Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/661678
DEPARTMENT HEADER april 2016 / the tasting panel / 105 E leven bottles cloaked in maroon-colored velvet satchels sat perched on a shelf near the entrance of the swank, private dining room of Culina, a restaurant within the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles that serves Italian cuisine as modern and stylish as its decor. I watched our panel of Angeleno somms trickle into the room, inevitably catching their eyes darting over to the bags. "So what are we tasting again, Bordeaux?" asked Naureen Zaim, half-joking. Naureen, always sharply dressed with an even sharper palate, is Wine Director at Eveleigh in West Hollywood. "Yes, these will all be Bordeaux blends. But we don't know from where or when or anything else for that matter," I explained, returning the smile. In Bordeaux— France's largest wine appellation, consisting of 306,000 acres—red wines are usually blends, made from two or more of six varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère. In the United States, a Bordeaux-style blend is sometimes called a Meritage, but in order to use that term on the label, the winery must be a member of the Meritage Association and the wine a blend of—but no more than 90%—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carménère and the more obscure Gros Verdot and Saint-Macaire. Domestic Bordeaux blends often have proprietary names, as some of these do. Our panel took copious notes on these red blends but did not rate them in order of preference. They are presented here in the order in which they were blind- tasted and then revealed. The panel hard at work! Culina Modern Italian at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles. Naureen Zaim, Wine Director at Eveleigh in West Hollywood seeing through smell. Franciscan Estate 2012 "Magnificat," Napa Valley. Magnificat Obsession Winemaker Jay Turnipseed revealed the Franciscan Estate 2012 "Magnificat," Napa Valley, and what better domestic Bordeaux blend to lead with—this is one of the original Meritage blends of California, in production since 1985. Says Turnipseed, "At Franciscan, we come out of harvest with over 200 different red wines. What that means is that each vineyard block that we farm, we keep separate from each other up until the final blend, which gives us a really good look at the individual components to see how they'll fit together into a harmonious whole." It's this process that has inspired the name Magnificat, after J. S. Bach's masterpiece. The blend, over- seen by winemaker Janet Meyers, consists of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, which spends 20 months in 70% oak barrels. TASTING NOTES: Michael Ploetz, Director of Food & Beverage at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills: Deep and brooding nose. There is power here. Very complete and integrated. Blackberry, black olive and currant framed by a touch of eucalyptus and study structure. Rebekah Turpin, Sommelier at Culina: Beautiful dark fruits of black cherry, black currant and plums. Floral notes of violets and light baking spices. A layered wine with a balance of fruit, oak and well-integrated ripe tannins. Meridith May, Publisher and Editorial Director of The Tasting Panel: Caramel oak, black cherry plum nose. On the palate spiced, brandied plum. Tight tannins and a dusty, dry finish. There's a big boy meatiness with floral components, iron and graphite.