Barolo, California chardonnay top picks
PICK OF THE WEEK
2013 Giacomo Grimaldi Barolo
Overall score: 19.2 (9.2 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with 10 scores of at least 9. “Red plums, pomegranates and mushrooms. Big tannins.” My score: 9. “Classic flavor profile, Langhe tar and great fruit expression. Needs a little time.”
Varietal/blend: 100 percent nebbiolo
Alcohol: 14.5 percent Winery/vineyards/
winemaking: Ferruccio Grimaldi is a third-generation winemaker presiding over a property that consists of two important nebbiolo vineyards, one in Le Coste near Cannubi, the historical heart of Barolo, and the other in nearby Novello.
Winemaker notes: “Broad, warm, velvety, caressing, balsamic and lingering, the result of grapes from two decidedly interesting vineyards.”
Critical acclaim: James Suckling awarded a score of 93-94 to all three of Grimaldi’s 2013 Barolos, this two-vineyard blend and the two single-vineyard wines: “These are well-crafted and hugely enjoyable Barolos that deserve a place in any cellar.”
Pairings: Risotto with Parmesan and white truffles
Price: $46; available through sales@medallionglobal (713-365-0905)
ALSO RECOMMENDED
2016 Olema Chardonnay Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with four scores of 9. “Sweet and citrusy with some creaminess.” My score: 9. “Flowery, elegant.” The second label of Amici Cellars (owned in part by former Houstonian John Harris), Olema taps vineyards in both the Sonoma Coast AVA and the Russian River Valley for this value-priced chardonnay. The wine aged in oak barrels, providing a creamy richness, and stainless steel, which accounts for the crisp and bright flavors. Alcohol: 13.8 percent.
Price: $15.99 from wine.com
2016 Clos du Val Chardonnay
Overall score: 18.9 (8.9 for quality, 10 for value)
Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with six scores of at least 9. “Fruit salad.” My score: 9.1 “Fresh and lively, with a hint of spice, yet buttery on the nose.” The grapes, from the winery’s estate vineyards in Carneros, were fermented in French oak and underwent 40 percent secondary malolactic fermentation before the wine was put back into barrels (35 percent new) for nine months of aging. Alcohol: 14.5 percent.
Price: $26.49 at Spec’s