Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/430172
december 2014 / the tasting panel / 123 Caiarossa 2008 Tuscany, Italy LYRA WINE Calcareous Vineyards 2010 "Lloyd" Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles Calera 2011 Pinot Noir, Reed Vineyard, Mt. Harlan Carabella Vineyards 2010 Dijon 76 Estate Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains Carrick Wines 2013 Bannockburn Riesling, Central Otago, New Zealand BOUTIQUE WINE COLLECTION Charles Heintz 2012 Syrah, Charles Heintz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Château du Moulin à Vent 2009 Moulin-à-Vent Clos de Londres, France WILSON DANIELS Château Eugénie 2011 Cahors Haute Collection, France THE WINE COMPANY Château Eugénie 2011 Cahors Cuveé Réservée de l'Aïeul, France THE WINE COMPANY Château La Reyne 2011 Cahors L'Excellence, France Château Lassegue 2005 Lassègue Saint Émilion Grand Cru, France JACKSIN FAMILY WINES Chryseia 2011 Douro DOC, Portugal PREMIUM PORT WINES Clos de la Tech 2009 Pinot Noir, Domaine Lois Louise, Santa Cruz Mountains Clos de la Tech 2009 Pinot Noir, Domaine Valeta Sunny Slope, Santa Cruz Mountains Clos de la Tech 2009 Pinot Noir, Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge, Santa Cruz Mountains Clos de la Tech 2009 Pinot Noir, Domaine du Docteur Rodgers, San Francisco Bay Coup de Foudre 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Coup de Grâce 2011 Lodi VINTAGE POINT CRU Wine Company 2012 Vineyard Montage Chardonnay, Monterey County MARIPOSA WINE COMPANY Cuvaison 2012 Spire Pinot Noir, Carneros CVNE 2006 Viña Real Rioja Gran Reserva, Spain MICHAEL SKURNIK WINES Jean-Claude Dagueneau 2012 Pouilly Fumé Domaine des Berthiers, France VINEYARD BRANDS MOST ARTISTIC KENWOOD VINEYARDS 2010 CABER- NET SAUVIGNON, ARTIST SERIES, SONOMA COUNTY ($75) W e all remember those tortured artist types in high school: misunderstood, individualistic and typically not very "in" with the popular kids. Fortunately, we grow out of this phase and learn to cherish the unique things in life. For the last 36 years, the Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series has embraced this value and has remained the ultimate expression of artistry and fine winemak- ing—no tortured spirit (or wine) here! Entitled "Sonoma Serenity," the 2010 Kenwood Vineyards Artist Series' exclusive new label artwork by Keith Wicks harnesses the purity and energy of light, even as it dances in shadow. The majority of the Cabernet Sauvignon blend was produced from Kenwood's Sonoma Valley Estate, resulting in an excellent, full-bodied wine with complex flavors and an elegant finish. Slowly ripening until October's harvest, the grapes were picked at the peak of flavor to be carefully crushed, fermented and aged for two years in French oak barrels—this is an expression that you'll never forget. The wine is expressive and spirited, fragranced with chocolate, plum and cassis. Brandied cherries and cinnamon hang out on the upper palate for the entire ride. Enormous in stature, but lush and balanced; generous without greed, its flow of flavors, from sweet tobacco to black licorice, give note to a wine that will age with grace. 95 —Meridith May, Publisher's Picks, October 2014 www.kenwoodvineyards.com MOST LIKELY TO EXPLODE ONTO THE SCENE BRASSFIELD ESTATE 2012 "ERUPTION," HIGH VALLEY, LAKE COUNTY ($19) A s the old adage goes: Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you more flavorful. Well, that's not actually verbatim, but it fits perfectly if you happen to be a wine—just taste the 2012 "Eruption" from Brassfield Estate Winery and you will understand what we mean. In the High Valley appellation of California's North Coast, the vines that produce the grapes for the 2012 Eruption fight for survival in the raw and remote volcanic soil, producing rich, bold and deeply textured flavors. Handcrafted by Consulting Winemaker David Ramey—using the Old World, artisan techniques that he utilized when he helped usher in modern California wine—this hedonistically rich red blend is 100% estate-grown, -produced and -bottled, and fermented without filtration in small lots, using native yeast. The intense yet elegant flavors, stemming from the stress put on the grapes, certainly do the wine's name justice. The chalk-like tannins and lean lines of stoniness are evident from Volcano Ridge Vineyard at 2,200 feet above sea level on the eastern end of High Valley. The wine was blended early from Syrah, Malbec, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah, and bottled without filtration. The eruption does indeed com- mence with the first sip: a flow of black fruit, coffee beans, currants, red berries and a nice touch of cherries dipped in cocoa powder. A definitive black pepper thread runs throughout the juicy, texturally satin, concentrated mouthfeel. 92 —Meridith May, Publisher's Pick, October 2014 www.brassfieldestate.com