Six Tax Time Wines

Tax Day (April 15) is a date circled on millions of calendars in the U.S. For some, only a few days (or hours) remain to gather receipt-filled envelopes and hunker down with their 1040s. For others watching the chaos and confusion, Tax Day is a reminder of why they took care of things in advance.

But models of both procrastination and organization share a fate: either owing money or getting a refund. These outcomes, fortunately, don’t preclude enjoying fantastic wines. Here are three highly rated bottlings to enjoy for those who can splurge, and a trio for those needing to save.

Splurge

Thörle 2012 Saulheimer Hölle Spätburgunder Trocken (Rheinhessen); $64, 94 points. Shades of cedar, dried herb and bramble lend complexity to this intensely concentrated Spätburgunder. It’s a powerful wine that needs time to smooth and meld, but should drink beautifully from 2018–25. Ingenium Wines. Cellar Selection. —Anna Lee Iijima

Vik 2011 Red (Cachapoal Valley); $140, 93 points. Fresh yet oaky on the nose, with aromas of herbs and char, this is layered, pure and smooth on the palate. Spice, oak and chocolate mix with berry and plum flavors, while the dry, long, oaky finish is on the money. Drink this well-crafted Cabernet blend through 2022. MHW, Ltd. —Michael Schachner

Thomas Fogarty 2012 Razorback Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains); $70, 95 points. Delicately light, yet showing a fascinating amount of character on both the nose and palate, this bottling offers aromas of lightly pressed cherries, purple sage, juniper, eucalyptus oil and a hint of mushrooms. Each sip sings with cola, raspberries, pencil lead, morel mushrooms and forest-floor flavorings. —Matt Kettmann

Save

Loosen Bros. NV Dr. L Sparkling Riesling (Germany); $16, 91 points. Exuberant green floral perfume, melon and peach abound on this profoundly aromatic sparkler. It’s delicate with soft, persistent bubbles and deeply penetrating flavors of stone fruit and tangerine. A remarkably elegant sekt with a gentle price tag. Loosen Bros. USA. —A.I.

Noble Vines 2014 242 Sauvignon Blanc (San Bernabe); $13, 90 points. There’s nice restraint on the nose of this judiciously priced bottling, with lemon-lime citrus and green apple flesh. The wine is strongly textural once sipped, with sour apple, lime peel and riper stone fruit in the background, finishing grippy and clean. Best Buy. —M.K.

Enrique Mendoza 2012 La Tremenda (Alicante); $12, 90 points. A mixed bag of appealing aromas include crushed stone, leather, black cherry and cough drop. The palate on this Monastrell is narrow and pinchy, but packs power. Flavors of toasty oak, mint, black plum and cherry charge across the finish due to popping acidity. Drink through 2019. Winebow. Best Buy. —M.S.

Last Updated: May 4, 2023