Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/8594
Publisher’s Wine 92 91 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 occa- sional revisited classic. 89 PICKS Peju 2006 Fifty/Fifty, Napa Valley ($85) Chocolate and plums make for an opulent, showy red from sustainably farmed fruit; earthy and dark. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Longoria Wines 2007 Tempranillo, Clover Creek Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley ($36) With a nose of violets and the sweetest of ripe stone fruit and boysenberry; searing acidity is matched with a briary palate of spiced oak and rich, creamy dark fruit and a cacao-minty base. + Dusted Valley Vintners 2007 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley ($28) Dusty indeed! White-pepper speckled throughout balanced with jammy dark fruit and lavender; bright acidity makes for a juicy fi nish although it ends lean, mean and food-worthy. Mendoza, Argentina ($14) Creamy, soft and round; the blackest berries and sweet cherry combine to form an elegant sip. Value-plus here! From high- altitude vineyards. 90 92 58 / the tasting panel / april 2010 GALLO Groom Estate 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia ($19) Fragrant melon—honey- dipped and lemon-scented—in an underlying zingy, stony-edged base with subtle lime-slate. MARSCHALL GROOM CELLARS Don Miguel Gascón 2008 Malbec, 90 90 Nobilo 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Icon, Marlborough, New Zealand ($22) This youthful entry slices orange zest and perky white grapefruit into a creamy base with zippy, maybe even searing, acidity. CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. Spirits 93 Medea Vodka ($40) Rare notes of heather, fl oral and linen come through on the nose from this new grain-based Dutch vodka. With a conspicuous body weight and a round opulence, this surprising newcomer glides to an apricot nectar fi nish line. Stunning packaging with a programmable electronic display. FSJ IMPORTS 360 Cola Vodka ($29) Chill it straight for that iced cola charm or mix it—it works with candied ginger, cherry purée and other inspired ingredients. We like that it’s not sweet but leaves a zippiness behind, and love the underlying smoothness of this eco-friendly vodka. MCCORMICK DISTILLING