The Tasting Panel magazine

July 2015

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82  /  the tasting panel  /  july 2015 PICKS In each issue THE TASTING PANEL's Publisher and Editorial Director, Meridith May, selects her favorite wines and spirits of the month. Check here for the latest arrivals in our offices, the hottest new brands on the market and an occasional revisited classic. Worthy of a smooch. French-style double bizou. Wildly infatuated. Seriously smitten. Head over heels in love. PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG Publisher's WINES The White Knight 2014 Pinot Grigio, Lodi ($12) Lean in for the lemon custard and honeysuckle aromas, this steady white is armed with some fancy scents and flavors. The lemon pith and vanilla custard continues its ride on the palate, honing in on almond peel and a juicy weightiness that adds to its vitality. White flowers line the path for a surface of tangerine oil on wet stone. Begs for shellfish. 92 THE OTHER GUYS The White Knight 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Lodi ($12) Grapefruit sweetness, not tart, and summer melon are the first hints that this wine has a special persona. Floral cherry blos- soms on the nose and on the steely palate perform gracefully and crisply. So unique, you know it's a Sauvignon Blanc: It has the sensibilities of its global heritage without being type-cast. 92 THE OTHER GUYS Vista da Régua 2013 Caráter, Douro DOC, Portugal ($17) The garnet-purple hue illuminates the glass while blueberries and equally bright floral notes meet the nose. Ripe, sweet plums and a wreath of rasp- berry, rhubarb, brush and peppered tobacco adorn the palate. Coffee tannins are washed with each sip by blueberry compote. The blend is 30% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 25% Tinta Roriz and 20% Tinta Barroca. 94 SAN FRANCISCO WINE EXCHANGE Wente Vineyards Small Lot Viognier, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County ($25) Buoyant, fresh and blessed with pineapple acidity, this plump, juicy, tart Viognier is sunshine pretty. Only 16 barrels produced. Flecks of honey and vanilla take turns with white flowers and tropical crispness. This is a tasting room–only wine but worth getting your hands on. 91 WENTE FAMILY ESTATES Lincourt 2013 Pinot Noir, Lindsay's Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills ($30) Heather, brush, cedar and blackberry bramble are some of the amazing aromatics that precede a palate of wild flowers and eucalyptus. Spiced with clove, black pepper and dried cranberries, visions of autumn leaves, tobacco and baking spices emerge alongside a decent tannic structure. 94 FOLEY FAMILY WINES Louis M. Martini 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($34) Ripe, lush red fruit—a berry leather effect, sweetened by red licorice and cedar-cocoa. Juicy, satiny red fruit shines through the dry, min- eral rich tannins. 89% Cab Sauv/11% Merlot left unfined and aged in a combination of new and used French, American and Hungarian oak for 14 months. 92 E&J GALLO Meridith May photographed at Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles, CA.

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