CRU AMERICANA

As the American wine industry matures, its standout vineyards are beginning to, well, stand out. Here we encapsulate 10 of the nation's most revered sites

- ANA CAROLINA QUINTELA

What does it take to turn a mere patch of vines into something truly extraordinary? In places such as France, the answer is as much political as it is cultural - think grands crus, the product of centuries of tradition and strict regulation. In the US, however, no such hierarchy exists.

Yet, if greatness in wine truly begins with a profound sense of place, a vineyard so distinct and expressive that it imprints itself on every bottle, vintage after vintage, then America's most compelling sites are slowly but surely asserting their case - not through formal classification, but through daring minds, patient hands, vibrant topography that communicates the character and dynamism of a region or place - or perhaps all of these combined.

'Part of our strength is that there's a lot of fluidity and still plenty of opportunity to observe the sites we already know more closely, refine our practices and discover smaller, lesser-known sites that are absolutely worthy but perhaps not yet recognised,' says Ted Lemon (pictured p29), winemaker and co-founder of West Sonoma Coast's famed Littorai.

Among the vineyards that have risen to prominence across the US, the following 10 stand out for their distinctiveness and their growing reputations - consistently offering something unique, they have already earned themselves a place of significance in US viticulture...

Heintz Sonoma Coast, California Planted area 22ha

"That vineyard holds acidity very well. It has this lovely, gradual, steady ripening quality,' says Ted Lemon, highlighting why Heintz has become synonymous with the piercing acidity that has helped revive Californian Chardonnay in recent years - bright, lean and unapologetically fresh.