Tabla de contenidos para August 31, 2024 en Wine Spectator

Visit WineSpectator.com/083124 to find links to all of the following resources. NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE Don’t miss your chance to taste an exciting variety of wines, including top-scoring bottlings and rare older vintages, from the world’s best vintners. This year’s event will take place Oct. 17–19 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Weekend packages, which include VIP Grand Tasting access, plus wine seminars and the Champagne reception, are available for purchase now. FREE RESOURCES FOR ALL WINESPECTATOR.COM READERS WORLD’S BEST WINE LISTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards app lets you search through nearly 4,000 award winners to find the ultimate wine experience. Every dining destination in this app—covering all 50 states and more than 70 countries—has earned a Wine Spectator award for its commitment to wine. RESTAURANTS.WINESPECTATOR.COM Our…

When the going gets tough, the tough look for opportunities. That’s been the story of U.S. wine mergers and acquisitions in 2024. Sales by volume have declined for more than two years, dipping an estimated 1% in 2023, according to Impact Databank, a sister publication of Wine Spectator. Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they’re looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing Large players such as Gallo Family, Constellation and Treasury Wine Estates scooped up wineries including Rombauer and Daou in notable deals last year. And as the buying spree continues, Pinot Noir appears to be on the menu. Several larger companies have bought premium Pinot Noir producers in recent months. Sea Smoke Drinks giant Constellation—whose portfolio…

You’ve got to love a dish they call silk worker’s brains. You’ve also got to wonder how it acquired such a quirky name. A lip-smacking, zesty, tangy spread made from fromage blanc (simple farmer’s cheese), fresh herbs and a few other savory basics, the so-called cervelle de canut is a celebrated dish in Lyon. Like so many specialties from the heart of French gastronomy, it’s profoundly steeped in its city’s farm-to-table and homestyle traditions. The long-suffering workers who powered Lyon’s main industry in the 18th and 19th centuries—silk-making—were called canuts. Accepted wisdom is that the spread’s title is not only a bit of a bourgeois snub but also reference to it as an affordable substitute for fried calf’s or lamb’s brains, a notoriously expensive delicacy. Cervelle de canut is a…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 96 OCCIDENTAL Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast SWK Vineyard 2021 $125 CALIFORNIA Offers a beguiling plume of white pepper, sandalwood and potpourri, backed by a vibrant, crunchy and acidity-fueled core of griotte, blood orange and damson plum fruit. There’s plenty of tension to carry this through cellaring. COLLECTIBLE 95 BODEGAS VEGA SICILIA Ribera del Duero Unico 2014 $660 SPAIN This elegant version shows a pleasing freshness, with a sense of restraint and integration to the concentrated flavors of ripe black plum and warm fig, backed by notes of dried mint, black tea, licorice, vanilla and leather. Not a powerhouse, but long, focused and expressive. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. SMART BUY 91 CASALOSTE Chianti Classico 2020 $24 ITALY Black cherry, black currant, violet and earth aromas and flavors…

Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it’s so much more. This Mission District restaurant effortlessly strips away the formality of a multicourse dinner and replaces it with conviviality, nostalgia and curiosity. With reverence for time and place, Lazy Bear is an ode to California where guests dine in concert with the season and can explore diverse wines, including an impressive collection of older California vintages. “Unity is very important to me,” explains founder and chef David Barzelay. “We cultivate a sense of place by evoking what’s great about the Bay Area and California. Every aspect of our work ties into everything else.” Barzelay, a former lawyer, got into cooking during law school. After getting laid off in 2009, he began staging at local restaurants and…

Complete Listings In the pages that follow, you’ll find listings for all of the restaurants that earned a Wine Spectator award for their wine program in 2024. We hope you’ll give them a try. Details for all winners are searchable at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. ABOUT THE AWARD LEVELS To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of our three awards. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2,150 winners These wine lists, which typically offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price…

