Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/931490
106 / the tasting panel / january/february 2018 YEARBOOK BEST MOUNTAIN FRUIT Arcudi 2013 Black Sears Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley ($150) Winemaker Tony Arcudi believes strongly in applying minimal intervention to his craft: not only to respect the various aspects of a particular growing site, but to emphasize them as well. Letting the personality and purity of the single vineyard come through in its wine is Arcudi's main objective for his very small production. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his Black Sears Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Farmed organically and Biodynamically, Black Sears Vineyard sits atop the highest vineyard on Howell Mountain and is the first sub-appellation to receive its own AVA within the Napa Valley. The west-facing mountain tends to produce a more intense, powerful version of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; this is a big part of why Arcudi has been named The Tasting Panel's "Best Mountain Fruit" in 2017. The fruit is from the highest vineyard on Howell Mountain, which is farmed Biodynamically at a 2,400-foot elevation. Aged in 100% French oak for 18 months, the wine is all about character and texture even more than the fruit and power it exudes. Rich and concentrated, you can pick out all the nuances you'd expect: leather, graphite, mountain brush, and so much more. 95 —Meridith May, May 2017 Proof that the brilliant 2012 was no fluke. Stunning and lush with smooth, concentrated mountain fruit; plum and dark ber- ries, subtle toasty oak, vanilla, and hints of licorice; rich texture and great length. 96 —Anthony Dias Blue, May 2017 THE CLASS OF 2017 WINES 1,000 Vines 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Mariposa, CA Abbot's Passage 2014 Due West Cabernet Sauvignon, Nuns Canyon Vineyard, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma County, CA GUNDLACH BUNDSCHU Aberrant Cellars 2014 Confero Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR Achaval-Ferrer 2014 Finca Altamira Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina STOLI GROUP Akarua 2012 Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand SEAVIEW IMPORTS Akarua 2015 RUA Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand SEAVIEW IMPORTS Alamos 2015 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina E. & J. GALLO Allegretto Vineyards and Wines 2013 Ayres Family Reserve Tannat, Bella Collina Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Alpha Estate 2014 Hedgehog Vineyard Xinomavro, Amyndeon, Greece DIAMOND WINE IMPORTERS Alta Colina Wine 2013 GSM, Adelaida District Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Alta Colina 2014 Marsanne, Claudia Cuvée, Adelaida District Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Alta Vista 2014 Terroir Selection Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina KOBRAND WINE & SPIRITS Amisfield 2013 RKV Reserve Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand PACIFIC RIM WINE LOGISTICS Ancient Oak Cellars 2012 Berger Vineyard Tò Érgon, Sonoma Mountain, CA Ancient Peaks 2014 Renegade, Margarita Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Ancient Peaks 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Margarita Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Ancient Peaks Winery 2013 Oyster Ridge Cuvée, Margarita Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA Angove Family Winemakers 2015 Warboys Vineyard Grenache, McLaren Vale, Australia TRINCHERO FAMILY ESTATES Apaltagua 2012 Grial Carménère, Colchagua Valley, Chile GLOBAL VINEYARD IMPORTERS Arcudi Wines 2013 Black Sears Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, CA Astrolabe Wines 2015 Province Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand USA WINE WEST Atze's Corner Wines 2015 Estate Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia Austerity Wines 2015 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA CECCHETTI WINE COMPANY Austin Hope Wines 2014 Estate Syrah, Paso Robles, CA HOPE FAMILY WINES Babylonstoren 2014 Nebukadnesar Bordeaux Blend, WO Simonsberg- Paarl, South Africa CATAMARCA IMPORTS, LLC Baileyana 2015 Firepeak Chardonnay, Edna Valley, CA NIVEN FAMILY WINE ESTATES Balletto Vineyards 2015 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, CA Balletto Vineyards 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA Baracchi Winery 2012 Ardito, Toscana IGT, Italy Bear Flag 2015 Zinfandel, Sonoma County, CA E. & J. GALLO WINERY Beaulieu Vineyard 2012 Reserve Clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA TREASURY WINE ESTATES Bella Union 2014 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA FAR NIENTE WINERY Benessere Vineyards 2014 Collins Holystone Vineyard Aglianico, Napa Valley, CA Benessere Vineyards 2016 Pinot Grigio, Napa Valley, CA Beringer Vineyards 2013 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA TREASURY WINE ESTATES Bird in Hand 2013 Nest Egg Shiraz, Mount Lofty Ranges, Australia HP SELECTIONS Black Kite Cellars 2014 Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA Black Kite Cellars 2015 Soberanes Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA Black Stallion Winery 2013 Transcendent Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA DELICATO FAMILY VINEYARDS Bodegas Paniza 2012 Viñas Viejas de Paniza Garnacha, Spain Boekenhoutskloof 2014 Syrah, Coastal Region, South Africa VINEYARD BRANDS Bouchard Père & Fils 2015 Beaune Clos Saint-Landry, Côte-d'Or, France CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT Bouchard Père & Fils 2015 Premier Cru Beaune Clos de la Mousse, Côte- d'Or, France CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT Bouchard Père & Fils 2015 Beaune du Château, Côte-d'Or, France CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT Bouchard Père & Fils 2015 Vigne de L'Enfant Jésus, Grand Vin de Beaune- Grèves, Côte-d'Or, France CHAMPAGNE HENRIOT Bouchaine Vineyards 2014 Estate Chardonnay, Carneros, CA Boutari 2016 Moschofilero, Mantinia Winery Vineyard, Greece TERLATO WINES INTERNATIONAL Breathless Wines NV Ratafia, Napa Valley, CA Buty Winery 2015 Conner Lee Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, WA Byron 2014 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, CA JACKSON FAMILY WINES