Winophilia

Why should you care? Talented winemaker Adi Badenhorst, who was responsible for many world-class wines and endless experimentation during his decade at the beautiful Rustenberg Wines estate in Stellenbosch, set out on his own several years back, purchasing significant acreage in the up-and-coming Swartland area with his cousin, including some old bush vines of grenache and cinsault. Farming organically and vinifying in a low-tech manner, he focuses on South Africa’s mainstay white grape chenin blanc and blends from Rhone valley red varieties. From his top range to a new line-up of $10 bottles, his wines offer excellent quality/price rapport.

What does it taste like? Badenhorst’s Secateurs range of wines, which also include grapes purchased from a neighbor, are his best values of all, suitable for casual drinkers and serious winos alike. The 2011 Secateurs Red Blend Coastal Region, which is based on shiraz and cinsault, offers musky strawberry and candied raspberry aromas complemented by spices, minerals and smoke.  It’s suave and seamless in the mouth, with insidious saline minerality giving shape to the almost liqueur-like red berry and saline flavors. With its silky finish, fine dusting of tannins and lingering sweetness, it’s distinctly Old World in the best sense. My rating: 90 points.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $18; Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA

Why should you care? On many occasions, I’ve seen top young California chardonnays triumph in blind tastings against great white Burgundies. More surprising, even experienced tasters can mistake these wines for their Old World forebears, owing to their aromatic complexity, tactile richness and depth of flavor. But the problem for consumers is that the very best examples of California chardonnay are made in limited quantities and sold largely to mailing list customers for $50 to $75–and sometime more.

What does it taste like? Stonestreet winemaker Graham Weerts, who hails from South Africa, has found a home in California making vibrant cabernets and a consistently superb range of chardonnays with strong soil character, great verve and the structure to age, working with high-altitude vineyards in Alexander Valley. For the second vintage in a row, his Broken Road bottling is a standout. Made from vines planted at 1,800 feet, it leads off with nuanced aromas of lemon custard, smoked meat, minerals and hazelnut. It’s plush but classically dry, with a lightly saline quality adding interest to the perfumed pineapple and mineral flavors. The finish is stony and long. This is a remarkably Burgundian chardonnay for the price, and there’s a generous 3,000 cases of this juice. My score: 93 points.

How much does it cost? $40

Why should you care? Two thousand eleven was a challenging vintage for producers on California’s North Coast, as a very cool growing season was punctuated by rainy spells in October. Rot issues made severe selection of grapes necessary, resulting in minuscule production at many wineries. The good news is that the best 2011s, especially white wines, are bright, sharply delineated and light on their feet, making them ideal companions to food. LIOCO is a relatively new producer focused on making wines with minimal or no oak, and their chardonnays are now consistently among the best I taste from California.

What does it taste like? Taut, mineral-accented and strikingly lucid, the 2011 LIOCO Chardonnay Sonoma County delivers the intensity one would expect from a far more expensive wine. Its balance, citrus fruit element and stoniness reminded me of Burgundy while its flavor impact is true to its California origin. There’s surprising depth here as well, and as delicious as it is now, I’ll bet that it will be even better with a little bottle age. LIOCO has quickly become a star producer and their entry-level chardonnay is a remarkably affordable introduction to their wines. My score: 90 points.

How much does it cost? $20

Why should you care? South Africa’s Shannon Vineyards, which ships wine to the U.S. market as Downes Family Vineyards due to a trademark issue, is located in the cool Elgin Valley barely eight miles from the sea, near where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. Cooling southeasterly breezes and chilly nights during summer allow for slow ripening and intense fruit flavors, and diverse soils bring an added element of complexity to the wines. Two years ago, Shannon’s Pomerol-like 2008 Mt. Bullet Merlot impressed me as one of the best examples of its variety I’ve ever tasted from South Africa. This year, it was the new release of the winery’s consistently excellent sauvignon blanc, just now entering the U.S. market, that stood out.

What does it taste like? The bright, pale-yellow 2012 Sanctuary Peak Sauvignon Blanc Elgin Valley, made with the addition of 11% barrel-fermented semillon, shows pungent yet refined aromas of gooseberry, pepper, lemon peel and lime leaf, with flinty mineral lift. Its penetrating, juicy citrus and white pepper flavors reveal more texture and depth as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is spicy and long, showing a dusty peppery element that leaves the mouth refreshed. My score: 92 points.

How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $20; Southern Starz.