Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/430172
132 / the tasting panel / december 2014 2014 Yearbook Thralls Family Cellars 2012 Pinot Noir, Bucher Vineyard, Russian River Valley Three Sticks 2011 The James Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills Torbreck 2009 The Pict Mataro, Barossa Valley Australia WINE CREEK IMPORTS Torbreck 2011 The Struie Shiraz, Barossa Valley Australia WINE CREEK IMPORTS Torbreck 2009 The Descendant, Barossa Valley Australia WINE CREEK IMPORTS Torbreck 2009 RunRig Shiraz, Barossa Valley Australia WINE CREEK IMPORTS Torres 2009 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Mas La Plana, Penedès, Spain DREYFUS, ASHBY Trapiche 2010 Terroir Series "Ambrosia" Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina THE WINE GROUP Truchard Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Carneros, Napa Valley Celler Vall Llach 2010 Porrera Vi de Vila, Priorat, Spain FOLIO FINE WINE PARTNERS Vie 2011 Syrah, White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara County Villa San-Juliette 2010 Estate Merlot, Paso Robles Villa San-Juliette 2011 "Chorum" Red, Paso Robles Villa San-Juliette 20120110 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles VML 2012 "Earth" Barrel Selection Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley TRUETT-HURST Wakefield Wines 2009 The Visionary Cabernet Sauvignon, Clare Valley, Australia AMERICAN WINE DISTRIBUTORS Robert Weil, 2013 Riesling Spätlese Kiedrich Gräfenberg, Rheingau, Germany LOOSEN BROS. USA J. Wilkes 2013 Pinot Blanc, Santa Maria Valley Williams Selyem 2011 Pinot Noir, Eastside Road Neighbors, Russian River Valley The Class of 2014 Spirits 1800 Tequila Milenio Extra Añejo Tequila, Mexico PROXIMO SPIRITS 7 Sirens White Rum, Trinidad & Tobago PREMIUM RUM 79 Gold Caramel Spirit, USA JOMADA IMPORTS Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels, USA LOUISVILLE DISTILLING CO. Auchentoshan Virgin Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Triple Distilled, Scotland BEAM SUNTORY Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky American Oak, Scotland BEAM SUNTORY Aviv 613 Vodka, Israel TZVAT SPIRITS OF ISRAEL Bainbridge Battle Point Organic Whiskey, USA BAINBRIDGE ORGANIC DISTILLERS Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur, USA SERRALLÉS USA Bayou Rum Silver, USA LOUISIANA SPIRITS LLC Berentzen Bushel & Barrel, Germany BERENTZEN USA Bib & Tucker Bourbon Whiskey, USA 35 MAPLE STREET SPIRITS Blackwell Rum, Jamaica BLACKWELL RUM Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum, Barbados FISHBOWL SPIRITS Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum, Barbados FISHBOWL SPIRITS Blue Label Vodka Ultra Premium Vodka Original, Poland BLUE LABEL VODKA Bluewater Organic Vodka, USA BLUEWATER ORGANIC DISTILLING Bluewater Halcyon Organic Gin, USA BLUEWATER ORGANIC DISTILLING MOST EXOTIC BOSCHENDAL 2012 APPELLATION SERIES PINOT NOIR, ELGIN, SOUTH AFRICA ($45) S ome foreign exchange students perfectly encapsulate the stigmas from their motherland—the Italians who only eat pizza and that girl from France who lives in her beret—but then there comes along that person who makes you second guess their citizenship. They truly are an enigma. Meet Boschendal's 2012 Appellation Series Pinot Noir. You heard correctly: a Pinot Noir from South Africa—Elgin Valley to be exact. Located in the Western Cape, these cool-climate vineyards are planted in a mix of heavy red clays, sandstone, shale and quartz. The vines receive coastal breezes from the Atlantic, causing the grapes to ripen slowly and produce a broad spectrum of complex flavors. These conditions create a small pocket where Pinot Noir can thrive, one of the very few in all of the country. Silky and spicy with bright wild cherry and elegant notes of earth and spice; juicy and tangy, bright and lovely. 92 —Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews, July 2014 MOST TALKATIVE ORPHAN BARREL WHISKEY DISTILLING CO. OLD BLOWHARD ($150) AND RHETORIC ($85) W hile some whiskeys aren't able to live up to the hype, these two Kentucky bourbons speak volumes, talking the talk and walking the walk all over the palate. Rhetoric, a self-described "evolving exploration in bourbon maturation," is designed to get tongues wagging, as each year a newly-released and increasingly aged offering will roll out, opening the door for side-by-side tastings that invite conversation about the influence of charred American oak aging. Old Blowhard, meanwhile blusters in, and you'd better move quickly to catch him: Only a very small amount of this 26-year-old whiskey has been made available to the public, so if you want to taste its story, you'd better move fast. Rhetoric offers dark amber color; smooth toasted vanilla nose; smooth and rich with vanilla oak and notes of mellow rye and a lush finish that features chocolate and soft spices; balanced and lush. 93 – Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews, November 2014 Old Blowhard has a deep amber color; smooth and creamy with toasted oak; sweet caramel and lush texture; silky with honey notes and a long, smooth finish. 93 –Anthony Dias Blue, Blue Reviews, March 2014