Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/188061
months, this big tobacco-drenched Cab goes into blackberry espresso mode as it goes zero to full body in seconds. Dried smashed rhubarb makes tannins seem chewier as black pepper sneaks up on the blacker fruit. Burnt sugar and cherry pie (including the bitter pits) keeps it appealing to the sassy end. From Jeremy Nickel, the son of the late Gil Nickel (Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel). 95 Liparita Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, V Block, Yountville, Napa Valley ($60) From its dense nose of dark chocolate and even darker berry to its mélange of blue and red fruit that at once peppers the tongue and then layers it in velvet licorice, there's no doubt about an elegant sensation. Tannins exist with the most tender touch: feminine, but more femme fatale than Earth Mother. 94 Robert Mondavi 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Oakville–Napa Valley ($135) A stunner—dignified and mature (yet so age-worthy). This wine is goosebump–giving world-class, from its blue violet nose to its elegant core. The gritty tannins soften and it evolves with a lava flow of dark chocolate and dark black cherry and cardamom, held up with acidity and pedigree. 99 14.8% ALC. BY VOL. quantities (1,000 cases). This big wine is barrel-aged for 32 months in 100% French oak. Its earthy core lights up with a bright fruit character—but you may have to wait an hour for that part to open up. Spiced cranberries edge their way into a crevice of fudge-covered black fruit. The acidity is out-of-this-world, or maybe just Old World—a fine match for any (grilled) protein. 95 2010 CONSTELLATION CONSTELLATION BRANDS Browne Family Vineyards 2011 Tribute Red Blend, Columbia Valley ($30) In this blend of 47% Merlot, 23% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Syrah, Andrew Browne pays tribute to his sons Pavin and Riley with this bodified red. Juicy, lush and textural: a dynamo. Coffee beans and black berries merge into the fast lane to deliver a ripe-fruited, dry tannin superstar. Spiced rhubarb, pencil shavings, violets and jammy blackberry add even more depth. 94 PRECEPT WINE SPIRITS Hook's Caribbean Spiced Rum ($13) The sweet caramel/vanilla nose is the first hook for this 70-proof, full-flavored spirit. The second hook is the way the liquid spreads across the tongue, warming the palate to a satisfying peppered nutty middle. The finished touch is a salted caramel extended finish. 90 MCCORMICK DISTILLING Landmark Vineyards 2011 Steel Plow Grenache, Sonoma Valley ($35) Off of Landmark's Steel Plow Estate Vineyard, this dusted carmine/burnt sienna–hued sleek red sings the praises of Grenache. Bright boysenberry and spiced tobacco, with hints of sage and oregano, surge with powdered tannins. The acidity is refined and the plump, bouncy textural nature of ripe stewed fruits and cinnamon spreads endearingly across the palate with an earthy finish. 93 The Vineyard House 2008 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($200) Barrel aging for 32 months in French oak and bottle aged for an additional eight Triple Crown North American Blended Whiskey, USA ($20) Acquifers spanning from Canada to the U.S. supply the water, and small grain bourbons are the base spirit for this U.S.-made whiskey. The rich and unctuous nature of this 80-proof floral gem, from its scented gardenia notes to its tropical fruit, keeps you discovering more with each sip. Patchouli flowers and spiced incense are part of its deliriously exotic nature. 92 MCCORMICK DISTILLING october 2013 / the tasting panel / 83 TP1013_066-107.indd 83 9/23/13 10:35 PM