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…

If could choose only two words to describe New York chef Daniel Boulud, they would be charming and dedicated. These qualities serve him well in the realm of hospitality as he continues to expand his international empire. I’ve known Boulud for more than three decades, a good portion of his nearly 50-year career in professional kitchens. And I have long admired him, especially the quality of his cuisine, which has a unique simplicity. His fame was catapulted in 1986 when restaurateur Sirio Maccioni hired him at New York’s Le Cirque to elevate the food to match the fame of the clientele. In 1993 Boulud opened his own Restaurant Daniel, which recently celebrated 30 years. But even I have been surprised at his continuous expansion, which senior editor Kristen Bieler chronicles…

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits chairman Harvey Chaplin, the entrepreneur who turned a modest Florida spirits and wine distributorship into a national multibillion-dollar powerhouse, died June 9, at the age of 95, of natural causes. “Harvey was undoubtedly one of the great pioneers and visionaries in our industry,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator. “He left an indelible mark on the wine and spirits business.” Chaplin began his career in 1944 while still in high school, working in the mailroom at Schenley Industries, one of the largest liquor companies of its day. He stayed at Schenley for 16 years, rising through the ranks to become assistant director of sales. He left to become a partner in a new Miami-based wholesaler called Southern Wine & Spirits of…

Silverado Vineyards is located prominently on the Silverado Trail, its winery facility perched atop a hill overlooking its 216-acre estate. There’s history and also a potentially bright future here for the wines, with newly installed Alison Rodriguez handling the winemaking. The vineyard itself was planted in 1968, the third vineyard site developed in what would become the Stags Leap District AVA in 1989. Harry See, who had made his fortune with See’s Candies, was the original owner. His vineyard became a source for numerous plantings in Napa Valley and there is still a See clone Cabernet selection in use today. Ron and Diane (née Disney) Miller and Diane’s mother, Lillian Disney, bought the estate in 1976, with Silverado Vineyards debuting its first wine in the 1981 vintage. Diane, the oldest…

When chef Johan Björklund opened the doors to Le Bistro de l’Hôtel in the spring of 2007, it was a welcome addition to the dining scene in Burgundy’s wine capital of Beaune and an ideal spot to enjoy the region’s wines. Nearly 20 years later, it remains one of the best addresses for enjoying Burgundy’s bounty. Le Bistro is a classic restaurant in the thriving city that anchors one of the most popular wine tourism destinations in France; each year, thousands of Burgundy lovers, importers, buyers and sommeliers visit nearby vineyards and cellars. In 2015, Burgundy’s vineyards were granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. Le Bistro de l’Hôtel began as a restaurant for the adjoining Hotel de Beaune, founded by Björklund in 2002, which comprises a mix of historical buildings…

Thrilled with the spectrum of wine styles and the high quality on display from the wines of Spain, I titled last year’s annual tasting report “Spain’s Bounty” (July 31, 2023). This year, that plenty is strengthened by a string of largely outstanding recent release vintages across most of the country’s appellations, led by 2019, 2020 and 2021. This is particularly true of Spain’s three primary regions for red wines: Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat. “These three vintages were officially qualified as ‘excellent’ by the [Ribera del Duero] regulatory council, and indeed they were for us,” says Estefanía Rodero Villa, owner of Pago de los Capellanes in Ribera del Duero. “Although each [was] under quite diverse climatic conditions,” she adds, comparing the impact of 2019’s heat, the rain and cool…

World’s Greatest Restaurant Wine Lists Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, founded in 1981, recognizes outstanding restaurants with extraordinary wine programs. We honor 96 restaurants with our Grand Award this year; listed here, they represent 17 countries and 14 states plus the District of Columbia. For more information about these distinguished restaurants, turn to the Restaurant Awards listings beginning on page 71; comprehensive coverage is also available at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA Acquerello Grand Award since 2012  Addison Grand Award since 2009 Capo Grand Award since 2015  The French Laundry Grand Award since 2007 Grasing’s Grand Award since 2024  La Toque Grand Award since 2014 Lazy Bear Grand Award since 2024  The Plumed Horse Grand Award since 2015  Press Restaurant Grand Award since 2022 Restaurant Gary Danko Grand Award since 2001 Restaurant…

