The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2015

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80  /  the tasting panel  /  september 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. Publisher's WINES The White Knight NV Prosecco DOC, Italy ($15) This Treviso- produced brut sparkler perfumes the air with lemon flowers and honey. Feather-light bubbles turn creamy on first touchdown and an echo of the lemon flowers persists on the palate, washing it with a bright minerality. 90 THE OTHER GUYS WINES House of Mandela 2009 Royal Reserve Chardonnay, Elgin, South Africa ($30) Sweet cream and orange blossoms bless the nose and palate. An edgy minerality is regal and a lemon zest its crown of light. There's an abundance of vitality in this wine. Long live the '09! 90 ARCTIC WINES Clos du Bois 2013 Calcaire Chardonnay, Russian River Valley ($40) Succulent honey-on-stone leaves a distinctive mineral sweetness on the palate from this 100% barrel- fermented and sur lie–aged favorite. Chewy, body with oomph and other texturally notable characteristics make this wine alluring. 95 CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. Silver Trident Winery 2014 "Symphony No. 9" Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($28) Tropical cream, lemon peel and pineapple acidity is a superb start for this glorious white from winemaker Kari Auringer. The juice glides on the palate like an ice skater with outstanding balance and a lithe body. 92 Bodegas Batán de Salas de Beroz 2013 Syrah, DO Somontano, Spain ($15) Luxuriously textured – the grape and plum juiciness sifts through the teeth and pours on the tongue. Mocha- blueberry and juniper lift in the middle and powdered violet tannins play a role in offering an on-going fragrance without fading to the finish. A modern wine from the foothills of the Pyrenees. 93 VINAMERICAS Jackhammer 2013 Pinot Noir, Central Coast ($15) This wine is round and lithe—the approach is far from a jackhammer. Its raspberry- cherry is fragrant and light, and seems to "float" on the palate. A fine acidity and sunshine bright fruit finishes with a splash of earthy cola. The grapes are sourced from Monterey (75%), Edna Valley (12%), Paso Robles (10%) and San Luis Obispo (3%). 90 GARBER & CO. Gascón 2012 Reserva Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($25) How broad and generous this purple-black wine appears! Its perfume of violets and ripe plum, its plush body and chocolate- seasoned berries are an energetic match with coffee-dry tannins. Fruit sourced from high elevations in the Uco Valley and Agrelo districts of Mendoza, and aged 15 months in oak, the Malbec (with 6% Petit Verdot) possesses a keep-coming-back-for- more meaty deliciousness. 92 E&J GALLO

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