As New Year’s Eve is upon us, it’s time to make a toast to the good things in life. To celebrate the possibilities of 2014, and to look back fondly at 2013, ring in the New Year with these perfect wines.
La Follette 2011 Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast ($40). Winemaker Greg La Follette is one of California’s foremost vintners of fine Pinot Noir, and after decades of making top-scoring wines for others (Flowers, De Loach et al) he launched La Follette Wines 3 years ago to focus on a handful of single vineyard sites he has worked with over the years. The La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir is made using only wild (native) yeasts and is a fragrant, beautifully complex expression of this exceptional cool-climate vineyard.
2010 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley ($49). This terrific wine is layered with apple, pear and quince aromas and flavors. Its rich fruit coats the palate and its integrated acidity gives it a long, balanced finish. It’s clear the French judges were correct: Chateau Montelena makes world-class chardonnay.
Chateau Cantin 2010 Grand Cru, Saint-Emilion ($50). A 28-hectare Right Bank property situated on a limestone plateau, Ch Cantin was made by famed winemaker Michel Rolland and is a powerful, complex St-Emilion Grand Cru (80% Merlot).
2010 Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Italy ($170). This marks the 25th vintage of this Tuscan winery founded in 1981 by Ludovico Antinori. Today, it is owned by Marchesi de Frescobaldi. Decant the 2010 Ornellaia for an hour and you’ll have a full-bodied, mouth filling wine that is perfect with rack of lamb or filet mignon.
La Follette 2011 Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast ($40). Winemaker Greg La Follette is one of California’s foremost vintners of fine Pinot Noir, and after decades of making top-scoring wines for others (Flowers, De Loach et al) he launched La Follette Wines 3 years ago to focus on a handful of single vineyard sites he has worked with over the years. The La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir is made using only wild (native) yeasts and is a fragrant, beautifully complex expression of this exceptional cool-climate vineyard.
Ravenswood Belloni Vineyard Zinfandel 2003, Sonoma ($30). The Belloni single vineyard contains some of the county’s oldest Zin vines. The chocolatey-fig flavors and scents are rich, and the finish is endless.
B.R. Cohn 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Olive Hill Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley ($55). B.R. Cohn’s Olive Hill Estate vineyard is an anomaly in Sonoma Valley in that it has an underground hot spring running beneath it that warms the soils and contributes to a distinctive terroir that results in low crop yields with very small berries that are deeply concentrated in flavor and extraordinarily complex.
Furthermore Pinot Noir 2008, Sonoma ($40). Their Pinot Noir has a Wine Spectator rating of 92, so it’s not a surprise that we adore Furthermore. With a velvety cherry profile and light floral aromas, this light wine pairs perfectly with turkey.
Somerston Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Somerston Vineyard, Napa Valley ($120). This exceptional high-elevation vineyard in the eastern foothills of Napa Valley is ideal for Bordeaux varieties, and winemaker Craig Becker has long sold grapes to top wineries such as Viader, Orin Swift and Kathryn Hall. The best blocks from the vineyard are used for the Somerston Cabernet, which is a true collectors’ wine with smooth tannins and supple fruit that is supported by balanced acidity.
