Wine Tasting: Selections from the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2016

Every December, the Wine Spectator, one of the world's foremost wine magazines, features its list of the top 100 wines of the year (selected out of 18,000 contenders). Contrary to popular misconception, not all the wines selected for this distinction are super expensive, exclusive cuvées from top wine producers that are beyond the average wine consumer's budget. In fact, quite a few are excellent value wines for about $20 and under. What follows is a cross section of the top 100 from different regions around the world that are readily available in local wine stores. According to the Wine Spectator, three main criteria were used in selecting the wines, including quality (based on score), value (based on price) and availability (either made in or imported into the US).

For the two tasting classes I conducted in mid June, as it turned out - not specifically by design, but more from a general aim to select a wide range of wines from the Top 100 list - each wine originated from a different country, three were whites, and three red; three from the Old World and three from the New World; and three from the Southern Hemisphere and three from the Northern Hemisphere.  All were less than $20  (except for the Tenshen, which was actually listed for less than $20 from some online shopping sites), and all were purchased at Wine Works in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Perhaps the most distinctive and unusual, if not the most enjoyed, of the whites was the Tenshen from Central Coast California.  It's a very potent (at 14.7% alcohol, it was the strongest of both reds and whites sampled) Rhone Style blend - Viognier, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc - that had a tendency to overpower the senses and as such may be an acquired taste. The first class was almost universally turned off by its 'over-the-top' aromatics, viscosity and potency, yet in the second class there were more than a few admirers.  It may be best enjoyed and appreciated alongside white meats, full flavored fish or rich seafood stew. Approach it with caution, but allow yourself time and food accompaniment to show off its recondite qualities.

The Godeval is one of my go-to whites, and in fact, I had featured it in a previous class on Spanish wines.  Fortunately, it always seems to be in stock at Wine Works.  Vinified from the Godello grape, which was rescued from near oblivion a few decades ago, it's on the rise, and is being introduced to the world-wide wine market.

The Kono Sauvignon Blanc may be one of the best bargains from New Zealand's famous Marlborough region and is remarkable for its complexity of aromas and flavors.

Among the reds, the big surprise hands-down was the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, which, at the absurdly low price of $9 (plus tax), is no doubt one of the best reds I've ever tasted for under $10.  (The only others in this league would be certain Portuguese blends.)  Judging from the reaction of both classes, the QPR - Quality to Price Ratio - had reached its zenith in this elegant, smooth, well-balanced Cab which somehow was able to bring together a myriad of aromatic sensations on the nose as well as the palate.  Although the favorite among reds was pretty evenly divided, there was no argument about what a good deal this wine is.  Indeed, there is no reason to drink mediocre wine, even on a budget!

The Bila Haut and the Norton Malbec are among my go-to reds that never disappoint, are widely available and represent exceptional value.

Scroll down to the end of the wine notes to read more about the producers and their history.  And here's to good value in wine!


Kono Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2016  (#41, 2015; $10)

 

                  


Appellation : Marlborough, New Zealand
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Production/Tasting Notes: Blended from different regions of Marlborough, including Awatere, Wahlopal and Lower Wairau valleys; hand harvested; fermented at cool temps to maintain freshness, fruit character and characteristic succulent acidity; intense citrus and gooseberry flavors with notes of capsicum and passion fruit; juicy, aromatic, smooth; bursts with passion fruit, mango and green apple flavors; long, dry persistent finish.  (90  pts.)
Alcohol: 12.5%

 

Bodegas Godeval Valdeorras Viña Godeval Cepas Vellas 2015   (#75, 2014; $15)
 


                  

Appellation :  Valdeorras DO, Galicia, Spain
Varietal: 100%  Godello
Production/Tasting Notes: indigenous grape varietal revived in the 1970s with gov’t grant; 50-year-old vines (average); grapes grown on well-drained granite and slate soils in the Valdeorras region of Spain; native yeast fermented in stainless steel vats; aged on the lees for 5-6 months; broad range of ripe fruit flavors including of melon, apple, and stone fruit, balanced by well-integrated acidity and a mineral driven finish.    (91 pts.)
Alcohol: 13.5%

 


Tenshen White Central Coast   2016 (#31, 2015; $22)
 

