Table of contents for October 31, 2024 in Wine Spectator

“Dough is always the hardest challenge for any home chef,” explains chef and restaurateur Tony Gemignani. “But it’s the foundation of any great pizza.” Tony Gemignani is a 13-time World Pizza Championship winner and owner of 22 food concepts across the country, including Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. In addition to his restaurant empire, over his 30-plus-year career he’s shared his love and knowledge of pizza through cook-books and classes. Gemignani says home cooks should start by selecting a high-gluten, high-protein flour to achieve a chewy yet crispy crust. His proprietary flour blend has a 15% protein content, but a typical pizza flour should have around 12%. Weighing ingredients is critical to ensure appropriate ratios. Gemignani likes to quip, “Weighing is the way,”…

Italian Style This group of Tuscan reds, mostly from the excellent 2021 vintage, showcase the charms of Chianti’s varied regions—Classico, Colli Senesi and Rufina—alongside a pair of wines that blend Sangiovese with French grapes. ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI Chianti Classico Riserva 2020 (94, $30) Succulent, elegant; ripe cherry, raspberry, currant, Tuscan scrub, iron BARONE RICASOLI Chianti Classico Brolio Bettino 2021 (93, $30) Cherry, pomegranate, earth, iron, Tuscan scrub; rich, vibrant, refined BINDI SERGARDI Chianti Classico Tenuta I Colli Ser Gardo 2021 (93, $30) Crisp, juicy; cherry, raspberry, hibiscus tea, iron ANTINORI Toscana Villa Antinori 2021 (92, $25) Cherry, pomegranate, plum, loam, spices, mineral, wild rosemary; dense, harmonious BADIA A COLTIBUONO Chianti Classico 2021 (91, $23) Racy, intense, elegant; cherry, pomegranate, rose hip, stony mineral MARCHESI DE’ FRESCOBALDI Chianti Rufina Nipozzano Riserva 2021 (91, $25) Black cherry,…

FLORIDA Bern’s Steak House Tampa, Fla. WEBSITE bernssteakhouse.com CUISINE Steak House SIGNATURE DISH Dry-Aged Special Chateaubriand Carpaccio WINE SELECTIONS 6,500 NUMBER OF BOTTLES 500,000 CORKAGE $75 WINE DIRECTOR Chris Belk CHEF Chad Johnson GRAND AWARD SINCE 1981 There’s a lot about Bern’s that hasn’t changed since it first opened in 1956, and that’s a good thing. The dark red paint and gilded furniture in the entryway have a French Quarter, bordellolike feel, while the warren of small- to medium-size dining rooms beyond are simultaneously bustling with people yet soothing to experience as a diner. The service is warm and folksy yet professional, a complement to the novel pleasure of an older-school dining experience. Almost every entrée is preceded by soup and salad then served with the day’s vegetables. A pick from Bern’s astounding cellar and a trip upstairs to the Dessert Room—a series of private booths made…

Joey Tensley decided to be a winemaker when he was 12 years old. His Bakersfield, Calif., soccer team was playing in a tournament in France when they toured a winery. He remembers the chill of the cave and the smell of wine fermenting—and those impressions stuck in his mind. Having just finished his 30th vintage in 2023, the Santa Barbara–based winemaker, now 53, is among the top Rhône-style producers in California. Senior editor Tim Fish recently sat down with Tensley to discuss his career. Wine Spectator: What led you to winemaking? Joey Tensley: I was bit by the wine bug at a young age. I went to Bordeaux when I was really young, and in high school and later in college in Santa Barbara I worked at high-end delis that…

CALIFORNIA Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends 96 Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2021 $329 A restrained style, this offers a focused beam of red and black currant fruit lined with warm stone, tobacco and savory accents and allied to a long iron spine. Marries density and freshness through the finish. A wine of precision that feels as if it will expand with time in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2042. 3,700 cases made.—J.M. 96 Keplinger Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard 2021 $225 Shows the textbook 2021 profile—vivid, with high-def flavors of cassis, crushed plum and boysenberry reduction at the core, supported by strident notes of graphite and apple wood. Tucked in on the tightly wound finish are extra licorice, violet and bramble accents. Very coiled…

