Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
Reign in Spain When a wine retails for less than $10, many Boomers and Xers won't touch it—which is what makes Millennials so smart: Not only do they not buy into the idea that a wine has to be big and oaky to be good, they recognize terrific wine—like the Tapeña 2011 Verdejo ($9), tasting of the sea salt air, white nectarines and citrus blossoms of Spain's Andalucian coast (Costa del Sol)—regardless of price. Verdejo is made for summer and sandy shores. But perhaps no white wine grape has come to personify "new" Spain as much as Albariño, and no producer has made as much a fetish of it as Bodegas Martin Códax. Although they make three versions of it, the definitive bottling is still the Martín Códax 2011 Albariño, Rías Baixas ($16): sprightly medium body (12.5% alcohol), pure stainless steel fermentation (zero oak), tart/flinty/sea salt sensations and flavors of tropical flowers, lime and grapefruit that go on and on, while screaming for seviche, sashimi, Niçoise or such. Vineyard Brands Shines Light on "Grower Wines" Vineyard Brands has always specialized in growerestates, and today their lineup includes over 60 hand-picked producers from France, Spain, Portugal, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany and Italy. We especially have this importer to thank for turning the American public on to the unique qualities of South African grown Chardonnay, such as the Hamilton Russell 2012 Chardonnay ($32) from Hamel-en-Aarde Valley, a phenomenally explosive collision of lemony acid, exotic fruit with ginger-like spices, totally appropriate toasted nut/oak complexities, and pervasive, palate slaking minerality. Showing a similar dose of lemony crispness, with even more of a sea-salt minerality and more subtle oak texturing, the Sincerely 2012 Chardonnay ($15) from Western Cape, South Africa is meaty yet laudably restrained in alcohol (barely 13%). From Marlborough, New Zealand, the Mohua 2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($13) is spiced with green pepper herbiness, with a sense of levity to its juicy, green melon profile. Prepare Your Palate for Picpoul de Pinet In the Coteaux du Languedoc in Southern France, along the Mediterranean Bay of Thau, lies the estate vineyard where the Domaines Paul Mas Picpoul de Pinet originates. Fourth-generation vintner Jean-Claude Mas has become a pioneer in the region, producing a modern style wine, with a decidedly New World profile. The terroir is coastal, a limestone plateau with plenty of sunshine, with the perfume of garrigue: thyme, rosemary, pine and brush. With a low 13% alcohol, Paul Mas Estate 2011 Picpoul de Pinet ($12) denotes a tropical-citrus edge, a sweetness from white flowers that edges on minerality, and a hint of the herbal, keeping it clean, vivacious and refreshing. The wine is a natural match with seafood and shellfish as well as with cheese and chocolate. Palm Bay International june 2013 / the tasting panel / 153 TP0613_120-156.indd 153 5/23/13 4:56 PM