La Rioja Alta 2007, S.A. Gran Reserva 904 ($50-$55)—Yes, I did recently cite Viña Ardanza as my favorite Spanish producer, but after drinking this Gran Reserva from 2007, I’m tempted to call it my Wine of the Year. In any case, I can’t recall any other wine this year that has given me so much pleasure for its impeccably knit blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from 60-year-old vines in Briñas, Labastida and Villalba. The 2007 wine was transferred to 4-year-old American oak barrels the following spring, where it stayed until 2012, racked every six months and made into the final blend in November 2012. Its bouquet, its first sip, lingering finish and seductive power to make you drink glass after glass is what Hemingway meant when he wrote, “Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” And what a bargain price!
Taurasi Feudi di San Gregorio 2011 ($40)—The Aglianico grapes of 2011 enjoyed a hot summer in Campania that shows off the robust intensity they can develop in a good year at a good producer’s estate. Not every example deserves a DOCG appellation but Feudi San Gregorio’s most certainly does as a regional wine with guaranteed quality. Aglianico is a late ripening varietal and likes a dry climate, too often tasting of hard tannins. This example, now six years old, shows why it is well worth waiting for.
EnRoute Les Pommiers Pinot Noir ($67)—Don’t be fooled by the French name and Art Nouveau font on the label. This is a Russian River wine whose apple orchards were called “les pommiers.” It’s made by the founders of Far Niente as a single vineyard designation. It’s very nicely balanced with a lighter style than Far Niente, closer to a Burgundian Pinot Noir and all the better for that, easier to drink with food other than big red meats.
Nickel & Nickel C.C. Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($100)—Seven years of age has enabled this outstanding Cab to mature into one of the finest out of Rutherford Valley. Even despite it being 100% Cab, its admirable 14.8% alcohol content keeps it from being overly tannin or plummy. And to think N&N was founded only 20 years ago, showing how careful clonal selection and respect for terroir can produce a single varietal wine of true elegance.
Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2014 ($12)—The more good winemakers finesse Zinfandel the more I warm to it, and Ravenswood has been committed to the varietal based on 50- to 100-year old vines in Sonoma County, all at an amazingly low price. To 77% Zinfandel is added 14% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane, 3% Mixed Blacks (an industry term for a hodgepodge of various red grapes), and the wine is true to its Zinfandel character while caressed by the softer varietals. It’s also a nice 14.5% alcohol for a varietal too often higher than that. The producers also make a Single Vineyard Designate ’14 from its Tedeschi Vineyard that hits 15.1% if you like something bolder.
Murrieta’s Well The Spur 2014 ($30)—Fourth generation winegrower Philip Wente and winemaker Sergio Traverso are true veterans of modern California winemaking, and their purchase of Murrieta’s Well, which dates back to the mid-1800s in Livermore Valley, proves just how much a long history and a forward-looking vision can do to win respect. Only 207 cases were made of this blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Sirah, 14% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. The Petite Sirah really perks up the heftier fruit in the bottle, and while this is perfectly drinkable right now, it’s going to be better in two to five years.
AND A GOOD WHISKY TO BOOT. . .
Magnus Highland Park Single Malt Whisky ($40)—Citing some fanciful Viking heritage, Highland Park delivers Magnus at a remarkable price for a Scotch with this lovely smoke, good briar, pale color and fruited notes, along with a pleasing sweet undertone. The distillery is on the Orkney Islands, far in the north of Scotland, and its peat burns with a light smokiness. Certainly worth drinking neat, but it will make an excellent Rob Roy cocktail, too.