Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/430172
december 2014 / the tasting panel / 121 The Class of 2014 Wines Adobe Road Winery 2013 Paso Robles MIDDLETON FAMILY WINES Alder Springs 2012 Apex 39, Mendocino Aleksander Wine 2010 Paso Robles S&G ESTATE Amici Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Morisoli Vineyard, Rutherford Antiyal 2012 Maipo Valley, Chile GLOBAL VINEYARD Tenuta di Arceno 2008, Strada al Sasso Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy JACKSON FAMILY WINES Arteis & Co 2002 Brut Champagne Extra Blanc de Blancs, France FRUIT OF THE VINES Barrel Head Cellars 2010 Sailor's Grave Napa Valley Barsol NV Perfecto Amor Aperitif Wine, Peru ANCHOR DISTILLING Black Kite Cellars 2010 Angel Hawk Pinot Noir, KItes Rest Vineyard, Anderson Valley Bodega Garzón 2012 Tannat, Garzón, Uruguay BLENDS Bodegas Dios Baco NV Elite Amontillado, Sherry-Jerez-Xeres, Spain CIV(USA) Boschendal 2012 Appellation Series Pinot Noir, Elgin, South Africa PACIFIC HIGHWAY WINES & SPIRITS Brandlin Vineyards 2011 Henry's Keep, Proprietary Red Wine, Mount Veeder CUVAISON Brassfield Estate 2012 Eruption, Volcano Ridge Vineyard, High Valley Browne Family Vineyards 2011 Merlot, Columbia Valley PRECEPT WINE Buglioni 2007 l'Amarone Riserva, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy WILSON DANIELS CADE 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley MOST RACY STYLE TALLEY VINEYARDS 2012 CHAR- DONNAY, ROSEMARY'S VINEYARD, ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY ($48) T his single-vineyard bottling sends us straight to the very white, rocky sandstone and loamy soils that make up Rosemary's Vineyard—we can even smell the salt air, as the vineyard is mere miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Three generations of the Talley family have farmed vineyards in southern San Luis Obispo County, and Rosemary's Vineyard, which is named after owner Brian Talley's mother, was planted back in 1982 and has consistently produced stellar crops. The 2012 vintage was one of those rare years where both quality and yield were exceptional, thanks to excellent spring weather. Yields were roughly 20 percent above average, and the resulting wines are elegant and balanced—and with less than 400 cases available, our advice is to stock up! Fresh, elegant and precise with bracing acidity and lovely Burgundian style; racy and minerally with finesse and vivid style. 93 —Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews EXTRA!, August 2014 www.talleyvineyards.com F orget the Homecoming Queen and her white-gloved wave to the crowd: This year, we were all about the sultry appeal of the newcomer, who's dark and mysterious appeal was the talk of the town. With a name that oozes sex appeal and an unforgettable profile, this is one wine that made 2014 a year to remember. Meet Ménage à Trois Midnight, the latest release from the grocery-aisle favorite brand that's finding new friends to entice with a hint of bad-girl appeal. The deepest and darkest expression from the Ménage à Trois family, Midnight is a feisty California red blend (44% Merlot, 42% Cab, 11% Petite Sirah, 3% Petit Verdot) that offers intense complexity and bold dusky aromas. Ripe blackberry mingles with plush plum, while mocha and exotic spices seduce the tongue. Let's face it: Midnight has sex appeal in spades. While we're smitten with Midnight, Ménage à Trois proved it had other tricks up its sleeve in 2014, with the release of a bright and bubbly Prosecco (we'll dub her this year's Bubbliest) and a no-holds-barred vodka (in Citrus, Berry or Straight, it's 2014's Best Category-Crosser). With friends like these, 2015 is shaping up to be quite the year indeed! Drink this blind and you will attest to a waaay more expensive sip. From its dark black-cherry mocha to its deep descent into blackberry and plum, this blend nails it with witching-hour inten- sity. Mid-palate comes a parade of blueberries and violets: creamy, velvet-textures fruit-and-floral tones that create an ideal balance of acidity, depth and mouth-filling juciness. 92 —Meridith May, Publisher's Picks, September 2014 www.menageatroiswines.com MOST LIKELY TO MAKE FRIENDS AFTER DARK MÉNAGE À TROIS 2012 MIDNIGHT DARK RED BLEND, CA ($14)