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2014 Yearbook MOST LIKELY TO START A REVOLUTION GIESEN WINE ESTATE 2011 THE AUGUST 1888 SAUVIGNON BLANC, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND ($45) S taying with the herd makes for a comfortable life in school, but it makes for incredibly boring existence, which is exactly why the Giesen Brothers—Theo, Alex and Marcel (who moved all the way from Germany to New Zealand back in 1981 in order to pursue their passion in the vineyard)—decided to break from the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc pack and produce a wine that defies what people have come to expect from the region's winemakers. They wanted a wine that showed just how multi-dimen- sional the region's Sauvignon Blanc could truly be. Named after their grandfather, August—who was a sommelier and the reason they decided to plunge into the world of wine (he was born in 1888)—Giesen's 2011 The August 1888 Sauvignon Blanc is made from low-yielding fruit (around one to one-and-a- half tons to the acre). The cool nights and sunny days of the region give the grapes an extended ripening period, after which the brothers hand-harvest the vines and whole-bunch press the grapes. Before being aged in French oak barrels, it is fermented using 100% wild yeast. After a nose of peach, warm dry herbs and hints dry spice, powerful, yet elegant fruit floods the palate, which exits in a persistent finish. If this is what revolution taste like, sign us up. Lush and full-bodied with intensity and depth; soft oak, spice and mellow citrus; smooth and creamy with a core of firm acidity. 92 —Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews EXTRA!, May 2014 giesen.co.nz BEST ONE TWO PUNCH RHUM CLÉMENT VIEUX AGRICOLE SELECT BARREL ($30) AND DAMOISEAU VSOP RHUM VIEUX ($42) W hen trying to introduce consumers to a category they might not know much about, sometimes a one-two punch provides a leg up. Such is the case with Rhum Clément Vieux Agricole and Damoiseau VSOP Rhum Vieux, two power-packed entries into the rhum agricole category that are helping consumers think outside of rum with a legacy of tradition and a commitment to innovation. With more than 70 years of history producing rhum from pure, aromatic-free estate- grown sugarcane juice on the island of Guadeloupe, Damoiseau VSOP Rhum Vieux is aged at least four years in re-charred oak bourbon casks, resulting in a deep mahogany color and long, smooth finish. Today, Damoiseau is the first authentic Guadeloupe Rhum Agricole in the U.S., helping diversify and further explore this burgeoning category. On sister island Martinique, Rhum Clément also taps some of the world's best sug- arcane, consistently producing some of the best agricole in the world. Its newest entry, also designed to help further the category as a whole, is Clément Select Barrel, an off-dry agricole that's versatile as both a sipper and star in cocktails. Clément Rhum Vieux Agricole offers deep amber color; tasty oak nose with silky texture; smooth, spicy and dray; clean, fresh and balanced. 92 —Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews, June 2014 Damoiseau VSOP Rhum Vieux offers ripe oranges on the nose when a floral sugariness chimes in. A brilliant sunshine of honeyed tangerines and Valencia oranges are strengthened by the taste of white slower petals, jasmine and summer peaches. Complex 84 proof. 94 —Meridith May, Publisher's Picks, January 2014 www.rhumclementusa.com www.damoiseaurhum.com 126 / the tasting panel / december 2014