                           

Appellation :  Central Coast, California
Varietals: Viognier, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc
Production/Tasting Notes:  Rhone-style blend; 5 months, 80% neutral oak, 20% stainless steel; Viognier acts as backbone offering expressive, aromatic; Roussanne and Chardonnay provide body and texture; Grenache Blanc delivers lively acidity;  this expressive white is aromatic and juicy, featuring a rich, ripe, fleshy core of apricot and peach flavors, with accents of vanilla bean, honeysuckle and melon. A spicy note lingers on the long finish. Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay. Drink now. 5,100 cases made.  (92 pts.)
Alcohol :  14.7%

 



Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, Michel Chapoutier 2015  (#51, 2014; $12)
 

                             


Appellation : Côtes du Roussillon Villages AOC
Varietals: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan
Production/Tasting Notes: Grown on plots composed of gneiss and schist; hand-harvested; entirely destemmed; 2-4 weeks maceration; aged in vats; aromas of black cherry; flavors of blackberry, cassis, plum, garrigue; firm tannins; thick, unctuous, luxuriously textured; lingering finish with hints of olive and bay leaf (90 pts. Wine Spectator; 93 pts Robert Parker)
Alcohol: 14.5%


 



Bodega Norton Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2014   (#74) 90; $17
 


                           

Appellation: Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Production/Tasting Notes:  30- to 50 year-old vines; 3600 feet elevation at base of Andes; fermented with indigenous yeasts; 12 months aging in French oak barrels; 50/50 blend of grapes from Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo 2014 rich, intense, velvety mouthfeel; plush flavors of boysenberry, dark currant and black olive that carry plenty of creamy accents. Features dark chocolate and Asian spice details on the finely textured finish. Drink now through 2020.
The 50/50 blend of grapes from Valle de Uco and Luján de Cuyo 2014 Reserva Malbec was very impressive for the price tag it wears. For winemaker David Bonomi, 2014 was cooler than 2013, and they have lowered the effect of the oak and used well-seasoned oak barrels. It has good concentration and ripeness without excess, and a soft, juicy and chewy palate, with good consistency. It’s lively and fresher than what it was in the past, thanks to the fruit from the Valle de Uco. This is the winery’s flagship and bestselling wine. Production figures for this wine are mind-boggling, they produce around 1.8 million bottles of it.”
(90 pts.)
Alcohol: 14.5%

 



Viña Montes Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley Classic Series 2014   (#42); $9 
 

                 



Appellation: Colchagua Valley, Chile
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Production/Tasting Notes: Eight months in contact with French oak, imparting a bit of
vanilla, smoke, cigar box, and sweet spices;  predominance of red berries, jam, blackcurrant liqueur (crème de cassis), and a juicy sensation of crushed strawberries; well-balanced on the palate; rounded tannins; lingering finish.  ( 90 pts.)

Alcohol: 13.5%

Notes on Producers

KONO in Maori means 'food basket'. It is a traditional woven basket used to carry, protect and present produce by the Maori. It is made from New Zealand's native flax, the harakeke plant.

Harakeke is an integral part of the indigenous Maori world. Since ancient time it has been recognised for its strength, durability, adaptability and growth. These qualities are a metaphor for the way we operate.

KONO NZ is owned by an entrepreneurial Maori Company in the top of New Zealand's South Island - Wakatu Incorporation. Wakatu has many food and beverage subsidiaries and KONO is the brand that unites them in markets globally. www.kono.co.nz

Bodega Godeval

Bodegas Godeval was founded in 1986 by making a first winemaking to produce a single single-varietal wine made from grapes of the Godello variety.

It started with 2 hectares of vineyard and made 18,000 bottles known as Viña Godeval. In 1988 production expanded with the launching of the winery inside the "Monastery of Xagoaza".

In 1974, Horacio Fernández Presa, as regional chief of the branch of Agrarian Extension of the region launched the REVIVAL Program. The core of the project was the recovery of the native Godello variety. An informative and formative program was put in place to realize its recovery.

In 1988 restoration began of the  Monastery, a beautiful medieval setting for the Godeval winery

At present, the winery has the most modern technology of vinification in new facilities inaugurated in 2009. The annual production is of 150,000 liters made with its own vineyards.

