Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/11486
THE MESSAGE Wine & Shine t the 67th Annual WSWA Convention in Las Vegas in April, THE TASTING PANEL once again led a successful competition for wine and spirits brands. Check out the results in our special report, starting on page 35. The palates behind the scene were some of the country’s best. You’ll meet the spirits judges on page 96, but check out our impressive wine judges here. A Stirred but Not Shaken nrattled by Chile’s earth- quake and aftershocks (see page 24), Andrea León, the charming young winemaker at Casa Lapostolle, dropped by our offi ces last month to taste through the current line-up from this important Southern Hemisphere producer, owned by the family that producers Grand Marnier. The impressive portfolio includes two expressions of Chile’s signature red grape: a fresh, feisty entry-tier 2008 Casa Carmenère (SRP $10) and the ripe, chocolaty mid-range U Je≠ Eichelberger, Lead Sommelier, Bar Masa and Shaboo at Aria/Las Vegas; Jesse Rodriquez, Wine Director, Addison Del Mar/San Diego; Julie Lin, Wine Director, Mandarin Oriental Hotel/Las Vegas; Tim McDonald, President, Wine Spoken Here; Je≠ Groh, Wine Director, Heathman Restaurant and Bar/Portland and Mark Bright, Wine Director, Saison/San Francisco. Andrea León. Clancy Noailles, Sommelier, Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Hotel/Las Vegas. Lucas Paya, Wine Director, The Bazaar at SLS Hotel/Beverly Hills Christophe Tassan, Wine Director, MIX at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. 2007 Cuvée Alexandra Carmenère ($20). “You have to pick Carmenère at just the right moment,” notes León, “to avoid greenness on the one hand and too much mocha on the other.” León’s special charge is Lapostolle’s prestige offering, Clos Apalta, a Carmenère-driven Bordeaux-style blend with gobs of black fruit; tight now, the 2007 ($80) will age beautifully. Also not to be missed is the limited-produc- tion 2005 Cuvée Alexandra Syrah ($25), with expressive ripe fruit and suave texture. —David Gadd 1 / the tasting panel / june 2010 PHOTOS: RONDA CHURCHILL PHOTO: DAVID GADD