Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1399
90 Kendall-Jackson 2007 Vintner's Reserve Riesling, California ($12) Clean, bright and alive with peach, apricot and citrus fruit; California Riesling should taste like this. 89 Torres 2008 Sangre de Toro, Catalunya, Spain ($11) Clean, soft and juicy rosé (65% Garnacha Tinta, 35% Cariñena) with lovely strawberry fruit and vibrant acidity. DREYFUS ASHBY 90 Fantinel 2008 Pi- not Grigio, Friuli, Italy ($13) Smooth and creamy with a core of racy acid- ity; juicy, nervy and long with lovely structure and balance. DOMAINE SELECT WINE ESTATES 87 Black Box Wines 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, East Coast ($25/3 L.) Smooth and herbal with clean, soft fl avors and a bit of sweet- ness; fl oral, juicy and easy to quaff. CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. 88 Ravenswood 2007 Vintner's Blend Zinfandel, California ($10) Silky smooth and showing blackberry and sweet oak; juicy, balanced and lively; a perennial value. CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. I n a wine world in which everyone always seems to want more for less, the search seems endless. In the land of ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignons, the span stretches as far as the pocketbook can spend. From $30 to $300, there often seems to be little rhyme or reason how wineries price their releases. In late March, I tasted a large set of wines, most of which I found to be commercial and predictable. Not bad, not great—just boringly representative of the marketplace. Fortunately, one of the bright spots was the superbly structured and appealing Roth 2006 Cabernet Sa uvignon. Grown from fruit off the Lancaster Estate in the Alexander Valley—one of this varietal's best yet often overlooked AVAs (American Viticultural Areas)—it seemed to rise up, surpassing many other offerings at the ultra-premium level. A masterful Cabernet, this beautiful wine gushes forward with excellent black fruit fl avors that seem to practically explode in the glass. Very pretty from start to fi nish, its quality fruit pedigree is enhanced with sweet oak nuances. Talented winemaker Jennifer Higgins pushes this wine to the limit without losing its sense of balance and decorum. Tannins are sweet and soft, yet with plenty of stuffi ng to allow this current release to age over the next half dozen years. At $40 SRP, this wine is a star. For those interested in numeri- cal scores, I gave the Roth 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points. —Wilfred Wong, Cellarmaster, BevMo! A Stunning Story!