Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/674905
may 2016 / the tasting panel / 93 Angels & Cowboys 2013 Proprietary Red, Sonoma County ($24) A blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Malbec, this wine gallops on the palate with rich, concentrated notes of brambly, peppery blackberry pie. Melted fudge prances and makes a heavenly "pardner" with red fruits and savory spices. A collaboration between the founders of Cannonball Wine Company, Yoav Gilat and Dennis Hill, and graphic designer Michael Schwab—food-friendly as all get out. 91 CANNONBALL WINE COMPANY Ivo Varbanov 2011 Syrah, Thracian Valley, South Sakar, Bulgaria ($24) Music maker Ivo Varbanov founded the Bulgarian Association of Independent Winegrowers, producing his own wine in 2008. He strives to promote the South Sakar Mountain region, which he believes delivers the country's highest-quality grapes. This deep, rich and resounding red offers up a chocolate plum pudding effect, with soil, soy sauce and grilled meat components. The wine is aged in French and Bulgarian oak for 36 months. 92 BULGARIAN MASTER VINTNERS Westwood 2014 "Elevation" Estate Red Blend, Annadel Gap Vineyard, Sonoma County ($38) Australian Winemaker Ben Cane and consultant David Ramey, from the biodynamic Annadel Gap Vineyard: 53% Grenache, 29% Mourvèdre, 12% Syrah and 6% Counoise blend with oomph. Garrigue and black pepper, anise, leather and wood com- municate a thick Rhône accent. The cherry chocolate middle- to-finish reflects the estate, a geographical narrowing between the Sonoma Mountains and Hood Mountain: close proximity to the Pacific with morning fog and gentle winds. 95 Wrath 2013 Syrah, KW Ranch, Santa Lucia Highlands ($39) Structured, pitch-purple fruit sits on the tongue with earth-lined silk slippers. Dry, slightly chalky tannins are straight-laced against the high (acidity) notes of cranberry, black cherry and touch of sweet tobacco. Hints of white pepper and chocolate fudge season the finish. Estate-grown fruit from the KW Ranch, with its rolling hills and gravely loam soils, located in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County. 90 Jeff Cohn Cellars 2013 "So Serine" Syrah, Rockpile Vineyard, Sonoma County ($60) Black pepper and black plum are instant front-of-the- mouth greeters. This big red can handle spicy food with its soy, green olive and dark [read: the definition of brooding here] roots. Beautiful, expressive minerality (minty, blue slate) and dark chocolate speak in intense Rockpile accents. This is a "suitcase" selection brought back from one of the oldest vineyards in the Côte-Rôtie, Les Grandes Places. Aged in 100% new French oak for 16 months. 95 Tarima Hill 2012 Old Vine Monastrell, D.O. Alicante, Spain ($16.99) From Jorge Ordoñez Selections, high-pitched acidity rules in this opaque, garnet-hued estate-bottled red from the southeastern corner of Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. Fleshy black cherry and peppered blackberry are persistent through- out, while the back of the mouth is treated to dark chocolate licorice. Spicy notes keep you perked up and juiciness flows. 93 HENRY WINE GROUP ADORN YOUR COCKTAIL ©2016 Produced & Bottled By St. Elder, Ltd., Somerville, MA. 20% Alc/Vol (40 Proof) PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. For more recipe inspirations visit St-Elder.com | @DrinkStElder