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2015 Vietti Barbera d’Asti
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with three scores of 9. “Full of red berries and cherries.” My score: 9. “Bright fruit. Easy drinking.” Purchased in 2016 by Iowa-based businessman Kyle Krause — a rare outside stakeholder in the Piemonte — Vietti dates to 1919. Luca Currado, who began working with his late father in the heart of Barolo country in the 1990s, is the winemaker and oversees the 84 acres of vineyards. The wine earned an 89 from Wine Spectator. Alcohol: 14 percent. $15.79 at Spec’s
2014 Loveblock Pinot Noir
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with three scores of at least 9. “Old World. Cherries and strawberries. Herbal notes.” My score: 8.9. “Muted fruit, elegant. Classic style.” Erica Crawford, the South African-born wife of famed Kiwi winemaker Kim Crawford, is the driving force behind the winery in Marlborough on the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. The organically farmed pinot noir grapes grow farther south in Central Otago. The wine earned a 92 from the Wine Enthusiast and 91 from Wine Spectator. Alcohol: 13.5 percent. $21.84 at Spec’s
2016 Empire Estate Dry Riesling Finger Lakes
Overall score: 19 (9 for quality, 10 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with six scores of at least 9. “Green apples, pears and lime. Crisp acidity. Zippy. Fine dry finish.” My score: 9.1. “Bracing minerality and bright fruit.” Empire Estate was founded by Thomas Pastuszak, wine director of The NoMad Hotel in Manhattan, and winemaker Kelby James Russell of Red Newt Cellars in New York’s Finger Lakes region to showcase the potential for making world-class riesling there. The different vineyard sites have a mix of mineral-soil types ideal for an Old World expression of riesling. Grapes from each were vinified separately in a mix of stainless steel and neutral oak, then blended. The wine earned a 90 from the Wine Enthusiast. Alcohol: 12.5 percent. $19.99 at Whole Foods