Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807384
76 / the tasting panel / april 2017 VALUE AND BY-THE-GLASS RECOMMENDATIONS 88 Replica Cellars 2015 Scapegoat Pinot Grigio, Valdadige DOC, Italy ($17) This label attempts to replicate rival brands at a lower price point. This Pinot Grigio is soft, smooth and bright. INTEGRATED BEVERAGE GROUP 88 Tasca d'Almerita 2015 Tenuta Regaleali Grillo Cavallo delle Fate DOC, Sicilia, Italy ($11) The Grillo (cricket) grape is a Sicilian specialty capable of wonderful white wines. Clean, rounded and filled with fresh apple fruit. WINEBOW 91 Rutherford Ranch 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($17) Napa Valley's volcanic soils provide this wine's concentrated flavors, while slow stainless steel fermentation preserves its searing citrus tones. Super with shellfish. RUTHERFORD WINE COMPANY 89 Finca El Origen 2016 Estate Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ($10) The Argentine winery of Chile's Carolina Wine Brands. Notes of vanilla and toasted oak on the nose; vibrant and alive with keen notes of spice and flavors of berry fruit. CAROLINA WINE BRANDS 89 Famille Perrin 2015 l'Oustalet, Vin de France ($13) An organic Grenache-Syrah- Mourvèdre-Merlot blend from the owners of Château de Beaucastel. Lovely vanilla oak and earthy nose with ripe blackberry and new oak tone. VINEYARD BRANDS BLUE REVIEWS THE BACHE-GABRIELSEN COGNAC HOUSE was founded by Norwegian Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen, from Holmestrand, in 1905. Now in its fourth generation, the business is currently being run by Thomas Bache- Gabrielsen's great-grandson Hervé Bache-Gabrielsen, who recently took over the day-to-day management from his father, Christian. The brand is very well- known in Norway, naturally, but is making inroads into the U.S. market with releases like these. Norwegian in Spirit BACHE-GABRIELSEN IS A COGNAC WORTH DISCOVERING 91 Bache Gabrielsen Cognac Tre Kors, France ($30) Tre Kors (Norwegian for "three crosses") is the best- selling Cognac in Norway. Silky and smooth with light toast and ripe dried fruits; clean and fresh VS grade; floral and feminine; ideal for cocktails. 92 Bache- Gabrielsen American Oak Cognac, France ($40) A modern-style Cognac with nice notes of toasty Tennessee oak from six months of aging; silky and rich with vanilla and spice; deep, mellow and fresh with balance, style and finesse. 93 Bache Gabrielsen Cognac XO, France ($100) Amber color ; soft, smooth floral nose; lush and floral on the palate with mellow toast and rich, elegant style; soft and beautifully balanced. 94 Bache Gabrielsen Cognac Sérénité Extra XO, France ($170) An elegant spirit with mellow, floral and spicy notes on exquisite texture; toasty, rich and bright with dense new wood and lovely depth. WINEBOW