Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/376390
74 / the tasting panel / september 2014 91 Yealands Estate 2013 S1 Single Block Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley- Marlborough ($30) Tangy citrus and racy acidity; fresh, bracing and balanced with elegance and finesse; long and vibrant. PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL 90 Baglio di Pianetto 2011 Shymer, Sicilia, Italy ($20) A Syrah-Merlot blend with smooth texture and forward plum and black raspberry fruit; minerally, dense and tangy; earthy, complex and long. TERRAVINO (CA)/VINVINO (NY)/ WINES LLC (OH) 91 Bodega Tamarí 2012 AR Malbec, Wines of the Andes, Argentina ($22) Velvety and smooth with ripe blackberry, cassis and spice; juicy and lush with depth and lovely style; long and showing great finesse. TERLATO WINES 93 Pascual Toso 2011 Magdalena Toso, Barrancas Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina ($105) A Paul Hobbs blockbuster from Mendoza; dark and teeming with explosive fruit over lovely structure, courtesy of the Cabernet in the blend; lovely, deep and elegant; long and showing great finesse and style. 60% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. TGIC IMPORTERS BLUE REVIEWS BLUE REVIEWS 92 Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($40) Medium amber color ; generous toasted oak nose; silky and smooth with fresh vanilla and hints of coconut and lemon zest; creamy, clean and triple distilled; a Lowland malt that is part of the Suntory portfolio; mellow, balanced and elegant. CAMPARI AMERICA 94 Dalmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years ($85) Deep amber color ; enveloping aroma of malt and grain; creamy sweet vanilla and caramel plus smooth, toasty flavors and lovely rum butter ; toffee, burnt sugar and hints of sherry; rich and long, mellow and luscious. WHYTE & MACKAY LTD. 97 Dalmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years ($1,000) Dark and rich; lush and toasty with rich spice, dried orange and honey, flowers and spices—nutmeg and allspice; creamy texture and harmonious flavors; rich, hints of smoke and lovely depth. WHYTE & MACKAY LTD. 96 Glenfiddich Excellence 26 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($500) Don't let the pale color fool you; this is an explosion of lovely, intense, elegant flavors: dried fruits, sherry, vanilla, ginger and flowers; smooth, silky textured and soft- bodied with pure, precise style and a long, lingering finish. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS 93 Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($100) Matured in oloroso Sherry casks and American oak. Beautifully integrated flavors of white fruit with notes of cinnamon and allspice on a lingering, oak-laced finish. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS 95 Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($180) Finished in gran reserva Caribbean rum casks. Tropical fruit flavors with floral overtones and complex spice, wood and ginger notes on the lengthy finish. Superb. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS 97 Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve 1974 Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($800) Smooth and velvety on the palate; creamy and spicy with dried pears and light smoke; strawberries, vanilla and a long, feminine honeyed finish. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS 98 Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($27,000) Smoky, dusty, leather nose; tropical fruit, pineapple, spice, lush and creamy; smoke and spice. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS 92 Jura Brooklyn Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($75) A special edition of Jura blended by selected ar tisans in Brooklyn. Malty nose; smooth, lush and toasty with vanilla and oak; ripe and rich with lovely, mellow style. WHYTE & MACKAY LTD. 95 Talisker Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($66) Rich and rounded with creamy texture and lovely balance; deep and intense with a maritime slant; smooth, polished and elegant with a warm afterglow. DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES, it's time once again f or retailer s to stock up on some giftab le single malt Scotch whiskies. Here are notes and scores on a few that ha ve crossed m y desk recentl y, in a r ange of pr ices that spans the gam ut from affordable to astronomical. WORTHY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKIES Scotland Calling Baglio di Pianetto Sicilia, A Syrah-Merlot and forward plum and black TERRAVINO (CA)/VINVINO (NY)/ WINES LLC (OH)