Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
Publisher's In each issue THE TASTING PANEL's Publisher and Executive Editor, Meridith May, selects her favorite wines and spirits of the month. Check here for the latest arrivals in our offi ces, the hottest new brands on the market and an occasional revisited classic. WINES Kato 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($15) Ultra-fruity and, above all, fresh—with zippy melon and zingy lime. The grapefruit has a singing voice, and the typical Sauv Blanc mowed grass is restrained. A shadow of candied pineapple fi nishes the wonderland fl avors. 92 GOELET WINE ESTATES PICKS VGS Chateau Potelle 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($75) Think brandied cherries in an ink blotter, with a fi nish that's as structured as a new leather notebook. (See more on the new VGS Chateau Potelle in "Brief Encounters" on page 16.) 93 SPIRITS I really enjoyed co-hosting the Kahlúa Re-Awakening event in Sacramento. THE TASTING PANEL sponsored a bartending competition that also featured a coffee education program. Read about it on page 87! Hawk and Horse Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills–Lake County ($65) Imagine violets and roses arising out of red volcanic soils: it happens in this dusty red. A garden of blueberry is not far behind. It ends on some daring, gritty tannins with a lemon peel edge. A rare breed. 94 Worthy of a smooch. French-style double bizou. Wildly infatuated. Seriously smitten. Head over heels in love. Kimmel Vineyards 2007 Merlot, Mendocino County ($38) Refi ned, dignifi ed—this textured red goes beyond the fruit. It's a sleek performance Merlot with vino-dynamics. A Gold Medalist from the San Francisco International Wine Competition. score 94 42 / the tasting panel / november 201 1 Flight 69 Gin, USA ($27) Distilled from California wine grapes, this small-production, 80-proof spirit lifts off the nose with a sweet juniper. A persis- tent aromatic—and taste—of lavender is present, perfumed and entwined with raspberry and a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream, lending a smidgen of weight to the texture. This is a special sipping gin, but we know that, when mixed, it will be sinful. 92 Moraga 2007 Red ($125) Like a movie star behind black-out sunglasses, this red—which we would rather honor than score—may seem reserved and unapproachable: big, gritty, powdery tannins and a searing acidity. Its ink-dipped charcoal middle keeps you at bay. But give it time. The talent soon reveals itself: a larger-than- life magnifi cent demeanor with a broad smile of boysenberry and a strutting display of creamy new leather. PHOTO: JOZHN CURLEY