Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/793596
march 2017 / the tasting panel / 73 94 Black Kite Cellars 2014 Pinot Noir, Gap's Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast ($60) Silky, juicy and elegant with bright cherry and raspberry fruit; tangy and complex with racy acidity and lovely texture; one of the better Pinots made from Bill Price's celebrated vineyard. 92 Eagle & Plow 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Cavalie Vineyard - Block 93, Horse Heaven Hills ($100) One-hundred percent of the revenues generated by this wine are donated to charities that serve American servicemen and women, their families and victims of tragic events. Dense and rich plum and spice; deep and elegant. MERCER ESTATES 94 Ehlers Estate 2013 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($110) From French owners Jean and Sylviane Leducq's Bordeaux- style estate in Napa Valley. Round plum and mellow berry fruit; elegant and lush with sweet vanilla oak and soft spices. IMPORTS 92 Carrick Wines 2015 Bannockburn Chardonnay, Central Otago, New Zealand ($25) Racy and fresh with tangy citrus and pear ; silky and pure with lively style and exuberant flavors. PACIFIC PRIME WINES 92 Donnafugata 2014 Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Italy ($40/375ml.) A lovely Muscat dessert wine from a volcanic island off Sicily. Burnished gold color ; spicy and sweet; rich, creamy and toasted with candied apricot and honey. FOLIO FINE WINE PARTNERS 94 Maximin Grünhäuser 2015 Riesling Superior Abtsberg, Mosel, Germany ($66) Stunning Riesling from this historic Ruwer estate. Generous stone fruit and citrus, minerals, soft spice and a ripe, sweet fruit with racy acidity. LOOSEN BROS. 92 Wakefield Wines 2015 Jaraman Shiraz, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Australia ($30) Exemplary McLaren Vale Shiraz. Mature blackberry and cherry fruit with notes of spice and vanilla oak. SEAVIEW IMPORTS 93 Marqués de Cáceres 2012 Gaudium, Rioja, Spain ($44) A prestige Tempranillo-Graciano blend from this celebrated winery. Intense, rich, tangy and showing earth; spice and finesse; clean, fine and elegant. VINEYARD BRANDS 91 Viña Hacienda Araucano 2011 Alka Carmenère, Colchagua, Chile ($52) Dark, dense style with deep flavors of plum, blackberry and spice; made by François Lurton of the famed French wine family; an impressive wine that minimizes Chile's green herbs and showcases instead ripe and attractive fruit. FRANÇOIS LURTON 93 Tasca d'Almerita Tenuta Regaleali 2011 Rosso del Conte, Sicilia Contea di Sclafani DOC, Italy ($70) Gobs of ripe black fruit and deep blackberry; lush and nicely structured; velvety and dense; complex and intense. 64% Nero d'Avola, 36% other local grapes from the Girato and Cozzo Ginestre vineyards. WINEBOW 92 Tenuta Santa Maria alla Pieve 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella, Italy ($90) Luscious blackberry and concentrated cassis; smooth and rich with tangy style; ripe and profound with power and intensity. GRAPES ON THE GO VALUE AND BY-THE-GLASS RECOMMENDATIONS 88 Faisão 2015 Vinho Verde, Portugal ($8) Charming, fresh and slightly pétillant; clean, lively and juicy with nicely rounded flavors and racy acidity. 40% Arinto, 30% Trajadura, 30% Loureiro. WINESELLERS LTD 88 Finca El Origen 2016 Torrontès Reserva, Salta, Argentina ($12) Aromatic and smooth nose; fresh and spicy with clean, tangy style; ripe and juicy; long and intense. CAROLINA WINE BRANDS 88 Pratsch 2015 Grüner Veltliner, Niederösterreich, Austria ($14) Clean, bright and juicy with a bit of spritz; dry, racy and showing minerals and lively crisp acidity; fresh and balanced. WINESELLERS LTD 89 Cannonball Winery 2014 Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($15) Fresh, tangy fruit; silky and ripe with juicy, lifted flavors; lively citrus and hints of toasty oak. An ideal by-the-glass Chard. 88 Layer Cake 2013 Primitivo, a.k.a. Zinfandel, Puglia, Italy ($16) Smooth and spicy with black raspberry fruit and earthy notes; ripe and juicy; balanced and long. ONE TRUE VINE 92 Atze's Corner Wines 2015 Estate Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia ($20) A real value Shiraz from old Barossa vines. Deep, dark and rich with ripe blackberry and spice; dense, meaty and lush. WINE TREES SPIRITS 92 Glass Vodka, USA ($33) Distilled from grapes; silky smooth and elegant with mellow, creamy style and vanilla fruit flavors; subtle, elegant and rich; rounded, full and long. GLASS DISTILLERY 93 Whistling Andy Pear and Pink Peppercorn Handcrafted Gin, USA ($25) Creamy and lush with smooth, mellow flavor that results from 15 botanicals; soft pear fruit and spice; long and smooth; rich and balanced. WHISTLING ANDY DISTILLERY 92