Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionals—and your views, too.





New Wine Releases January 2011

New wine releases from around the world


NORTH AMERICA

UNITED STATES

CALIFORNIA

CENTRAL COAST

Paso Robles

J. Lohr Estates
2008 Los Osos Merlot; $15
13/20Black cherry and pomegranate aromas are complemented by an oak signature reminiscent of cedar and dark chocolate.


Steinbeck Vineyard
2008 Syrah; $21
14/20Spicy aromas of clove and cardamom fill the nose, while flavors of dried cranberries, bing cherry and tart plum linger on the palate with a hint of sweet toasted oak.


San Luis Obispo

Tower 15
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon; $15
13.5/20Classically structured and medium in body, this wine is ripe and balanced with notes of red-currant.


CENTRAL VALLEY

Ceres

Crane Lake Cellars
Brut Sparkling Wine; $8
12/20Clean and fruity aromas with lemon, green apple and pear flavors are followed by a lengthy finish with a touch of caramel.

NORTH COAST

Napa Valley

Ravenswood Winery
2008 Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel; $16
14/20Expressive with notes of warm spice and vanilla, this wine has powerful blackberry flavors and structured tannins.


Spring Mountain Vineyard
2005 Elivette; $150
16.5/20Darker flavors of cocoa and espresso intertwine with cherry and raspberry to add depth and complexity to this rich wine.


Russian River Valley

Healdsburg Ranches
2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay; $15
13.5/20Aromas of stone fruit and honeydew melon lead to a palate of apricot, nutmeg and white peach.


J Vineyards and Winery
Brut Rose NV; $35
14/20The wine opens with flavors of cherry, blood orange and tropical fruit, ending with a lively and lingering finish.


Perception Winery
2007 Bacigalupi Zinfandel; $53
15/20The beautiful nose is dominated by blackberry jam, toffee and coca powder. The palate is elegant with harmonious layers of black cherry and dark chocolate, leading to a long and elegant finish.


Perception Winery
2007 Russian River Valley Zinfandel; $38
14/20This complex wine starts with ripe dark fruits on the nose with flavors highlighting blackberry, cocoa and pepper.


Sonoma

Gloria Ferrer
2006 Gravel Knob Vineyard Pinot Noir; $40
14.5/20Vibrant, pure fruit aromas are echoed in the cherry and raspberry flavors leading to a persistent, bright finish.


SIERRA FOOTHILLS

Amador County

Andis Wines
2008 Zinfandel; $23
13/20Big without being unwieldy, this well-structured zinfandel exhibits flavors of red ripe fruits with a hint of pepper.


MULTIPLE AVAs

Ghost Pines
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon; $23
14/20Aromas of dark fruit jam, sweet nuts and black pepper combine with dark berry fruit flavors for a dense palate.


Schramsberg
2007 Brut Rosé; $41
14/20The berry bouquet in this sparkler is complemented by flavors of mango and cantaloupe, leading to a long, lingering finish.


TEXAS

BRAZOS VALLEY

Messina Hof Winery
Gewürztraminer; $11
12.5/20This wine is spicy, floral and very aromatic with tantalizing ginger overtones.


WASHINGTON

COLUMBIA VALLEY

The Hogue Cellars
Genesis 2008 Syrah ; $15
13.5/20Aromas of grape, bramble and strawberry are followed by up-front flavors of black cherry and earthy oregano.

EUROPE

FRANCE

BORDEAUX

Le G de Chateau Guiraud

2009 Bordeaux Blanc Sec; $20
14.5/20
Ripe white fruit aromas on the nose are followed by peach and oak flavors, leading to a clean finish with good acidity.

BURGUNDY

Louis Bouillot

Perle de Vigne Grande Reserve Extra Dry; $19
12.5/20
Flavors of vanilla, almond and toasted bread are followed by a long finish touched by honey and gingerbread.

CHAMPAGNE


Champagne Lanson
1995 Noble Cuvée Brut; $19
16/20
Aromas of candied mandarin and white flowers give way to honey and citrus flavors in this full-bodied and complex wine.

LOIRE VALLEY

Charles de Fère

Cuvée Jean-Louis Blanc de Blancs Brut; $9
12/20
Bright and fruity, this wine exudes flavors of apples, apricots and a hint of honey, followed by a smooth, fruity finish.

Trocadero
Blanc de Blancs Brut; $10
13/20
This elegant wine has lots of fruit and floral aromas with mineral notes and a touch of toasted bread.

HUNGARY

TOKAJ

Demeter Zoltan

Szerelmi; $16
14.5/20
A green-gold wine with intense aromas of spice, pollen and elderflowers, this wine is dense and full-bodied.


ITALY

TRENTINO

Cavit

Lunetta Prosecco; $10
13/20
Fragrant with aromas of apple and peach, this sparkler is refreshing and dry with crisp fruit flavors and a clean finish.

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

WESTERN CAPE

Vergelegen

2008 Vin de Florence; $15
14/20
This fragrant wine has grape, ginger spice and sultana sunshine aromas which are echoed on the palate.

AUSTRALIA

BAROSSA VALLEY

Penfolds

2005 Grange Shiraz; $500
17.5/20
This bottle displays fully ripe, intensely flavored and textured Shiraz grapes, resulting in a powerful expression of the Penfolds mixing philosophy.


MCLAREN VALE

Shingleback Winery

Sparkling Shiraz; $20
13.5/20
Black fruit aromas of plum and berries lead to a balance of fresh, tart and sweet in the mouth.

SOUTH AMERICA

ARGENTINA

MENDOZA

Alamos

2006 Catena-Zapata; $15
16.5/20
Flavors of plum and blackberry dominate this wine, finishing with medium length and smooth tannins.

CHILE

CENTRAL VALLEY

Terrapura

2008 Merlot; $10
12.5/20
Intense on the nose with aromas of cherries and pepper, this wine is soft and silky on the palate with a long, pleasant finish.

New Releases Main Page


PJC122210
(Updated: 05/17/12 BH)


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