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Best Attention to Detail Gran Dovejo Reposado Tequila, Mexico ($50) In the world of small-batch artisan-crafted tequila, no detail is too minute. From harvesting the perfect piñas to monitoring every stage of production, with premium tequila, the devil is in the details. Picking up details that wouldn't even register on most distilleries' radar is Gran Dovejo, a brand so attuned to the minutiae of its product that it even ferments its juice using champagne yeast while harmonious music plays in the background, a factor that optimizes the sugar conversion and gives way to smooth, super-tequilas. Gran Dovejo Reposado is aged in American oak for six-to- nine months, and only bottled once it is labeled perfection by Master Distiller Leopoldo Solis Tinoco. How alluring! Mango green tea on the nose sidles up to pineapple and lime-soaked agave. The tropical theme continues on the palate with a "pow" burst of fl avor. Sweet grilled pineapple, while black pepper accents the toffee middle. MENDEZ IMPORTS Most Hands-On Bainbridge Battle Point Organic Whiskey, USA ($47) For many, the thought of going into business with one's parents may seem unthinkable, but some family collabora- tions are so seamless that the magic must run in the genes. Bainbridge Organic Distillers is a father-son team that takes craft spirit distilling to the ultimate in artistry, with each step of the process overseen by the pair to ensure a quality that's hard to beat. Their Battle Point Organic Whiskey is a perfect refl ection its surroundings, made from wheat grown in Southern Washington, then small-batch distilled and matured in the salt-and-brine infl uenced Bainbridge Island air to combine for an all- organic homage to the Pacifi c Northwest—and to the power of family. Makes its fi rst point by offering a briny nose, leading to a sherry-like character. Its brilliant opening act is followed by heady orange peel and pekoe tea. Spice from the use of new American oak warms the palate and spreads evenly, with a dash of pepper and char on the fi nish. BAINBRIDGE ORGANIC DISTILLERS Most Unexpected Prats + Symington 2008 Chryseia, Douro, Portugal ($52) Like the popular jock who wows his peers by also winning a prestigious award for his Latin scholarship, the unfortifi ed dry wines coming out of the Douro Valley are a surprise to many who are primarily accustomed the region's port-ly charms. With prime Douro estates now producing some of the country's most celebrated varieties for use in table wines, Prats + Symington 2008 Chryseia has been a pioneer and prime example of all the ways non-fortifi ed wines continue to excel in the marriage of classic Portuguese and Bordeaux winemaking traditions. Made from 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Touriga Franca, Chryseia is aged 12 months in new French oak barrels, resulting in a powerful wine that pays homage to the country's traditions while also expressing that there's so much more to explore in the Douro. Bordeaux methods applied to Douro fruit; silky with elegant style and lovely fruit intensity; magical, complex and remarkable; an outstanding wine. PREMIUM PORT WINES Best Located Ancient Peaks 2009 Renegade, Margarita Vineyard, Paso Robles ($23) In the world of vineyards as in real estate, it's all about location, location, location. At Ancient Peaks Winery, a family-owned California operation with a single estate vineyard, the perfect location has given way to some of the best wines coming out of Paso Robles. The only vineyard in its vicinity, the Margarita Vineyard is uniquely situated 14 miles from the Pacifi c, where a marine microclimate leads to complex and balanced grapes—and wines. Renegade is a blend of 46% Syrah, 31% Malbec and 23% Petit Verdot, aged in a combination of French and American oak; the result is seamless and serious, proof that when you've got one great vineyard location, magical things can happen. A dusty maverick that rides in guns drawn, crowned in a hat of blackest ber- ries and sporting leather cherry leather chaps. It is, at its core, the heart of bold. WWW.ANCIENTPEAKS.COM december 201 1 / the tasting panel / 117