Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
november 2017 / the tasting panel / 97 november 2017 / the tasting panel / 97 After each of the somms in the room stated their names and positions, a laidback man with grey five o'clock shadow and wearing a Hawaiian shirt added, "Doug Beckett, ex-school teacher, winemaker." Everyone laughed. The one and only winemaker who came to present their own wine also hap- pened to submit one of the favorite wines of the day—the Peachy Canyon Winery 2015 Westside Zinfandel. The humble and composed Beckett continued with a bold, yet arguably solid, statement. "I'm very comfortable to say I'm one of the top Zinfandel producers in the world. It's the first grape I ever worked with, and I'm passionate about it," he said. "I make nine different Zinfandels, a number of single vineyards, and a couple of blends, and then I have a wine that I do internationally. That's the Zinfandel I presented to you today. It's blended back with a little bit of Petit Sirah, a little bit of Primitivo, and a little bit of Alicante Bouschet, and I do 9,000 cases. That's the beauty of wine today. If you can do 9,000 cases and be consistent and have a wine that's enjoyed around the world, then I think you've got a winner on your hands." Peachy Canyon Winery 2015 WESTSIDE ZINFANDEL, PASO ROBLES Doug Beckett, Owner of Peachy Canyon Winery, laughs with the somms. Tasting Note Very fresh with great acidity and vibrant red fruit. Not overly ripe. Delicious! Herbaceous. My favorite so far. Maybe a Central Coast Santa Cruz GSM blend? —Rick Arline Robert Mondavi 2014 MAESTRO RED BLEND, NAPA VALLEY The somms bounced around words like "finessed" and "cool climate" before the reveal. These words did not surprise Jeremy Harrison, the Prestige Sales Manager at TRU Estates & Vineyards, as he presented the Robert Mondavi 2014 Maestro Red Blend from Napa Valley. "This is a new wine from Robert Mondavi Winery, only the second vin- tage we've released as 2013 was our inaugu- ral vintage," he said. "Maestro is a Bordeaux blend with 73% Cabernet, 23% Cab Franc, 3% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. The vintage will determine what the varietal composition will be from year to year, but the idea behind this wine is not to make an overpowering, To Kalon–style wine that we're accustomed to tasting from Robert Mondavi." Harrison reviewed the differences of blends between the two years before focusing heavily on the pedigree and Mondavi-entwined history of the To Kalon Vineyard. "This wine predominantly comes from our To Kalon Vineyard," he explained. "We blend in a little bit of the softer fruit from our Wappo Hill Vineyard, in the Stags Leap region, to temper those big aggressive tannins from To Kalon." Tasting Note Ripe red cherries with notes of Chinese spice and Darjeeling tea. Mouthwatering, juicy finish. —Eric Denq Jeremy Harrison, Prestige Sales Manager at TRU Estates & Vineyards, presents the softer side of To Kalon Vineyard with the Robert Mondavi 2014 Maestro Red Blend.