Carson Demmond’s top US wines of 2016
Carson Demmond picks her top American wines of the year, as part of our series on the best wines of 2016.
As often happens when writing any end-of-year listicle, the task of looking back over the last 12 months has the pleasant side effect of reminding us of the highlights.
Instead of analyzing a particular moment, scenario, or trend, it’s a chance to reflect on a whole years’ worth of them. And while the jury’s still out on whether the pros outweighed the cons in 2016, I know one thing that’s for certain: it was a great year for drinking.
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Not just as respite from the long list of adored musical icons that we lost – or the talented and influential winemakers, of which there were as many for whom 2016 was the end of the road. Not just to soothe the political wounds of one of the most divisive U.S. presidential elections in history.
But because the volume of compelling, high-quality wines available in the market seemed to swell to new heights, at every price point.
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For me – an admitted Franco-centric wine lover – 2016 was a year that took me out of my comfort zone to focus predominantly on the wines produced on my own American soil.
It took me to Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara County to taste face-to-face with some of my bucket-list California producers.
It took me on not one but two epic treks through the Finger Lakes region to learn about what’s new and get my hands dirty with a little harvest-time grunt work. I tasted countless Cabernets, Chardonnays, and Pinot Noirs alongside my colleague Ray Isle in the Wine Room at Food & Wine. I hit the trade tastings with hurricane-like force.
And I made some great discoveries from young up-and-comers at wine fairs like Big Glou and Raw Wine, which recently debuted in New York.
If I could subtitle my Top 10 US Wines Tasted in 2016, it would be ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’ since David Bowie’s loss was a particularly difficult one for me to come to terms with. They’re listed here in the order I’d want to drink them in – lightest to fullest – rather than by rating or any other qualitative attribute.
US wines 2016: Top picks
Under The Wire, Alder Springs Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay, Mendocino County, California, USA, 2012
93
This bottle of single vineyard bubbles from duo Morgan Twain-Peterson and Chris Cottrell feels a bit riper than Champagne might, but it has all the makings of great grower version: wild yeast fermented, extended aging on the lees, and low dosage. It has the tang of stone fruit and persimmon upfront, with a creamy mid-palate, and a mineral character reminiscent of Chablis.
2012
Under The WireMendocino County
Bellwether, Sawmill Creek Vineyard Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes, New York State, USA, 2014
94
From a site on Seneca Lake, this Riesling shows the precision inherent in Kris Matthewson’s winemaking ability. It’s a firm, texturized style, with bracing acidity (he picks at Kabinett-level ripeness) and a quartz-like minerality not often encountered in the region.
2014
BellwetherFinger Lakes
Massican, Annia, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2015
92
An expressive blend of Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and Chardonnay from winemaker Dan Petroski. It’s all white flowers, crisp pear, and fennel pollen upon first whiff. On the palate, it’s just one seabreeze-inflected flavor short of transporting you directly from Napa to the Adriatic.
2015
MassicanNapa Valley
Tatomer, Paragon Grüner Veltliner, Central Coast, Edna Valley, California, USA, 2015
92
Graham Tatomer seems to have mastered the art of making Austrian varieties off of California terroir. This bottling is zesty and tinged with pithy lime and herb flavors – a great go-to for any difficult-to-pair-with vegetables.
2015
TatomerCentral Coast
Division Wine Making Co, Savant Chenin Blanc, Washington, USA, 2014
91
A Chenin Blanc from grapes sourced in Washington’s Yakima Valley and vinified in Kate Morris and Tom Monroe’s urban winery in Portland, Oregon. It’s smoky, exotic and Savennières-like in style, with a punch of lemon-like acidity providing tension.
2014
Division Wine Making Co
Domaine de la Côte, Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, Sta Rita Hills, California, USA, 2014
Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr make their Pinots taste effortlessly elegant, but it’s a fine-tuned approach in the cellar and ultra-attentive viticulture that achieve those...
2014
Domaine de la CôteSanta Barbara County
Ceritas, Marena Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2014
96
Pour this wine blind for a roomful of wine experts, and you’ll get a whole lot of arguing over which climat in the Côte de Beaune it’s from. John Raytek’s are simply some of the purest, most penetrating, and deeply mineral examples of Chardonnay, anywhere.
2014
CeritasSonoma Coast
Hermann J. Wiemer, Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes, New York State, USA, 2013
93
The only second vintage of this single vineyard bottling, the 2013 Magdalena has a violet-tinged scent reminiscent of Bourgueil. It’s juicy but light on its feet, with a granitic mineral core and firm, seamlessly integrated tannins.
2013
Hermann J. WiemerFinger Lakes
Robert Sinskey Vineyards, POV, Napa Valley, Los Carneros, California, USA, 2012
92
Robert Sinskey’s biodynamically-farmed reds show a refreshing dose of restraint for this sun-filled stretch of Napa. The POV (for “point of view”) is a Right Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend that’s easy to drink – all dark cherry and wild blackberry fruit accented with Mediterranean herbs.
2012
Robert Sinskey VineyardsNapa Valley
Arnot-Roberts, Clary Ranch Syrah, Sonoma Coast, California, USA, 2014
97
Winemaking duo Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Roberts sourced the grapes for this Syrah from one of the coldest sites they could find – a hillside in Two Rock Valley west of the Petaluma Wind Gap. The result is a brisk, energetic wine that’s effusively aromatic and savory at the same time.
2014
Arnot-RobertsSonoma Coast
