Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/49694
Most Sophisticated Destiny Bay Vineyards 2007 Magna Praemia, Waiheke Island, New Zealand ($275) Like a Prom Queen whose sparkly dress wows everyone in sight as she gracefully twirls on the dance fl oor, Destiny Bay's Magna Praemia is an easily-spotted stunner, offering a level of poise and sophistication that belies the young winery's years. A small, single vineyard winery that special- izes in estate-grown and -bottled red blends on New Zealand's picturesque Waiheke Island, Destiny Bay offers world-class terroir and vines of impeccable lineage, factors which are most well-displayed in Magna Praemia, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. Skillfully drawn together, these varietals combine luxuriously in the glass for great rewards or, in Latin, Magna Praemia. Now that's brains and beauty. Rich plum, cassis and spiced nose; velvety, luscious and ripe with concentration and incredible intense fruit with notes of spice, vanilla and chocolate all riding on a core of pure and well-integrated acidity that brings it all into balance; stunning and super long. DESTINY BAY WINE IMPORTS Most Legendary Grgich Hills 2007 Chardonnay, Carneros Selection, Carneros ($75) Every graduating class has one alum whose name becomes legend for something or other. When it comes to Chardonnay, it's Grgich Hills Estate, legendary since 1976, when Miljenko "Mike" Grgich's Chardonnary beat the best of France at the famed Judgment of Paris tasting. Over 30 years later, the Grgich Hills Carneros Selection is still the benchmark for classic California chard, made from the fi nest certifi ed Organic and Biodynamic lots in Carneros and aged for 12 months in French oak and six months in stainless steel barrels. Elegant and silky smooth, no malolactic fermentation makes for bright acidity in this legendary beauty, and limited case production means that, like all legends, it's elusive— you'll be lucky to get your hands on some before it's all snapped up. Rich and showing deep spice, vanilla oak, bright fruit and white fl owers; lush, elegant with a core of fi rm acidity; complex and lengthy. WWW.GRGICH.COM Most Popular Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey, Ireland ($45) With Jameson leading the Irish whiskey category into stratospheric new heights, Pernod Ricard's Redbreast has also benefi tted from the craze, capturing the hearts and palates of those looking to further explore the charms o' the Irish. While Jameson is easily winning popularity contests among the throw-'em-back-and-shoot-'em crowd, Redbreast's fans are equally-devoted to the super-premium, single pot still spirit and appreciate its nuances both neat and mixed into cocktails. Triple-distilled in copper pot stills and made with a mash of both malted and unmalted barley, Redbreast is notoriously creamy and smooth and has whiskey enthusiasts clamoring for more. Redbreast is the heavyweight that can enable Irish whiskey to regain the title it once held. There could be no better contender to win this championship. PERNOD RICARD USA Sexiest Sipper Ron de Jeremy, Panama ($36) When you've got adult fi lm star Ron Jeremy's face and name emblazoned on your bottle, it's not much of a stretch for people's thoughts to veer in a slightly x-rated direction at fi rst sip— but that's not exactly a bad thing, is it? Proving that there's more to its swagger than sheer sex appeal, Ron de Jeremy Rum is carefully aged and the best barrels are handpicked by legendary Cuban-born Master Blender Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez to ensure an elegantly sexy sipping experience that can be enjoyed in a variety of cocktails or served naked—er, neat. Says Ron himself, "The taste is long and full, and the fi nish is smooth—which suits me perfectly!" Sexy, smooth and suave, all in one bottle. Thanks, Ron. A gorgeous product; creamy and smooth with lively brown sugar and mellow spice; lush and dense with lovely balance, texture and depth; rich, thick and intense with vanilla, butterscotch and spice; luscious and delicious—Ron should be proud! ONE-EYED SPIRITS december 201 1 / the tasting panel / 113