2020-05-31_Wine_Spectator

SAVVY SHOPPER

Icons of Chile

Chile’s heritage is rooted in France, primarily

Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon and Carme-

nère are the key varieties, along with Merlot,

Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. All of the

wines here are varietal bottlings, which must

be 85%. The Pinot Noir from Concha y Toro

is the lone offering not inspired by Bordeaux,

though still tracing its lineage to France.

CONCHA Y TORO Pinot Noir Limarí Valley

Marqués de Casa Concha 2018 ( 91 , $ 25 ) Red

fruit, berry, spice, forest floor, mineral; lithe

VIÑA TARAPACÁ Carmenère Maipo Valley Gran

Reserva 2018 ( 91 , $ 18 ) Concentrated; dark fruit,

Asian spice, dried mint, bittersweet chocolate

COUSIÑO-MACUL Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo

Valley Antiguas Reservas 2017 ( 90 , $ 17 ) Cherry,

currant, plum, mineral, green herbs; lithe, focused

VIÑA MONTES Carmenère Colchagua Valley

Alpha 2018 ( 90 , $ 22 ) Intense, savory, rich;

dark cherry, currant, plum, mineral, slate

VIÑA SANTA EMA Merlot Maipo Valley Reserva

2018 ( 90 , $ 17 ) Cherry, red plum, dried green

herbs, mineral; focused, firm

VIÑEDOS TERRANOBLE Cabernet Sauvignon

Colchagua Valley Gran Reserva 2017 ( 90 , $ 18 )

Dried cherry, berry, hot stone, wild spice, cigar

box, forest floor, mineral

APALTAGUA Cabernet Sauvignon Curicó Valley

Tricao Vineyard Selection Envero Gran Reserva

2017 ( 89 , $ 17 ) Juicy, savory; spiced cherry,

licorice, dried red berry, mint

Global Sauvignon

Sauvignon Blanc is a world

traveler, as this selection

shows, putting down roots in

regions as far-flung as Califor-

nia, New Zealand and South

Africa. The grape is defined

by its gooseberry, melon and

peach fruit, along with its aro-

matic grassy and herbal notes

and tangy character, yet the

range of styles varies widely.

HALL Sauvignon Blanc Knights

Valley 2018 ( 94 , $ 35 ) Rich,

vibrant; lemon curd, orange

sherbet, dried apricot, palo santo

CLOUDY BAY Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough 2019 ( 93 , $ 31 )

Key lime, passion fruit, tangerine;

vibrant, expressive, succulent

GREYWACKE Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough Wild Sauvignon

2017 ( 92 , $ 29 ) Lush, complex;

white peach, apricot, lemon curd,

beeswax, ginger, lemongrass

LOMOND Sauvignon Blanc

Cape Agulhas Pincushion 2017

( 91 , $ 25 ) Thyme, sage, goose-

berry, white asparagus, lemon

zest, mineral; firm, crunchy

DRY CREEK Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley

2018 ( 90 , $ 20 ) Succulent, harmonious; lemon,

peach, dried apricot, grassy, herbal

Roll Out the Red Carpet

This procession of reds is defined by the

wines’ savory, spicy flavors, despite their

diverse origins. Most are varietals, with two

blends in the mix: an interesting combina-

tion of Barbera, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvi-

gnon and Merlot in Braida’s Il Bacialé and

the more classic Douro blend of Touriga

Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and

Touriga Francesa in Wine & Soul’s Manoella.

ATALAYAS DE GOLBAN Ribera del Duero Torre

de Golbán Reserva 2015 92 $ 25 ) Dense, focused;

black cherry, plum, coffee, loamy earth, spice

BRAIDA DI GIACOMO Bologna Monferrato Il

Bacialé 2017 ( 92 , $ 28 ) Rich, vibrant; blackberry,

plum, chocolate, spice

KOKOMO Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2018

( 92 , $ 28 ) Zesty, plump; wild berry, toasted sage,

cracked pepper

BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS VALDERIZ Ribera del

Duero 9 Meses 2017 ( 91 , $ 15 ) Cherry, red plum,

espresso, mineral, light earth; fresh, focused

BUCKLIN Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Bambino

Field Blend Old Hill Ranch 2017 ( 91 , $ 24 ) Lively,

expressive; raspberry, tarragon, pepper, briar

WINE & SOUL Douro Manoella 2017 ( 91 , $ 22 )

Boysenberry, red currant, pepper, graphite, wild

herb, black tea, black olive, violet; fresh, brambly

White Light

These whites offer an opportu-

nity to try different varieties

without breaking the bank.

Riesling and Vouvray may

be familiar, Godello probably

less so, while the pair of Rhône

whites combine Viognier with

two other local grapes, Gre-

nache Blanc and Roussanne.

FLORENT COSME Vouvray La

Motte 2018 ( 92 , $ 25 ) Velvety;

orchard blossom, dandelion,

white peach, Asian pear, mineral

BODEGAS CAMPANTE Godello

Ribeiro A Telleira 2018 ( 91 , $ 19 )

Lime, guava, honeydew, mineral;

rich, focused, graceful

JEAN-LUC COLOMBO Côtes du

Rhône White La Redonne 2017

( 91 , $ 22 ) Tight, focused; apricot,

pear, anise, salted butter, acacia

PAUL AUTARD Côtes du Rhône

White 2018 ( 90 , $ 17 ) Star fruit,

green apple, melon, white nectar-

ine, honeysuckle; bright, bouncy

SILVER THREAD Riesling Finger

Lakes Dry 2018 ( 90 , $ 18 ) Racy;

white peach, jicama, star fruit

—Bruce Sanderson

32 WINE SPECTATOR • MAY 31, 2020

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

COLLECTIBLE

SMART BUY

BEST VALUE

SPECTATOR

SELECTIONS

96 QUINTA DO

VALE MEÃO

Douro 2017

$ 99 PORTUGAL

A powerful yet elegant

red, offering a finely

crafted array of steeped

cherry, ripe raspberry

and baking spice flavors, interwoven with

notes of violet, toast and mineral.—G.S.

95 JEAN-LUC COLOMBO

Cornas La Louvée

2017 $ 110 FRANCE

This brims with velvety açaí

berry, blueberry and black-

berry reduction flavors that

spill forth easily, guided by

notes of violet, lavender, bay

leaf and singed sandalwood.—J.M.

88 VOLVER

Monastrell

Alicante Tarima

2018 $ 9 SPAIN

This bold red has

bright, rich flavors

of kirsch, candied

orange, licorice and espresso. Subtle tannins

and juicy acidity provide structure.—T.M.

90 RODNEY

STRONG

Chardonnay

Chalk Hill 2017

$ 22 CALIFORNIA

Well-spiced, showing

lemon curd, apple

tart and glazed pear flavors, with minerally

and buttery overtones on the finish.—K.M.

IN THIS ISSUE’S BUYING GUIDE

You’ll find 48 classic wines and more

than 375 outstanding wines from among

reviews of nearly 550 new releases.

Tasting notes and scores for those wines,

along with hundreds of additional wines

reviewed since our last issue, can be found

at WineSpectator.com using the Wine

Ratings search, a members-only service.

VIÑA SANTA EMA

Cabernet Sauvignon

Maipo Valley Reserva

2018 ( 91 , $ 17 ) SMART BUY

Concentrated, fresh; red

fruit, mint, spice, mineral

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