Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/16170
Luigi Bosca 2007 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($22) A single-vineyard Malbec from the high-elevation Lujan de Cuyo region within Mendoza, with dusty, easy tannins and a velvet texture. Although the fruit hails from 70-year-old vines, the high acidity leads you to think about a wine in its youth. Blackberry and chocolate-cherry finish in a sweet ripeness. 91 TESTA WINES OF THE WORLD Bodega del Fin del Mundo 2007 Special Blend Reserva, Patagonia, Argentina ($45) A Malbec blend, intense and tobacco-sweet with a backing of blackberry jam for an even more concentrated body. 92 GAUCHO IMPORTS Spirits Vesica Vodka, Poland ($14) Impactful: that’s what takes shape on the first sip of this Polish potato vodka. A round-up of clean flavor and a farmer’s garden of vegetables make for savory notes from its slick start to its slick finish. 90 ADAMBA IMPORTS Ultimat Vodka, Poland ($43) Unctuous and mouth-filling; subtle citrus and vanilla; lithely textured with a chewy rye finish. 94 Bakon Vodka, USA ($30) The smoky bacon nose is not at all contrived; in fact, it’s tempting as all get-out. The palate is just as authentic: clean and slightly sweet with a how- did-they-do-it authenticity. No heat at all, merely slightly peppered and delectable. 93 BLACK ROCK SPIRITS Don Ramón Platinum Tequila, Mexico ($60) Diverse nuances, from candy cane spearmint to fir tree, give this silver its mettle. A shadow of heat slowly dissipates, but the lingering anise, green pepper and dark berry stay to the finish. 92 DON RAMÓN TEQUILA Blackbeard Spiced Rum, Puerto Rico ($15) This Puerto Rican charmer is rich with spicy treasures: deep cinnamon and tobacco-tinged caramel for a start. Remote nuances of heather remind me of a single malt Scotch. Spiced apples send up a sweet, ripe note. Black pekoe tea and nougat make the finish a palatable sensation. 94 SERRALLÉS USA Pusser’s Rum Cream Liqueur ($25) On the nose, so many luscious aromas lead the band: a seamless stream of wafting black roasted coffee, milk chocolate and peanut brittle— and that’s just on the first pass. The flavor profile is surprisingly luxurious; a sumptuous-bodied cream that pretty much glides across the palate. Sip after sip, it’s textured richness and mellow rum foundation parades a dairy dream sequence of coffee, cream, caramel, cashew, peanut and chocolate. 93 SHAW-ROSS INTERNATIONAL IMPORTS