Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
july 2014 / the tasting panel / 77 Truchard 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Carneros, Napa Valley ($38) Sun-kissed, ultra-ripe plums distinguish themselves in a bed of roses and cranberry spice. Abundant in flavor, acidity and style—this is the feminine side of Cabernet Sauvignon (blended with 10% Cab Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec). Mocha claims vanilla, lavender trumps espresso and a juicy, gorgeous creature emerges as it glides across the palate dressed in velvet, pronouncing the word t-a-n-n-i-n with poetic license. 93 Howell Mountain Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley ($75) Mike Beatty, grower of the well-known Beatty Ranch, leads the future for Howell Mountain Vineyards. "The 2011 vintage was the most even, temperate growing climate we've seen in recent memory," he says. This Cab demon- strates structure with big, developed shoulders, powered by black fruit and a dark bittersweet chocolate engine. A concentrated deluge of indulgence occurs, with a series of dark, rich nuances including sweet pipe tobacco and sugared rhubarb. 90 SPIRITS Twenty Grand Vodka, France ($30) The soft French winter wheat and a rigorous filtra- tion process creates a pillow-like sensation on the tongue. The black pepper and spreading heat stretches languorously on the palate like a cat waking from its nap. The spirit is lively, and the elegance is always in the foreground. 80 proof. 93 WESTERN SPIRITS Don Fermín Plata Tequila, Mexico ($37) Musky raspberries, mocha-covered pineapple and lavender- scented peaches . . . such is the stuff of aroma therapy or possibly just a fantasy. But the scents soar from the glass in this pretty plata. The palate is clean, vibrant and without a bite. 92 GLASS BOTTOM DISTRIBUTORS Mezcal Sacrificio Reposado, Mexico ($36) From its warm agave and baked apple nose to its gorgeous delivery of goods on the palate, this fruit and earth-layered 100% agave spirit is on the delicious side of the chart. Unctuous notes of jasmine and green tea combine with a tropical array of papaya, dried orange peel and mango. 94 PARK STREET IMPORTS H. R. Schoolcraft Wondermint Schnapps Liqueur, Wisconsin ($25) The real Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was an American geographer, geologist and ethnologist, drawing accounts of the Wisconsin territory during his 1832 expedi- tion to find the source of the Mississippi River. The folks at Death Door Distiller brought H.R.'s "spirit" to life, imagining how Schoolcraft's schnapps would have tasted. A blend of peppermint, almond, rosewater, wormwood and local grains, this is no ordinary schnapps. There' s no cool off-the-glacier effect on the nose – instead, the aromas range from sweet mint to exotic incense. The iceberg on the tongue keeps the rosewater fresh and perks up an ethereal mist of flavors: high soprano botanical tones with no base notes. 70 proof. 90 SERRALLES USA Twenty Grand Vodka, The soft pillow-like sensation on the tongue. The black pepper and spreading heat stretches languorously on the palate like a cat waking from its nap. The