Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/97133
Most Down-to-Earth Most Thorough Ferrari-Carano 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Mountain Vineyards, Alexander Valley ($42) Yorkville Cellars 2009 Carmen��re, Yorkville Highlands ($32) While we may praise celebrities for being ���down-to-earth��� when they do things like (gasp!) buy their own groceries, in the wine world, a down-to-earth status indicates an unstoppable re���ection of terroir. Bringing the earth through to the glass with epic style is the Ferrari-Carano Reserve Cab, which relies on intensely-concentrated hand-harvested mountain fruit to add impressive depth and earthy nuance. A brooding wine aged 20 months in barrel and six months in bottle to result in concentrated ���avors that channel the best of California���s Alexander Valley. Charmed by its fragrant dusty cocoacherry nose, we are further ���dusted��� with plums and blackberries working their way through a textural experience. Back and forth from juicy to dusty, blackberry surges on the ���nish and doesn���t stop until is smoothes to a coffee ���nish with a hint of astringency and a dash more fruit skin. It���s easy to see that Yorkville Cellars takes the Bordeaux varieties seriously: At this organic vineyard, all eight of the major Bordelais grapes are grown and produced as varietal wines, giving each of the noble varieties a chance to shine. Even little-grown (in California, at least) Carmen��re gets its moment in the sun at Yorkville: Made from certi���ed organic grapes (Yorkville has 26 organic vintages under its belt, proving this is no chicseeking behavior) Yorkville Cellars Carmen��re is a ���awless expression of varietal fruit. This red gets extra smooches just for its sip-ability. A dreamy session of fruit-teasing weediness that was rather sexy in its alternate personality. Greatest Expectations Most Southerly Chard Ernie Els 2007 ���Signature��� Stellenbosch, South Africa ($95) Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2011 Chardonnay, Hemel-enAarde Valley, South Africa ($32) Talk about rising to the occasion: With Stellenbosch���s 2009 vintage reported as one for the record books, and exceptional grapes from that harvest producing some of South Africa���s most epic wines to date, Ernie Els���s ���Signature��� blend makes a hole in one. When the stakes are high, the winemaking team at Ernie Els takes after its golf-legend proprietor. This M��doc-style Bordeux blend seamlessly brings ���ve varieties together, proving that this is one wine that���s up to par. Coffee bean richness makes for a dense mouthfeel. The black fruit is teetering on tobacco and the ripe currants edge up to black olives. The hard-working tannins are softened by a creamy ���nish, which although dotted with pepper, goes on for miles. When we say this is a Southern Chard, we���re not talking fried chicken and grits! It doesn���t get much farther south than the southern tip of South Africa, where Hamilton Russell Vineyards is known for producing lovely Pinots and Chardonnays in the cool maritime Hemel-en-Aarde appellation. Founded in 1975, this is one familyowned winery that continues to develop its Southern charm���with a South African intonation, of course. Bright and juicy with lots of green apple and citrus; lush yet vibrant; consistently one of the best Southern Hemisphere Chards. VINEYARD BRANDS TERLATO WINES INTERNATIONAL december 2012 / the tasting panel / 139