WHITE
2022 Goosecross Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
From the winemaker: “The nose on this wine features lime zest and orange blossom to bring you a bit of a tropical feel. On the palate, fresh apricot and stone fruit tangle with notes of lime zest, honeydew melon and lemongrass providing nice structure and acidity. A long, lingering finish expresses a hint of minerality giving the wine complexity and a bold freshness.”
From me: Goosecross owners Christi and Dave Ficelli, living the dream in Yountville, are blessed to have had the widely traveled Kiwi, Bill Nancarrow, in their cellar. He has worked on four continents and made his reputation in Napa Valley as the assistant winemaker at Duckhorn before taking over as the top guy at Paraduxx.
Goosecross sits in Yountville, California in the heart of the Napa Valley. The winery’s history dates back four decades and now is owned by Christi and Dave Ficeli. They fell in love with Goosecross years ago and always wanted to make it their own. Christi and Dave met while working in the wine industry in Modesto, California almost twenty years ago which started their love for wine and even more importantly, each other. When they married, they knew they wanted to eventually have a small family winery that they could pass down from one generation to the next.
$26.99 at http://wine.com
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-time decisions allow the chardonnay fruit for this blend to develop fully mature flavors while maintaining fine balance and acidity.”
From me: Talk about your history. Landmark was founded in 1974 by Damaris Deere Ford, whose great-great-grandfather invented the steel plow. The Landmark name? That was what the family called their home on the Bermuda coast, an imposing edifice that was often the first structure 18th-century European sailors would see as they approached land for the first time in weeks. In the early 1990s, Helen Turley took these wines to another level, pressing whole clusters, fermenting with native yeast strains and aging in French oak. To be sure, there has been no drop-off in quality under the expert guiding hand of current winemaker Greg Stach.
$50 at http://landmarkwine.com
2022 Archery Summit Chardonnay
From the winemaker: “It’s a captivating blend of floral notes, crushed seashells and zesty lime. Its scintillating acidity and finely textured white grape skin tannins lead to a succulent, precise finish with hints of chalky minerality. This stunning wine is perfect for savoring now or aging for a decade. Pair it with lobster risotto for a delightful contrast or sole meunière to highlight its delicate floral and citrus flavors.”
From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 93: “This elegant chardonnay’s European butter, lemon pound cake and toasted hazelnut aromas are guaranteed to trigger hunger pangs. The wine’s lemon custard flavor and texture are equally creamy with additional flavors of lemon verbena and salty Marcona almonds.”
From me: With his reputation already established at Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa Valley, which he founded in 1978, winemaker Gary Andrus reinvented himself in the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills, bringing Archery Summit on line in 1993. The challenges of pinot noir had turned his head, but he’s no slouch with chardonnay either, obviously.
$75 at http://archerysummit.com
2022 Viticcio Toscana Vermentino
From the winemaker: “Our white wine expresses all of the fresh aromas and nuances of vermentino grapes grown by the sea. Its intense white floral scents are lightly accompanied with fruity hints of pear and pineapple, and on the palate it presents a balance of savory, mineral flavors, leaving the mouth feeling refreshed and clean.”
From me: This Tuscan producer, best known for its Chianti Classicos, has been delivering the goods at great prices since the mid-1960s. The vermentino grapes grow in Maremma, hard by the Adriatic Sea and ideally suited for the varietal.
2021 Goose Ridge Vineyards g3 Cabernet Sauvignon
From the winemaker: “Well-structured with ample richness and depth accented by aromas of toasted oak and tobacco. Flavors of cherry and plum coalesce with hints of baking spice for a long, satisfying finish. The smooth, integrated tannins pair well with rich cuts of beef or wild game.”
From me: The family patriarch, “Monsy” Monson, was a cattle rancher and so was his son Arvid. But Arvid’s kids convinced him to plant an apple orchard followed by a cherry orchard, and that led to putting grapevines in the ground on a special piece of property now called Goose Gap. With initial expertise provided by Dr. Walter Clore, arguably the father of the Washington wine industry, the enterprise took on a life of its own. Some 2,000 acres are now under vine on a hill adjacent to Red Mountain. In 2021, Goose Gap became the state’s 19th AVA.
$15 at http://gooseridge.com
2021 Viña Cobos Corte Cocodrilo Malbec
From the winemaker: “Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend assembled in a Bordeaux style to complement the fruit, achieving optimal texture and flavor.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 94: “Plenty of flowers on the nose with subtle plums and berries that follow through to a full body with firm and silky tannins that are velvety and polished. Juicy and fruity at the end.”
From me: Paul Hobbs, already a famous name in Napa Valley, embraced Argentina’s Mendoza region in the mid-1980s and became a founding partner in Viña Cobos, a winery that played a leading role in establishing Mendoza as world-class terroir. This delicious, classically “Hobbsian” Bordeaux-style blend of cab (61 percent), cab franc (24) and malbec is made from Uco Valley and Lujan de Cujo fruit.
$37.99 at http://wine.com
2021 Villa Antinori Toscana
From the winemaker: “The nose is intense, intriguing and presents fruity notes of black cherries and plum jam together with hints of boxwood, tobacco, and vanilla. The palate is mouth filling with supple, velvety tannins sustained by outstanding freshness and pleasant sapidity.”
From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 92: “Cherry, pomegranate and plum aromas and flavors are the main themes in this dense red, punctuated with loam, spice, mineral and wild rosemary notes. Harmonious and solidly built, this picks up steam through the long, fruit- and savory-infused aftertaste.”
From me: The Antinoris have been in the wine business through 26 generations since the late 14th-century. Yep, they’ve got the drill down. This bargain red, long a staple of mine, is a sangiovese, cab, merlot and syrah blend.
$21.99 at http://wine.com
2022 Bruno Rocca Fralu Langhe Nebbiolo
From the winemaker: “Bright ruby red in color. Notes of intense raspberry and black cherry on the nose and palate. A well-balanced wine with lingering tannins.”
From me: Just last week I had a special dinner with Bruno, his daughter Luisa and her brother Francesco’s 3-year-old son Giovanni. I’ve been a huge fan of the Rocca wines since long before I knew any of the current Roccas, whose family had been growing grapes in Barbaresco since the mid-1800s. Bruno Rocca’s name first appeared on a bottle of the 1978 vintage, just as the Langhe region and the nebbiolo grape began playing to international acclima. At 73, Bruno still keeps busy, to be sure, but Francesco is taking the reins in the cellar. A new chapter beckons.
$42.99 at http://wine.com
The Sporty Wine Guy 