The Tasting Panel magazine

June 2016

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42  /  the tasting panel  /  june 2016 Jekel Vineyards 2014 Riesling, Monterey ($14) A marching band of ripe stone fruits, Meyer lemon and orange blossoms follows the minerally asphalt (perceived on the nose) upon which the band treads. Finishes sort of dry and certainly soft. Bill Jekel is pretty much the main man responsible for putting Monterey on the map. The label honors the cool Monterey area, and for all these reasons, I will honor this wine! 89 MartÍn Codax 2014 Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain ($13.99) Yellow apple, pear, green almond play against the bright acid. Excellent value. Clean, modern design. I recently tasted through a great deal of Albariño, and this packaging stood out from the others. Traditional and modern, all at once. 89 89 Baixas, almond Clean, recently this from and "it's usually the pack- aging that hooks us, then it's up to the wine to keep us on the hook." FEATURED RETAILER GURU This month I spoke with Elizabeth Kelso, a Sommelier and Retail Wine Specialist at Wally's in Beverly Hills. I met Elizabeth recently at our Somm Camp in Paso Robles and soon realized she possessed a wit as clever as her palate. Elizabeth is a Los Angeles native who was introduced to wine during college, and has never turned back. Her passion for all things fine food, wine and cocktail related has paved the way toward pursuing her Advanced Sommelier pin through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and she is currently continuing to develop an integrated staff education program for Wally's. "For me, so much of wine salesmanship and stewardship is about storytelling and bringing the wine to life in the mind of the guest," Elizabeth says. "The first sort of insight a guest has into the story of a wine is through the packaging. In that sense, I think it's a very important tool for both the producer and the sommelier/salesperson—it creates a first impression on which to build an experience and an understanding." Chanin 2012 "Los Alamos" Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara ($50) Gavin Chanin's Central Coast Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay all feature one of his own colorful and abstract paintings on the label. As a UCLA Fine Art major, he would spend each harvest in the Central Coast under the tutelage of Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist, and ultimately combined his talents of painting and wine with his own Chanin wine project. High-toned red fruits like red cherry and red currant dominate the nose of this wine, and are backed by notes of anise, smoky dried tobacco leaf, and savory dried herbs. Subtle but long-lived tannins round out the finish of this lean, light and precise Pinot. The labels are pretty to look at and the wine is just as pretty on the palate. 95 —Elizabeth Kelso REVEL WINES Weingut Knoll 2014 Grüne Veltliner Loibner Federspiel, Wachau, Austria ($30) One of Austria's most renowned and historic estates, Knoll represents immense quality and value, and the labels stand out among its Austrian peers on the shelf (so does the wine inside!). St. Urban, or Urban of Langres, the decked out guy on the front, is the patron saint of vineyards and wine workers. His flashy outfit almost dares you to give these wines a try, and you won't be disappointed. Bright, crisp and refreshing notes of green apple skin, underripe pineapple and honeydew rind are met with subtle hints of white pepper and sweet soft herbs. Light-bodied, dry and perfectly balanced, this wine is perfect for a summer afternoon tipple. In the words of Danny DeVito (whom I served this wine to once), "Who doesn't wanna party with that guy?!" 94 —E. K. VANCE ERICKSON/THE SOURCE/CIRCO VINO IMPORTS Elizabeth Kelso. it's a very important very important very a first Chardonnay As a Coast dominate round to Kelso WINES For info on submitting samples, email jabs@sommjournal.com. Smargd is pictured but the Federspiel label is otherwise very similar.

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