Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
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 VML Winery 2010 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley ($25) WInemaker Virginia Marie Lambrix conjures a soulful white, drenching the palate in a textured fi lm of lemon and peach cream, backed by gemstone minerality. 93 Meridith May with Maximilian Riedel, 11th generation glassware designer. Photo taken at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills. La Fenêtre 2010 Chardonnay, À Coté, Santa Barbara County ($19) Winemaker Joshua Klapper gets it right: Steely and wonderfully refreshing, the sharply spiced fruit is awake and alive, glass slippers on stone with a fresh, fl eshy underbelly that offers up lime and lemon peels. Finishes clean, in a scent not unlike freshly washed linens. 93 MONTEREY BAY WINE COMPANY Summers Winery 2008 Chardonnay, La Nude, Monterey County ($28) Creamy, with defi ned tropical fruit (pine- apple and mango!) and a crisp fi nish that most whites only aspire to. 92 Worthy of a smooch. French-style double bizou. Wildly infatuated. Seriously smitten. Head over heels in love. 46 / the tasting panel / april 2012 Michael David 2010 Earthquake Zinfandel, Lodi ($26) Trembling with density and black as pitch, this licorice-lined Zin opens up to dark cherries, dessert spices (clove, nutmeg, cinnamon) woven in earth. 92 PICKS Lava Cap Winery 2009 American River Red Celebrated Cuvée, El Dorado ($18) A blend of cherry sweetness and bitter espresso shot. Textured with creamy soil-toffee smokiness and a touch of mint on the back, along with mountain sage. The Syrah/Merlot/Cab Franc and Zin blend is surely a celebration. 89 Curtis Winery 2009 Mourvèdre, Santa Barbara County ($25) Animal notes, musky and alluring, softened by a round mouth. Almost Pinot Noir-esque in its delicacy and ethereal beauty. 90 FOLEY FAMILY WINES Shai Cellars 2009 Adome, Santa Ynez Valley ($34) Topline of ripe fruit, wrapped in mocha. This blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Cab Sauv defi nes Santa Ynez's focus and lush drinkability—it's a true gift (Shai is Hebrew for "gift"). 94 Sausal Winery 2009 Zinfandel, Century Vines, Alexander Valley ($40) A wine can be described as velvet not only for its textural but for its sensorial qualities. In this case, a warming effect occurs as we wrap our palate in this old-vine Zin's plush plum-to-blueberry quilt. We can't help but express the sensation with "Ahhhh" at every sip. 95 PHOTO: ERICA BARTEL