Longtime readers of Wine Spectator are aware that our passion for the world of food and dining is second only to our devotion to wine. You’ve seen it in our in-depth profiles on chefs like Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, and in our bespoke home entertaining menus from restaurants like Grill 23 in Boston and chef Curtis Stone’s Maude in Los Angeles. And of course, it’s apparent in our annual Restaurant Awards. While the criteria to earn recognition in our Restaurant Awards program are focused on wine, many of these restaurants stand tall in the wider world of dining and culinary creativity as well. This is especially true for our highest honor, the Grand Award, which is currently bestowed upon only 63 restaurants in the United States. In addition to…

International drinks giant Pernod Ricard sealed a deal in July to sell wine brands to Australia’s Wine Holdco, a consortium of institutional investors that owns Accolade Wines. Terms were undisclosed. The Pernod wine business produces more than 10 million cases annually. The deal encompasses seven wineries; the company is keeping its Champagne portfolio, including Maison Perrier-Jouët and Mumm Champagne, which combine for 870,000 cases globally and 66,000 cases in the U.S., as well as California offshoot Mumm Napa and Sonoma’s Kenwood. What sets the wine brands apart? They largely sell at lower prices points. A Pernod spokesperson said in a statement that the divestiture is meant to “further strengthen its premiumization strategy and to direct its resources to its portfolio of premium international spirits and Champagne brands that drive the…

Anyone who has spent time in Napa has likely been in a building designed by Howard Backen. The prolific cofounder of Backen & Backen Architecture designed upward of 300 private homes, 40 restaurants and more than 60 wineries, many of which are located in Napa Valley. His signature style champions functionality and natural harmony, favors discreet affluence over ostentation, and has defined the Napa aesthetic over the past three decades. Backen, arguably one of Napa’s most influential figures without ever touching a wine grape, died July 22, at age 88. Backen made his first impression on Napa shortly after moving to the valley in the mid-1990s with the design of Harlan Estate under his new firm, Backen and Gillam Architects, with fellow architect James Gillam. Backen eventually set up a…

I’ve been tasting a lot of vintage wines lately, just by coincidence. Most of my time is focused on current releases, but several of my favorite winemakers offered to open older wines in the past few weeks, and such opportunities are not to be missed. Foremost was the 50th anniversary tasting of the beloved Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel blend. Then, Christophe Baron opened a vintage selection of Horsepower Grenache and Syrah from his vineyards in Walla Walla Valley. Finally, veteran California winemaker David Ramey and his children Claire and Alan poured a multi-year vertical of Ramey Syrah. Let’s start with the Rameys. David Ramey is considered a master of Chardonnay but also loves cool-climate Syrah. In 2004, he started producing two Syrahs: Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Coast Rodgers Creek Vineyard.…

As you turn down the driveway of Seavey Vineyard you know right away it isn’t your typical Napa Valley winery. The signage is tiny. The driveway isn’t manicured. There’s a herd of cows in the front pasture. And when you park by the old stone winery and step out of the car, the pleasant cacophony of farm life – hens crowing, cows mooing and dogs barking, fills the air gently. Bill and Mary Seavey purchased the property in 1979 and began to replant the vineyard and renovate the old stone dairy barn into a winery. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Petit Verdot went into production and Seavey debuted in the 1990 vintage. The vineyard sits on land that was first developed for wine production by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company in…

This Buying Guide contains ratings of new releases from around the world. Complete tasting notes are provided for new releases scoring 85 or more points (on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, explained below). Hundreds of additional reviews appear each month on our website, www.winespectator.com. Each review carries the initials of the Wine Spectator editor who blind-tasted and scored the wine and wrote the review, based on the regional specializations indicated below. Bruce Sanderson Burgundy, Piedmont, Tuscany James Molesworth California Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Port MaryAnn Worobiec California Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Australia, New Zealand Alison Napjus Spain, Italy, Champagne, South Africa Tim Fish California Zinfandel and Merlot, Oregon, Washington, U.S. sparkling wines Aaron Romano Argentina, Chile Kristen Bieler Rhône Valley and other France, Germany, Austria How We Do…

