White
2022 Landmark Vineyards Damaris Reserve Chardonnay
From the winemaker: “It’s a blend from the Flocchini Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA and the Kiser Vineyard in the Western Sonoma Carneros AVA. The ever-present cooling winds of the San Pablo Bay dictate the climate for a moderately cool and highly desired long growing season. The combination of clone, climate, and, ultimately, harvest timing decisions, allow the chardonnay fruit for this blend to develop fully mature flavors while maintaining fine balance and acidity.”
From me: The late Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of the tractor magnate John Deere, founded the winery in the Sonoma County foothills of the Mayacamus mountain, half-century ago, and the first Damaris was released 14 years later, in 1988, as an homage to her. Classically Californian in style, it has been presented at White House dinners under three presidencies.
$50 at http://landmarkwine.com
Red
2019 J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
From the winemaker: “The cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Adding the rare Bordeaux variety Saint-Macaire to the blend brings dense savory elements, while a small amount of Malbec contributes bright fruit notes to the finish.”
From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 95: “Nearly opaque in the glass, this luxury-level bottling lays all of J. Lohr’s extensive tools on the table, and succeeds with an intense, complex package. Aromas of dark fruit, densely packed flowers, cocoa and coffee leads from the nose into a palate wrapped in expertly polished tannins. They’re firm, but relent at the right time to allow cassis, graphite and cappuccino flavors to shine.”
From me: Jerry Lohr also founded his eponymous winery in 1974, a very good year it would seem. (My wife Debbie and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary, too, in June!) Lohr planted his first vines in Monterey in 1972 and followed suit in Paso Robles in 1986. Today J. Lohr has more than 4,000 acres under vine in Monterey’s Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands appellations, Paso Robles, and St. Helena in the Napa Valley. This big, expressive cab is the family’s flagship and never fails to deliver the goods. If anything, it’s underpriced.
$100 at http://jlohr.com
2020 Sallier de la Tour Nero d’Avola Sicilia
From the winemaker: “Arguably the most well-known grape from Sicily, Nero d’Avola is perfectly suited for the island’s terroir given its ability to thrive in saline-rich soils and maintain its acidity in the heat. Low yields guarantee a high quality and concentrated harvest. Choosing to age wine partly in wood and partly in steel tanks, allows the wine to display the fresh and fruited notes of a young wine as well as elegant, spicy and licorice aromas of wines with more aging potential.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 91: “Firm and lightly chewy with earth and spice and some mushroom undertones. Medium body, solid tannins and a fresh, savory finish.
From me: Located on the outskirts of Palermo in the Alto Belice, where the Monte Jato archaeological park presents structures built by the ancient Greeks, Sallier de la Tour has itself been around for more than a century with the La Monaca winery having been completed in 1909. The modern era began in 2008 when Filiberto de la Tour approached his cousin, Alberto Tasca, with the idea of joining forces with the renowned Tasca d’Almerita family of wineries.Under the current manager, Costanza Chirivino, the winery farms all its grapes sustainably.
$16.99 at http://wine.com
2022 G. D. Vajra Barbera d’Alba
From the winemaker: “Lively purple red in color, the nose opens with loads of raspberry and blackberry, purple flowers and a reminiscence of dark fig. The palate is juicy yet fragrant, with enticing and thirst-quenching red and purple fruits.”
From the Wine Advocate, which scored it a 90: “Nicely concentrated with dark cherry fruit, blackberry and cinnamon-like sensations from the grape skins. With that extra density comes extra fruit weight and a powerful (15 percent) alcohol content. The wine does carry muscle for sure, but the results are firm and tight.”
From me: Another wine from an historic winery. The Vajras have farmed Bricco delle Viole, the highest cru in Comune di Barolo, since the 1880s. At the age of 15 — yes, 15 — Aldo Vajra took over the estate in 1968 and by 1971 had acquired the first organic certification in the region, then subsequently created private biotype selections of nebbiolo and dolcetto, pioneered the renaissance of the nearly vanished freisa varietal and began cultivating Rhine riesling.
$26.99 http://wine.com
2019 Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese
From the winemaker: “Brilliant ruby in color, theAlanera delights the senses with a variety of aromas and flavors that include fresh and dried cherries and prunes, sweet spice, and hints of coffee and tobacco. On the palate, Alanera is full-bodied with elegant and velvety tannins. Vibrant acidity brings balance and freshness, and supports a long and harmonious finish.”
From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 91: “Aromas of black plum and blueberry pie. Though not an Amarone, the winery partially dries 50 percent of the grapes for a few months creating a wine made from both fresh fruit and dried fruit, creating a wine that’s lush and rich on the palate, but vibrant and intense in equal proportions. It’s silky smooth, with a long finish of spiced plums and dried herbs.”
From me: Sergio Zenata’s winery occupies a prime spot near Lake Garda, where corvina thrives, although this complex wine includes rondinella, corvinone, cabernet sauvignon and merlot in the blend. The wine ultimately spends 12 months in a mix of French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.
$17.95 at http://vivino.com
2021 Flora Springs Trilogy
From the winemaker: “A dark, concentrated rendition of our most iconic wine, this bottling is redolent of warm, brambly blue and black fruits and metered aromatics of mint, eucalyptus and cola berry. It’s sleek, focused and concentrated, with supporting tannins that bring a refined element to the wine’s finish.
From: Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 94: “Medium to full-bodied, ripe, concentrated, satisfying e ort has lots of blueberry and darker raspberry–like fruit, some chocolaty oak and dusty minerality, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its overall balance, it has notable purity.”
From me: Trilogy is a longtime personal go-to California red for me. This is the 38th vintage and arguably one of the best yet, over-delivering even at a hundred bucks a bottle. Owner/winemaker John Komes says it “allowed me to take all I’ve learned in 45 years of farming my vineyard and honing my winemaking craft and creating the wine I’ve always envisioned.. We accomplished a big thing by remaining small.”
$100 at http://florasprings.com
2019 Quadro Monleale Barbera Colli Tortonesi
From the winemaker: “All the classic Barbera cherry and raspberry fruit, with the grape’s high acidity honed into a tightly-knit complexity.”
From falstaff.com, which scored it a 92: “Luminous, deep ruby, bright. Opens on the nose with notes of hazelnuts and pomegranate, ripe cherry. Juicy and savoury on the palate, develops very well, with an abundance of dark cherries, fine tannins, and a dark chocolate finish.”
From me: This is the golden age of barbera, from the relatively new Nizza DOCG to the less well-known Colli Tortonesi. Fortunately, the prices haven’t yet gone crazy, so the value remains.
$29 at Tuttililli
The Sporty Wine Guy 