330 cases made
Rhône Valley, France
This
mouthwatering red is sourced from 37 acres of vines averaging 60 years old that
surround the château, on a property that has been in winemaker Louis Barruol’s
family since 1490. Barruol, who took over from his father in 1995, is the 14th
generation. For the 2010 bottling, he blended 60 percent Grenache with equal
parts Syrah and Mourvèdre. The 2010 vintage produced classic quality throughout
the Southern Rhône. This Gigondas is a benchmark bottling for the appellation,
which Barruol has helped elevate during his tenure.
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