Don Vrba was nervous. The general manager of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in downtown Houston was in charge of getting his restaurant up and running. One of his goals was to build a wine cellar worthy of a Wine Spectator Grand Award, the highest recognition for a restaurant wine program. But the budget was getting scary. He mentioned it to Harris Pappas, the company’s president and co-owner. “Don’t you worry about it,” Pappas told him. “You go get that wine.” Vrba did, building an inspiring program offering diners 3,900 selections and an 18,500-bottle cellar. Pappas Bros. Downtown Houston won a Grand Award in 2019. It takes a special kind of determination, some might say insanity, to earn a Grand Award. In this issue, we’re profiling the 63 U.S. restaurants that hold…

NEW YORK Ai Fiori New York City WEBSITE aifiorinyc.com CUISINE Italian/French SIGNATURE DISH Handmade pastas WINE SELECTIONS 1,780 NUMBER OF BOTTLES 8,600 CORKAGE $75 WINE DIRECTOR John Canvin CHEF Lauren DeSteno GRAND AWARD SINCE 2018 The dining room at Ai Fiori affords two dramatically different ambiences: experiencing the hustle and bustle of Manhattan on a sunlit day through the fishbowllike windows that line the room or cocooning in the cozy warmth and subdued lighting at night with little concept of the outside world. Either way it’s a sleek and elegant environment, with well-spaced tables, impressive floral arrangements, crisp white tablecloths and gleaming glasses and silverware. Like the elevated setting, the seafood-driven Italian cuisine is refined and detailed. House-made pastas and risotto dishes, many of which incorporate seafood, satisfy carb cravings. But bypassing dishes fully centered on the bounty of the sea in favor of just pasta à…

Rhône-style wines thrive throughout California, from cooler regions such as Santa Barbara and the Sonoma Coast to the warmer environs of Paso Robles. This regional diversity is matched by the range of Rhône varieties and clones at producers’ disposal—starting with Syrah and Grenache, but including a host of other red and white grapes as well—giving winemakers a good deal of freedom in crafting the style they prefer. Golden State winemakers originally took inspiration from France’s Rhône Valley, where the reds are bold with red and black fruit yet vibrant with acidity, typically showing savory, earthy and often gamy qualities. The success of Syrah in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, led many winemakers in California—and around the globe—to craft riper, jammier reds that often pack high alcohol levels. In…

93 Querciabella Chianti Classico 2021 $34 ITALY This red is precise, offering cherry, raspberry, rose, iron and tobacco flavors fused to a steely, dense and vibrant structure. Balanced and intense, building to a long aftertaste infused with fruit and mineral notes. Best from 2026 through 2045. 15,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.—B.S. 93 Michele Satta Bolgheri 2022 $30 ITALY A suave customer, this red exudes cherry, black currant, raspberry, mineral and spice aromas and flavors. Silky and harmonious, with the right amount of structure and drive on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah and Teroldego. Drink now through 2032. 7,500 cases made, 2,100 cases imported.—B.S. 92 Argyle Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2022 $28 OREGON Spry and sleek, with vibrant cherry and cranberry flavors that take on orange peel and dusky…

FRANCE Loire 93 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon 2020 $65 This powerful white shows real presence and substance, with a halo of smoke, saline and grilled herbs overlaying a core of crisp fruit—apple, melon and quince—all held upright by a steely beam of acidity. Fresh-cut chive and grilled oregano add to the savory complexity on the finish, which stretches way out with hints of salted caramel and verbena. Still tight, this needs time. Best from 2026 through 2035. 200 cases imported.—K.B. 92 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Les Caillottes 2022 $47 Shows impressive concentration and savory power, with notes of sweet hay and jasmine overlaying a rich well of herb oil, lime zest, parsley and bitter herbs. This turns supple and round on the palate, with a silky feel to its…