With an eye to restaurant wine lists, our cellar reconnoiterer Jeffery Lindenmuth picks ideal new releases recently reviewed by Wine Spectator.
Note: Wine Spectator rates on a 100-point scale. 95—100: Classic, a great wine. 90—94: Out standing, superior style and character. 80—89: Good to very good, a wine with special qualities. Prices listed are average wholesale case prices.Best Buys
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch Petit Chenin 2005
It's easy to see why this unheralded grape is popular drinking in South Africa, where values like this abound. Fresh ripe fruit—including melon, peach, and pear—billows from this refreshing summer wine made without oak. It offers characteristic honeysuckle aromas and a fairly long finish. 7,500 cases imported.
Score: 87 Cost: $90 per case
Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2005
Customers sold on critter wines will appreciate this pleasant introduction to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Leaning toward the riper side, the aroma offers passion fruit coupled with tangy citrus flavors of lime and grapefruit while the grassy herbaceous notes are relatively subdued. 120,000 cases made.
Score: 87 Cost: $100 per case
E. Guigal Tavel 2004
A perennial summer favorite, this dry rosé offers pretty strawberry and cherry aromas with ancillary floral notes. Rather austere on the palate, it finishes fresh and clean, with slight tannin and minerality. Great with lighter fare or as a refreshing quaff. 5,000 cases made.
Score: 85 Cost: $180 per case
Highly Recommended
Domaine Girard Sancerre La Garenne 2004
Displaying characteristic green, sweet pea flavors along with grapefruit and lime, this bright and zesty Loire white has a distinctive minerality on the palate with vivid acidity and a long finish. Easy drinking, wonderfully fresh and lithe. 2,300 cases imported.
Score: 90 Cost: $165 per case
Bodegas Terras Gauda Albariño Rias Baixas O Rosal 2004
This flagship wine blends the local Loureira and Caíno grapes with Albariño to make a refreshing white of vivacious personality. Apple, tangerine, and peach appear on the aroma, with hints of almond. Pleasingly juicy, it's medium-bodied with good acidity. A potential crowd-pleaser by the glass. 77,000 cases made.
Score: 89 Cost: $200 per case
Taz Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2004
A nose of ripe fruit—citrus and pear—with secondary floral aromas springs from this coastal Chardonnay. On the palate, the fruit is crisp, more like green apple, with lively, citrusy acidity driving the generous fruit forward while the oak takes a backseat. A nicely balanced and food-friendly rendition.
Score: 87 Cost: $165 per case
Specials
Quinta de Roriz Vintage Port 2003
Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and black cherry mingle with flowers, licorice, and smoke in this seductive Port. On the palate, it displays a silky texture, full body, and jammy mixed-berry flavors. Restrained sweetness balanced by ample tannins, the long finish, and great structure make this one for the cellar. 1,500 cases made.
Score: 97 Cost: $470 per case
Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa Valley 2003
Add this to the short list of big California Chardonnays exemplifying superior balance and poise. The wine is rich and opulent from the onset, with aromas of stone fruit, fig, and butterscotch along with whiffs of smoke and spice. On the palate, the concentrated fruit comes in plump waves, interspersed with confectionary flavors through the long, long finish. 1,200 cases made.
Score: 97 Cost: $900 per case
Schloss Lieser Riesling Auslese Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr 2004
Crafted by an up-and-comer of the Mosel, this is a vibrant generous Riesling with ripe apple and peach aromas tinged with lime and minerals. The mouthwatering acidity keeps the crisp fruit in perfect balance, and the flavors gain in intensity on the palate right through to the lingering finish. 1,200 cases made.
Score: 94 Cost: $314 per case