  

Tenshen

Tenshen (spelled "tenshən") is a collaboration between winemaker Joey Tensley and vintner Alex Guarachi. Tensley has built a reputation for his great aptitude with California Rhônes under his highly regarded other label, Tensley Wines, where he exclusively focuses on Syrah. The new tenshən brand was created in partnership with vintner and veteran importer, marketer and innovator, Alex Guarachi, who is founder and CEO of Guarachi Wine Partners. With Tenshen, free of varietal restrictions, the winemaker went for a wider range of grapes to make the best out of the high quality grapes available.

The name "tenshən" is a play on words that nods to Tensley's winemaking acumen and the tension that occurs with harvesting. Tension is a tenacious energy that a wine possesses, inspired by the process of picking at the just-ripe-enough precipice and then getting out of the way. Alex Guarachi and Joey Tensley believe that great wine is all about tension and the elusiveness of this characteristic. As such, the labyrinth design of the label is emblematic of this puzzle or challenge that winemakers face.

Michel Chapoutier

Members of the Chapoutier family have been working in the Rhône valley since 1808.
A distant ancestor, Polydor Chapoutier, was the first to buy vines here, shifting from being a simple grape grower to making and trading his own wine.
The pioneering spirit was already part of the family tradition.

Since 1990 Michel has managed the Estate, a land rich in history and tradition.
Passionately interested in expressing the character of the soil, Michel has found the means to give free rein to his convictions. A new era for the winery, welcoming changes that link traditions of the past with Michel’s daring convictions.
Much as with every natural element, what matters is weather and earth, roots, vines and fruit. This is the basis for all the diversity and generosity of Maison M. Chapoutier.

Michel Chapoutier started his love-affair with wine at 26. A self-taught enthusiast and a curious visionary he brings to the winery a new approach and a powerful ambition.
An idea of wine that soon became all-embracing.
“Wine-grower, wine-maker and wine lover”.
The choices he made marked a break with past principles and prejudices.
A question of audacity and conviction, convictions he shares with his young team.
An essential, emblematic choice too: he decided to change the taste associated with Maison M. Chapoutier, to avoid cultivating “a signature taste”, focusing instead on bringing out the difference and specific features of each terroir.

Bodega Norton

In 1895, Edmund James Palmer Norton first set eyes on Mendoza countryside during the construction of a train line that joined Mendoza and Chile. Very impressed by the terroir, he founded Bodega Norton, south of the Mendoza River, with a plantation of vines imported from France.

In 1989, the Austrian businessman Gernot Langes-Swarovski bought Bodega Norton after sensing the great potential of Argentina to influence the world scene. Struck by the beauty of the area and the optimal conditions for growing grapes, he chose Bodega Norton because it was the only traditional winery surrounded by its own vineyard.

In 2000, led by Michael Halstrick and his team, the winery experienced strong international growth and positioned itself as one of the leading wine exporters in the country, at present reaching more than 60 countries.

In 2004, Michael Halstrick was awarded the "Best winemaker of the Year" and Bodega Norton was positioned within the top 100 most admired companies in Argentina by the country’s two major newspapers (La Nación and Clarín).

In 2006, the prestigious American magazine Wine Spectator nominated Bodega Norton as one of the top 20 wineries in the world.

Wine Enthusiast nominated Bodega Norton as the "Best New World Winery of the Year" in the 2011 edition of its competition "Wine Star Awards".

Vina Montes

It was in 1987 that the two original founders, Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, both highly experienced wine professionals, wanted to realize their dream of producing Chilean wines a quantum-leap higher in quality than the standards of the time. In 1988, they joined up with the other two founders, Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, who brought their own complementary skills and expertise to the venture. And thus Montes was born, at first under the name Discover Wine. It was a dream come true for four great visionaries who succeeded in taking Montes wines from nowhere to more than 100 countries worldwide; by making ‘first growth’ wines respected and admired by the world’s critics and trade, and by drawing attention to what Chile was capable of producing. After they created the first Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon - through hard work and passion - it didn’t take long to achieve recognition. It was a mould-breaking wine that immediately raised the bar for other Chilean producers.