Normally our roundups have a theme, such as 10 Big, Heavy Reds to Drink While You Hide Under a Blanket With or The Wines We Scored 100 Points in 2018, but not this time.
To match this year’s theme-less Oscars, we’ve rounded up a diverse selection of red, white and sparkling wines that have nothing in common other than they’re all editors’ top picks, which means they’re darn delicious.
So, if you’re planning to watch the awards show this Sunday, you’ll want to pop open one or more of these bottlings.
Schloss Gobelsburg 2016 Reserve Zweigelt (Niederösterreich); $39, 94 points. A heady, perfumed note of peony-tinged cherry has an exciting frisson of white pepper about it. The palate continues with a silky, red-fruited spiciness that marks out delicious cool-climate reds. There is concentration and density at the core of this honest Zweigelt. Skurnik Wines, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —Anne Krebiehl
Martian Ranch 2016 Absolute Magnitude Gamay Noir (Santa Barbara County); $40, 94 points. The slow rise of Gamay Noir on the Central Coast shows immense promise for lovers of mineral inflected, lighter styles of wine. This bottling offers wet slate and gravel on the nose along with sagebrush and light berries. The palate’s tart cranberry fruit takes a backseat to wet rocks, tobacco leaf and mossy forest floor. Editors’ Choice. —Matt Kettmann
Château du Trignon 2013 Grenache-Mourvèdre (Rasteau); $22, 93 points. Five years after bottling, this wine still offers loads of fresh, punchy blackberry and plum flavors. It’s a bold, penetrating wine nuanced by hints of granite and wet earth. The fresh finish lingers on fine, integrated tannins. Lovely now it should improve further through 2022 and hold a few years longer. David Milligan Selections. Editors’ Choice. —Anna Lee C. Iijima
Patz & Hall 2016 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast); $48, 93 points. This is a heck of a deal for the quality: an appellation wine with juicy intensity and a rich layering of red and blue fruit. With plenty of tannic power beneath its integrated texture are secondary notes of forest, clove and black tea that complement the fruit beautifully. Editors’ Choice. —Virginie Boone
De Wetshof 2017 Lesca Chardonnay (Robertson); $22, 92 points. This is a pretty, clean, bright and well-balanced Chardonnay. It leads with scents of fresh red apple, crunchy melon rind, lemon balm and a touch of beeswax. Medium in weight, the ripe fruit flavors and soft toasty elements are enlivened by great minerality and a vibrant acidic cut that carries through to the mouthwatering finish. Faint touches of toasted almond and pressed yellow flower appear on the finish. Broadbest Selections, Inc. Editors’ Choice. —Lauren Buzzeo
Quady North 2017 Pistoleta White (Rogue Valley); $20, 91 points. Herb Quady’s proprietary blend of cofermented Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne is finished with a splash of Grenache Blanc and Vermentino. An aromatic delight, it sends up beguiling scents of orange blossom, lemon rind and apricot fruit. It’s deep, ripe and rich, bursting with fresh fruit flavors that are buoyed with tangy acidity. Editors’ Choice. —Paul Gregutt
J. Laurens 2016 Clos des Demoiselles Tête de Cuvée Brut (Crémant de Limoux); $22, 91 points. Delicate aromas of crushed white peony, lemon verbena, chalk and apple flesh dance in the bouquet of this attractive sparkling wine, while flavors of green apple, yellow plum and lemon zest are direct and mouthwatering. The palate is fresh and zippy, with a lively mousse and bright acidity that lead into a medium-length but seriously refreshing finish. Vigneron Imports. Editors’ Choice. —L.B.
Pala 2017 Chiaro di Stelle Red (Isola dei Nuraghi); $16, 90 points. A blend of Sardinia’s native grapes Monica, Carignano and Cannonau, this fragrant rosato boasts enticing scents of wild berry, Mediterranean brush and chopped herb. Bright and tangy, the light-bodied savory palate offers strawberry, Marasca cherry, white pepper and a hint of blood orange alongside a saline note. Banville Wine Merchants. Editors’ Choice. —Kerin O’Keefe
Quinta de Paços 2016 Casa do Capitão-Mor Alvarinho (Vinho Verde); $18, 90 points. This ripe wine is just nicely ready to drink. It is full bodied and rich with concentrated green-fruit flavors, good acidity and a smooth final texture. From the northern Vinho Verde region, it is ready to drink now. Amphorium LLC. Editors’ Choice. —Roger Voss
A to Z NV Bubbles Rosé (Oregon); $18, 88 points. Closed with a crown cap, this party-ready, cherry-candy bubbly is fresh, lively and just plain fun. Pinkish-gold in color, with big bubbles and a burst of fruit flavor, it’s fine with salmon, poultry or all by itself. Editors’ Choice. —P.G.
Published: February 20, 2019
