Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
CURVEBALL CHARDONNAY: Iron Horse Up at bat is Iron Horse 2006 Ocean Reserve (SRP $35), a 100% estate-grown Chardonnay sparkler from Sonoma's Green Valley AVA. The wine is teamed with the National Geographic Society and Iron Horse gives $4 from every bottle towards keeping oceans clean. In its second vintage, Sales Manager Jennifer Hallock tells THE TASTING PANEL that the winery just wrote a check towards this cause for $60,000, proving that this sparkler has been hitting it out of the park. The Call: Talia Tinari admires the "clean, crisp crabapple and peach pit palate with a refreshingly long, dry finish." Anthony Dias Blue score: 90 THE DOUBLE THREAT: Twentyfour Wines Rick Ruiz, Director of Operations for Napa Valley's Twentyfour Wines, says he met football star and winery proprietor Charles Woodson when he was with the Oakland Raiders (his number was 24), although the multi-talented baller now plays for the Packers (with number 21). The winery has been around for a decade, showcasing a portfolio of superstar Bordeaux variet- ies from the seven-acre Twentyfour Vineyard, just south of Calistoga in the Napa Valley. Their MVP is Twentyfour 2007 by Woodson (SRP $150). The Call: "Pretty amazing!" says CUT's Dana Farner. "Soft, plush and rich with red plums and black currant, the oak is well restrained. This is a super crowd-pleaser." Anthony Dias Blue score: 92 IN THE BIG LEAGUES: Amuse Bouche In this partnership with John Schwartz, winemaker extraordinaire Heidi Barrett makes a powerplay to create a Pomerol-style Merlot with 4% Cab Franc in the Amuse Bouche 2009 Napa Valley Red (SRP $225). This is big- league wine for big-league wine fans. The Call: "Chocolate and crisp berries, bright plums and a deeply lush and well balanced profile make this an MVP (Merlot Very Powerful)," says Anthony Dias Blue. "Clean dark fruit and lots of expensive oak," seems key to Dana Farner. Anthony Dias Blue score: 94 100 / the tasting panel / november 201 1