There is a widely quoted statistic that about 75 percent of all Champagne consumption in the United States occurs in the final two months of the year, over the prolonged holiday season.
But there is one other category of wine that is even more of a holiday novelty: dessert wine.
Americans don't give premium dessert wines, aka stickies, much love or respect until the season of elaborate feasts are upon us. The good news for those who produce top-notch dessert wines is that the sweet spot for stickies is just around the corner.
With that in mind, I can confidently recommend three of North America's finest dessert wines, including an unusual stickie from Virginia. That would be the Barboursville Vineyards Paxxito, a passito-style dessert wine made from the moscato ottonel and vidal grapes.
The passito method, which involves drying the harvested grapes on specially designed racks, is common in Italy but almost unheard of in the United States. The process of drying the grapes concentrates the sugars and produces remarkably intense aromas and flavors. The 2010 Barboursville Paxxito retails for $32 for a 375-milliliter bottle and is worth every penny. This is a wine that can be cellared for decades.
Dolce is America's answer to the fabled dessert wines of France's Sauternes and Barsac regions, areas of Bordeaux that routinely produce the botrytis mold, or "noble rot," that concentrates the sugars and gives Sauternes and Barsac their distinctive flavor profile of apricot, peach and honeycomb.
Dolce imitates the Sauternes and Barsac blend of sauvignon blanc and Semillon, but does not strive for botrytis, preferring a late-harvest style that is much more predictable from vintage to vintage. Dolce is America's finest dessert wine. The 2009 Dolce in 375-milliliter bottle retails for $85.
Dolce is rivaled in quality and intensity by the beautiful Icewine of Inniskillin, produced from frozen grapes grown in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, Canada. The process of making wine from frozen grapes originated in Germany but has become a specialty of the Canadian wine industry. Allowing the grapes to freeze before picking dehydrates the fruit and concentrates the sugars and flavors.
Inniskillin's 2013 Vidal Icewine in 375-milliliter bottle retails for $55 a bottle. The Inniskillin 2013 Gold Vidal Icewine is a hefty $85 for a 375-milliliter bottle.
What these three stickies have in common, besides impressive concentration and sweetness, is exquisite balance, each with enough acidity to keep the wines fresh and prevent them from developing the cloying character that puts many wine enthusiasts off sweet wines.
Best Value
Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewer's enthusiasm for the recommended wine.
Vina Robles 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles ($16) -- Vino Robles is probably more renowned for its juicy Paso Robles reds, but the whites have plenty of pizzazz, too. This sauvignon blanc is fresh and crisp, with notes of stone fruits and citrus. Zesty and refreshing and the price won't hurt you. Rating: 88.
Tasting Notes
Silverado Vineyards 2012 Merlot Mt. George Vineyard, Coombsville ($38) -- Silverado's Mt. George Vineyard in the recently designated Coombsville sub-appellation in the Napa Valley is a treasure-trove of fine wine. The 2012 merlot is a stunning red that offers layered fruit complexity, showing notes of blueberry, boysenberry and plum along with hints of cedar and spice. Supple and smooth, this is a merlot of outstanding character with finesse and crowd appeal to spare. Rating: 94.
Goldeneye 2012 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ($55) -- I sense a shift in the Goldeneye pinots away from the power and voluptuousness of past vintages to a more refined, elegant burgundian style. This vintage of Goldeneye's Anderson Valley bottling is a beautiful pinot that is both complex and structured in a way that will reward patience. Drink it anytime over the next five to seven years, but know that the seventh year on is likely to be closer to peak maturity than the first year on. Aromas of strawberry and raspberry with a hint of pie spice make for easy sipping now, but this wine will benefit from additional bottle age. Rating: 92.
Duckhorn Vineyards 2012 Merlot, Napa Valley ($55) -- This is the wine that made Duckhorn famous, and it's still going strong. The 2012 vintage was superb in the Napa Valley and delivered a Duckhorn merlot that shows impressive dimension and complexity, with deep notes of plum, cassis, leather and coffee. While superb for near-term drinking, it will improve in a proper cellar for up to a decade or more. Rating: 92.
Atalon 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($21) -- Atalon embraces what I consider the Napa Valley style of sauvignon blanc that closely mirrors white bordeaux, without the heavy use of oak. This vintage is clean and fresh, with notes of white peach, pear and spice. Serve it as an aperitif or with steamed shellfish. Rating: 90.
Rutherford Hill 2012 Merlot, Napa Valley ($28) -- Rutherford Hill has a long and distinguished history with merlot going back to the days of ace winemaker Jerry Luper. This vintage exhibits impressive dimension and structure, with layered black fruits and a touch of wood spice. Remarkable price for a Napa Valley red with this much class. Rating: 90.
Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru.
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