Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
74 / the tasting panel / july 2014 BLUE REVIEWS VALUE AND BY-THE-GLASS RECOMMENDATIONS 88 Laurent-Miquel 2013 Père et Fils Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc, France ($9) Smooth, fresh and ripe with clean flavors of pear and spice; fresh, balanced and long. ADVENTURES IN WINE 88 Bodegas Franco- Españolas 2012 Royal White, Rioja, Spain ($10) Smooth and ripe with bright aromatic style and rich texture; fresh, rounded and balanced. 100% Viura. VISION WINE & SPIRITS LLC 88 Massimo Prestige Vineyards 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($13) Fresh and juicy with ripe citrus and a hint of sweetness; long, clean and balanced. DFV WINES 88 Giocato 2012 Pinot Grigio, Primorska, Slovenia ($16) Bright, juicy and tropical with racy acidity, vanilla and good depth; lush, balanced and long. LARGO WINES 89 Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium 2012 Fritz Willi Riesling, Mosel, Germany ($17) Smooth and peachy with crisp acidity and juicy, off-dry style; fresh and long, racy and bright. SCHMITT SÖHNE 88 Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California ($16) Bright and ripe red fruit, nice texture of chewy tannins, and integrated fruit and spice flavors. 86% Zinfandel, 12% Carignane, 2% Syrah. TOG WINES 88 Sacha Lichine 2012 Blend No. 8, France ($12) Smooth, fresh and spicy with good structure and tangy acidity; lively, clean and balanced.40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 30% Merlot. SHAW-ROSS INTERNATIONAL IMPORTERS BLUE REVIEWS Malbec's Home Turf: Cahors BEFORE MALBEC BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL STAR IN Argentina, it was already the pride of Cahors in southwest France, where it is known as Auxerrois or Côt Noir. It must make up 70 percent of wines bearing the red-only Cahors AOC. Merlot and Tannat, a grape now thriving in Uruguay, complement the sometimes one-dimensional Malbec to make more complex blends. Vines have been present in Cahors since Roman times, but were subject to devastation during the phylloxera outbreak of the 19th century, as well as catastrophic frosts in the mid-1950s, creating a clean slate effect on the region's wine industry. In the past, the wines were dismissed as rustic (sometimes justly), but recent popularity of the Malbec grape—perhaps partly because of its success in Argentina—has sparked a resurgence in Cahors. My recent tasting shows that there's much to be appreciated about these unique wines, which have progressed admirably in the past decade and, in the best instances, can be world-class. Mendoza, watch your back! 88 Clos La Coutale 2012 Cahors, France ($15) Fragrant; smooth and bright with juicy berry fruit; nicely structured and balanced with spice, depth and a long finish. KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT 88 Château Saint-Sernin 2011 Cahors, France ($15) Smooth and earthy with ripe berry fruit and spicy notes; lush, juicy and long. 90 Château Saint-Sernin 2011 Cahors Prestige, France ($20) Smooth and loaded with bright berry fruit; ripe and juicy with lovely structure and depth; complex and showing spice, tobacco and good length. 90% Malbec, 10% Merlot. 92 Château Eugénie 2011 Cahors Haute Collection, France ($40) Rich and ripe with dense cherry, plum and cassis; concentrated with fine structure and a rich, long finish. THE WINE COMPANY 91 Château Eugénie 2011 Cahors Cuveé Réservée de l'Aïeul, France ($25) Dark and lush with ripe plum and cassis; ripe and rich, smooth and balanced; deep, spicy and long. THE WINE COMPANY 93 Château La Reyne 2011 Cahors L'Excellence, France ($22) Deep, rich color ; ripe with gorgeous plum and blackberry; juicy and tangy with finesse and style; notes of vanilla and spice with lovely texture and length. 90 Château La Reyne 2011 Cahors Vent d'Ange, France ($41) Dark and sexy with spice, plum and black cherry; juicy, bright and intense with balance and length. fresh and long, racy and bright. 88 Valley, California ($16) of chewy tannins, and integrated 88 France ($12)