The Tasting Panel magazine

March 2018

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64  /  the tasting panel  /  march 2018 BLUE REVIEWS 88 Madison Ridge 2017 Banker's Lane Chardonnay, Riverina, Australia ($13) Fresh fruit nose; silky and fresh with smooth, balanced flavors; tangy and bright; long and clean. WINE TREES USA 88 Cambridge Cellars 2016 Cambridge & Sunset Merlot, California ($14) Polished, ripe, and plummy; rich and balanced; dense with a lengthy finish. WINE TREES USA 88 Infamous Goose 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($14) Smooth, tangy, and citrusy from low-fertility soil in the Wairau River Valley; concentrated and lively with minerals and bright acidity. 90 The Seeker 2016 Pinot Noir, France ($14) Produced by a tenth- generation family winery with grapes from the Puy de Dôme and Méditerranée regions. Bright and fresh with notes of cherry and savory spice; clean and vigorous. KOBRAND CORP. 88 River Road Family Vineyards & Winery 2016 Chardonnay, Sonoma ($15) Glossy and ripe with fresh fruit and vanilla notes; precise, balanced, and long. 88 Scotto Cellars 2016 Anthony & Dominic Chardonnay, North Coast ($15) Silken, juicy texture with notes of citrus from winemaker Paul Anthony Scotto; bright with balance and length. 89 Bodega Aniello 2017 006 Riverside Estate Pinot Noir, Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina ($17) Tangy and lively with crisp acidity and racy cherry fruit; bright and refreshing. GLOBAL VINEYARD IMPORTERS 91 Niro 2015 Montepulciano, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC ($18) Deep ruby color with a spicy, berry-tinged nose; creamy and lush with earth, spice, and rich blackberry fruit; lean and charming. PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL 90 Wittmann 2016 100 Hills Pinot Blanc Dry, Rheinhessen, Germany ($18) Smooth, minerally, and dry with racy acidity; crisp and fresh. Produced on a Biodynamic estate by a family with a winemaking history dating back to the 17th century. LOOSEN BROS. USA 90 Silkbush Mountain Vineyards 2016 Viognier, Breedekloof, South Africa ($20) Sumptuous with ripe tropical fruit and clean style; silky and juicy with balance and good length. HERITAGE LINK BRANDS SPIRITS 96 Bowmore Vintner's Trilogy 26 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky French Oak Barrique, Scotland ($540) Deep amber color with a smoky, spicy nose; toasty with sweet vanilla notes and a silky texture; complex, long, and rich. An exceptional spirit aged 13 years in bourbon barrels followed by 13 years in wine barriques. BEAM SUNTORY 93 El Tesoro 80th Anniversary Edition 8 Year Old Extra Añejo Tequila, Mexico ($200) Rich, earthy agave nose and medium golden color ; smooth and full-bodied. Its smoky complexity requires it be sipped on the rocks, not in a cocktail. 93 Low Gap Rye Whiskey, USA ($75) Fluid, toasty nose; lush flavors of rye, vanilla, and oak with sweet hints of caramel; deep, balanced, and lovely with a lengthy finish. Cellared in both new and used American oak barrels, used French Limousin oak barrels, and used port barrels. CRAFT DISTILLERS 94 Pikesville 6 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey, USA ($50) Medium amber hue; sle„ and toasted with lush rye flavors and vanilla, caramel, and floral notes; elegant and rich with mellow style. 110 proof. 96 The Last Drop 1971 Blended Scotch Whisky, Scotland ($3,999) Notes of dried fruits, soft herbs, and smoke with rich, generous flavors; intense, layered, and matured to perfection; rare and allocated. SAZERAC COMPANY 93 The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland ($28) Smoky nose; rich, smooth, and toasted with sweet oak and alluring spices; opulent, deep, and long. Distilled in copper pots, this is one of the best Irish whiskies I've tasted. PROXIMO SPIRITS

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