Winemaker Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and owner of Arcadia Vineyards, died peacefully at home on June 7 at the age of 95. His winery was among a prominent class of wineries that debuted in 1972, a group of nearly two dozen that included Burgess Cellars, Caymus, Chateau Montelena, Clos du Val, Diamond Creek, Silver Oak, Spottswoode and Stags’ Leap Winery (located just a mile from Winiarski’s similarly named operation), among others. The vast majority of the group focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and went on to define California and Napa Valley wine for a generation. In 1976, Winiarski entered his 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon bottling in a tasting organized by British wine retailer and writer Steven Spurrier that pitted California wines against…

For some, the perfect taste of summer is a juice-running-down your-chin slice of watermelon or a vine-ripened tomato. For chef Dustin Valette of Best of Award of Excellence restaurant the Matheson and Award of Excellence winner Valette, both in Healdsburg, Calif., plums evoke the season. “My favorite childhood memories include walking through orchards and eating fresh plums,” he says. Valette grew up just north of Healdsburg, which for many years was known as the prune belt of California (prunes are dehydrated prune plums). His uncle farmed 60 acres in nearby Alexander Valley until the prominence of wine grapes took hold around 40 years ago. “During harvest, the smell of plums permeated the air,” Valette recalls. He always uses plums in his restaurants to pay homage to his uncle and Healdsburg’s…

American Original Who doesn’t love Zinfandel? Its exuberance and bold flavors win over a lot of wine lovers and the best Zins reach amazing complexity and depth. This selection is value-oriented and ideal for summer grilling. The Jeff Cohn is a blend of Zinfandel and Syrah. BEDROCK Zinfandel California Old Vine 2022 (93, $35) Dynamic, generous, supple; briar, raspberry, cherry, pepper, cinnamon, garrigue TURLEY Zinfandel California Old Vines 2021 (93, $28) Blackberry cobbler, licorice, savory pepper, briary; bold, jammy DASHE Zinfandel California Vineyard Select 2022 (92, $26) Vibrant, refined; raspberry, cherry, cracked pepper, roasted sage GRAZIANO Zinfandel Mendocino County 2019 (92, $23) Cherry pie, smoked pepper, briar patch; rich, zesty JEFF COHN Smoke & Mirrors Sonoma County 2022 (92, $30) Plush, lively; fresh raspberry, cherry, cracked pepper, espresso ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS Zinfandel…

Recently I came across a study published last summer that provides some pretty astonishing evidence that training one’s sense of smell–”olfactory stimulation”–improves memory and prevents mental decline. Conducted by Michael Leon, a professor of neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine, and published by the scientific journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, the study exposed older adults (age 60 to 85) to an array of scents at night while they slept and found that their memories improved significantly. Participants slept with odor diffusers in their bedrooms that distributed different scents every two hours: After six months, they showed a 226% improvement on a standard memory test. The control group showed no improvement. “As you age, your memory walks hand in hand with your ability to smell things,” Leon explained when I called…

Eric Ewers joined the team at Grasing’s as wine director in 2020. When the restaurant transitioned to takeout service due to COVID restrictions, Ewers had time to do a thorough inventory of the wine collection he’d inherited. He was impressed. The deep collection of California wines included verticals of Williams Selyem Pinot Noir and bottles of Napa cult Cabernet Harlan dating to 1991. There were also plenty of collectible older Bordeaux. But Ewers also saw an opportunity to bring in new wines—second growths, young Burgundies, a broader selection of California, a deeper dive into Italy and better representation from the Southern Hemisphere. Building on relationships and purchasing private wine collections offered additional rare gems. “It’s not about adding more where we were already strong. It’s about balancing where we were…

Acompelling introduction to the Yeatman, situated in the historic center of the Port wine district on the south bank of the Douro river, is its breathtaking view overlooking the city of Vila Nova de Gaia and the river. The hotel and accompanying restaurant, owned by Taylor Fladgate CEO Adrian Bridge and opened in August of 2010, is named for one of the founding families of the Port trade from the 1800s. Since the outset the idea was to showcase the best wines from all of Portugal and to put Porto on the map for travelers and visitors. The very best producers of Portuguese wines regularly host dinners and tastings. Chef Ricardo Costa has been crafting the menu from the start, focusing on traditional Portuguese ingredients and dishes treated with contemporary…