Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
august 2017 / the tasting panel / 75 Siegrist 2015 Pinot Blanc de Noir, Deutscher Qualitätswein AP, Pfalz, Germany ($18) Pizzazz and spritz come off a Champagne-like yeasty nose. Vanilla bean, white flowers and Asian pear round out on the palate, melting to a creaminess on the finish. Delightful! 90 TRULY FINE WINE OF SAN DIEGO Don & Sons 2015 Watmaugh Ranch Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley ($49.99) The ranch, a Sebastiani family–owned property, is located in the southernmost part of the Sonoma Valley, where it's especially cool and breezy. Notes of fresh pear, lime twist, pineapple and lemon blossoms alight on a creamy palate. The fruit spreads across the mouth with a marmalade effect, a pastry backdrop adding body. 92 Austerity 2015 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands ($17) Earth, Portobello mushrooms and plum tart are a highlight on the nose, while serious notes of tobacco, slate and black pepper don the palate. Strawberry and watermelon are graceful fruits that add a juiciness to the core. Coffee tannins are easy on the tongue for a lengthy finish. 92 Viña de Brisios 2014 Tempranillo, DO Ribera del Duero, Spain ($26) Chalky tannins matched against bright acidity are always the saving grace for our beloved Ribera del Duero wines. Deep, meaty earth tones, savory balsamic and luscious blackberry work well as minerality sears on the finish. 90% Tempranillo with 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. 90 THE SPANISH VINEYARDS Ancient Oak Cellars 2012 TÒ ÉRGON, Berger Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County ($75) A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc that revels in an inky, meaty, graphite nose and palate–bold and earthy. It grips with spiced leather and an anise finish. 93 Viberti 2014 Nebbiolo Langhe DOC, Italy ($26) A fragrance of cinnamon surges forth, with cherry and beetroot. Respectful Old World acidity meets drying tannins and tightens the tongue. Oregano and bay leaf woo the palate, leading to a finish of caramel and earth, with a touch of black pepper. 91 OPICI WINES GLUTEN FREE MADE WITH 100% AMERICAN CORN PURE FLORIDA WATER 6X COLUMN & COPPER POT DISTILLED 8X CHARCOAL FILTERED F L O R I D A ' S # 1 C R A F T V O D K A STPETERSBURGDISTILLERY.COM | ST. PETERSBURG, FL