Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/869846
september 2017 / the tasting panel / 75 Boutari 2016 Mantinia Oropedio, Greece ($22) Made from 100% Moschofilero grapes and grown at an altitude of more than 2,000 feet in southern Greece, Oropedio is Greek for "High Plateau." With a generous perfume of jasmine, white roses and white tea and a low ABV of 12%, the palate is lean and focused. Notes of honeydew, white grapefruit and a crisp texture make the mouth water. Orange peel and slate create a complex finish. 92 TERLATO WINES INTERNATIONAL Folie à Deux 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($24) Alexander Valley graces its wines with plush texture, and this lovely red exhibits a roundness while also displaying a modern mouthfeel of edgy minerality. The nose is dense with dark choco- late, Italian herbs, black olives and boysenberry. The taste of beautifully-ripened strawberries in tilled soil, lavender-dry and round, finely grained tannins and a finish of coffee bean proves this red worthy of the region's great reputation. 94 TRINCHERO FAMILY ESTATES Levendi 2016 Nicoletta Rosé of Pinot Noir, Napa Valley ($25) From a single vineyard on the Levendi Estate, this 13.5% ABV rosé has an intriguing nose of strawberry, peach and tomato leaf, with a touch of sugared cinnamon. Round, opulent and refresh- ing, with no dusty or chalky undertones; peach, sweet plum, watermelon and white cherries make a silky approach to the finish. 92 Mark West 2015 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands ($25) Broad aromas of cherries, dark chocolate and tobacco. Blackberry swipes across the palate with silky, juicy dark fruit and bittersweet dark chocolate. This wine has a dusky, husky voice. Savory tones come into play: black bean and olives, which add even more shadows and depth. 93 CONSTELLATION WINES U.S. Michael David Winery 2015 Bechthold Vineyard Ancient Vine Cinsault, Lodi ($25) From Lodi's oldest producing vineyard, planted in 1886; dry-farmed and head-trained. Spiced cranberry on the nose is fresh, with a hint of savory beet root. Strawberry and tobacco leaf beef up the palate. Just a juice-o-rama of fruit and herbs. Exotic flavors from a unique site. This wowed me. 95 The Conqueror 2014 Red Blend, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington ($30) With a nose of red tea, cherry bark and ripe blackberry, this blend of 33% Cab Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah and 17% Merlot is satiny on the palate. Mocha-tinted cherry, black ink fruit, sweet tobacco, bright cranberry and fresh soil are concentrated into this expressive wine. The grapes are all from the Canoe Ridge Vineyard in Walla Walla. Aged for 20 months in French oak—only 532 cases. 90 PRECEPT WINE We Believe 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($30) With a nose of blackberry, tobacco and dark coffee-choco- late, this sleek red is a wine with a purpose. Supporters of the Green Berets and Seal Legacy Foundation, the producers preach faith, family and freedom. We believe in the wine itself: spiced oak, gritty mocha tannins and cherry earthiness. A dot of white pepper adds strength to the finish. 90 ALISTAIR SPIRITS Ravenswood 2014 Teldeschi Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley ($39) Wild berry, coffee and earth define the perfume arising from this single-vineyard Zinfandel, which also blends in 19% Petite Sirah and 5% Carignane. Aged for 19 months in French oak, and boasting an ABV of 15.1%, this inky black wine is a zinphony of taste and texture. Creamy blackberry and anise adds weight and coat the tongue, while dark chocolate melts on a black pepper path. 95 CONSTELLATION WINE U.S. Simi 2014 Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($45) A stunner : perfume of cassis, beetroot, soil and coffee lead to cranberry and chalky tannins that swipe across the tongue. The fruit is broad and dark; graphite is evident. The big notes soon level out for a supple mouthfeel. Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Tannat and Malbec are blended in. The vote is in; it's a landslide in favor of this classic red! 94 CONSTELLATION WINE U.S.