Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/21004
BLUE REVIEWS Balance Merlot, Valle de Rapel, Chile ($9) Lush and dense with smooth texture and showing ripe plum and hints of green herbs; juicy and fresh with depth, balance and a long finish. BANFI VINTNERS 88 NÎmes, France ($12) Smooth and minerally with clean, bright flavors of pear and spice; nice juicy acidity and 88 2007 Glen Ellen Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot, California ($10) Fresh and bright with juicy plum and mellow, smooth texture; lively, racy and clean with good length and balance. 88 THE WINE GROUP France ($10) Bright ruby color; fresh, juicy and showing crisp raspberry fruit and tangy acidity; charming, lively and quite quaffable; drink in the next few months. 87 Georges Duboeuf 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau, good balance; long and fresh. ROBERT KACHER SELECTIONS Concannon Vineyard Mas Carlot 2009 Costières de Viñedos Organicos Emiliana 2008 Eco Coast ($12) Creamy and smooth with ripe pear and fresh, juicy fruit; rich, balanced and layered; long, aromatic and stylish. 88 88 Sauvignon, Galilee, Israel ($15) Smooth and ripe with dense blackberry and chocolate; rich, jammy and showing vanilla oak and considerable power; balanced and long. Kosher. YARDEN, INC 89 Unfiltered 80 Vodka, Poland ($35) Silky and racy with lovely, graceful texture and subtle vanilla; elegant, balanced and spicy with a nice kiss of heat on the finish; stylish and classic. MOËT HENNESSY USA SPIRITS 93 Belvedere Intense ($30) Smooth and velvety with dense texture and lush vanilla; ripe and rich with creamy notes and a long finish. 92 AMBITION BEVERAGES Nouveau, France ($11) Deep ruby color; brambly and spicy nose; smooth, ripe and lush with black raspberry fruit and lots of appeal; tangy, bright and quite charming. 88 54 / the tasting panel / december 2010 Georges Duboeuf 2010 Beaujolais Villages Mexico ($70) Light amber color; spicy, peppery nose; smooth and smoky with agave spice and toasty oak; exotic and distinctive. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS 92 Ilegal Mezcal Reposado, Vision Vodka, USA AUSTIN HOPE Fetzer NV Pinot Noir, Pays d’Oc, France ($9) Smooth and juicy with bright cherry and racy acidity; fresh and attractive. BROWN-FORMAN Golan Heights Winery 2008 Cabernet 91 Liberty School 2008 Chardonnay, Central Tequila, Mexico ($80) Rich amber color; toasted agave nose; smooth, lush and elegant with sweet agave and caramel; spicy, rich, complex and long with richness and some heat; long and creamy. 90 HAPPY BOY DISTRIBUTORS Godiva Chocolate Vodka, USA ($30) Cacao nose; smooth texture and lush, natural chocolate flavor with depth and a long finish; sweet but not cloyingly so; very authentic and balanced; creamy texture and good length. DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA Amaro Nonino, Italy ($45) Bright, copper color; rich, herbal, spiced nose; sweet and creamy with orange peel and bitter herbal notes; lush and profound with complex flavors and a long, rich finish; this could be a revolutionary cocktail ingredient. TERLATO WINES INTERNATIONAL 96 Limitada Rum, Puerto Rico ($110) Aged 12 years; lovely, elegant nose with lightly toasted wood, dried pear and caramel notes; silky and off-dry with stylish, luscious flavors of honey and brown sugar; supple and with a long, elegant finish; complex and refined with layers of flavor and 94 remarkable depth. BACARDI USA Bacardi Reserva Nonino Quintessentia Don Elias Extra Añejo