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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/63431
CHEERS WINE PANEL (92) Gran Veneur Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc 2011 (France). Flowers and stone fruits on the nose; lively and inviting, layered with flavors of peach and apricot; great minerality and acidity make this dry white perfect with oysters on the half shell or a fresh summer salad. ($13) (92) Hindsight Napa Valley Chardonnay 2010 (California). This is the collaboration of Keith Hargroves and Rob Hunter, both seminal Napa Valley figures; exceptional fruit and a little bit of oak. ($25) (92) Santa Silvana Alto Adige Pinot Grigio DOC 2010 (Italy). Stunningly vibrant and fresh with seasonal fruit flavors of pear, melon with a hint of peach; refreshing with well balanced acidity. ($16) (92) Txomin Etxaniz Getaraiko Txakolina 2010 (Spain). Spritzy, allowing all of the wonderful, baked green apple, floral and spicy notes to be highlighted; a delicious that is best served very cold. ($19) (92) Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (New Zealand). A brilliant straw and pale gold in the glass, the nose is filled with grapefruit peel and spice; a great example of a more restrained style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; bright acidity, clean and lingering finish, with great balance. ($20) (91) Bodegas Callia Valle de Tulum Torrontés 2010 (Argentina). This wine is a brilliant pale yellow in the glass, with the slightest hint of green; the nose is dominated by citrus fruit, with hints of exotic floral notes; in the mouth, the fruit is ripe, but balanced with a bright acid accent; a balanced, lengthy and clean finish; wonderful value. ($9) (91) Castello Montauto San Gimignano Vernaccia 2010 (Italy). Brilliant straw with green hints in the glass, the wine has a nose dominated by fresh and clean tree fruit, which follows through on the palate, with weight, spice and acidity all in balance; lengthy and balanced finish; versatile and delicious. ($15) (91) Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Blanco Blend 2010 (Spain). A fascinating blend of viura, malvasia and the rare tempranillo blanco; brilliant pale gold in the glass; a complex nose, with scents of tree, citrus and tropical fruits, all followed through on the palate, where the fruit is accented by the acidity; well balanced with a quite lengthy finish. ($15) (91) Jos. Drouhin Chablis-Vaudon 2009 (France). This is the chardonnay for those of us in the anything-but- chardonnay club; lean, mean and mineral with enough pear and apple undertones to know what else can be done with this grape; fine company for grilled chicken or salmon. ($20) (91) Italo Cescon Veneto Pinot Grigio 2010 (Italy). Italo Cescon is a highly regarded estate in Friuli; the grapes www.cheersonline.com for this wine come from Veneto and it is a full-flavored pinot grigio, absolutely not watered down, with lots of terroir; exciting packaging helps it jump off the shelf. ($20) (91) Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay 2010 (California). Crisp, clean and minerality blend with tropical notes. The wine finishes dry with near perfect acidity to create a well-rounded and balanced wine. ($25) (91) Pine Ridge Forefront Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (California). Refreshing, crisp and full of flavor; offers passion fruit, lemon lime and melon flavors that blend together into a vibrant, lingering finish. ($13) (91) Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas White Blend 2010 (Spain). Rias Baixas is best known for the wines produced from the albariño variety, and this wine is mostly albariño, but it also has loureiro and treixadura in the blend, which add complexity and weight; the nose and palate are dominated by citrus and tree fruits, with notes of herbs; the refreshing tastes are highlighted by a long, lingering finish. ($20) (91) Viña Amalia Carlos Basso Mendoza Blanc de Noirs 2009 (Argentina). This sparkling wine possesses lovely notes of yeasty bread dough and brioche followed by aromas of mango and banana peel; medium bodied and nicely round, it maintains a lovely blend of tropical fruit notes annd pinpoint acidity. ($18) (90) Bonny Doon Ca' Del Solo Dry Muscat 2009 (California). All the wonderful aromas and flavors of muscats and moscatos, but bone dry with delicious acidity and a hint of minerals. ($17) (90) Conundrum White Wine 2010 (California). An extremely aromatic wine with aromas of ripe peaches, wild flowers and spice; nicely textured on the palate, delivering fresh melon and tropical flavors. ($16) (90) The Cottage Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (New Zealand). Abundant aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit and pineapple; flavors of grapefruit and apples add to a tropical fruit palate; very smooth finish; wonderful summer white at a good value. ($12) (90) Cuvée Jean Paul Gascogne Blanc 2009 (France). Bright, fresh and clean aromas of stone fruits and white flowers lead the way to nice tension of acidity and ripe fruit on the palate; the ugni blanc and colombard blend over- delivers for the price with a nicely concentrated mid-palate full of tangy citrus, minerality and peach flavors; ingers nicely on the finish, very fresh and detailed. ($10) (90) Goisot Bourgogne Aligote 2010 (France). High- quality aligote, with nice body and a structured finish with good extract; ccrisp palate with flavors of almond and a touch of herb. ($19) MAY 2012 | 43