The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2018

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22  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2018 The Ransom Note is a monthly column by The Tasting Panel's East Coast Editor, David Ransom. Each month, David connects readers with some of the people, products, and events that are making news along the Eastern Seaboard. I always look forward to the time of year when new vintages start to appear for tast- ing: It's an exciting time for both the wine producers showing off their most recent efforts and the buyers who are hopeful that the hype is indeed well-founded. A series of recent tastings gave me a good handle on what to expect in the com- ing months, and the news is decidedly positive. At the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event in New York City, I tasted through the 2015 vintage, the most highly- anticipated release since the wonderful 2010s. I found the Right Bank wines quite approachable, and while the Left Bank wines show promise, they'll need more time to develop. Some favorites included the Château Clinet (Pomerol), Château Ferrière (Margaux), and Château Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc), but the 2015 White Bordeaux will definitely be worth purchasing as well. Next at Mondovino, the annual portfolio tasting by importer Kysela Pere et Fils in Winchester, Virginia, I tried the new vintages from some of Fran Kysela's top repre- sented brands. Along with a deep portfolio of Bourgogne, other wines that resonated were the Rieslings from Middle Mosel producer Weingut Hansen-Lauer and Terrasse, a blend primarily made of Chenin Blanc from South African producer Keermont. Lastly, back in New York at the Benvenuto Brunello event, I had the opportunity to taste through the 2013 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino. Rated four stars out of five by the Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino consortium, the 2013s were leaner than I expected, with less new oak up front and more austerity. Maybe this is a continuation of the shift back toward the more traditional, less-extracted style of Brunello I first reported on in The Tasting Panel's June 2013 issue. Regardless, the wines showed well and should mature nicely. Producers from Pauillac on Bordeaux's Left Bank were among the attendees at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event at Sotheby's in New York City. In with the New TASTING THROUGH A PROMISING FLURRY OF SPRING VINTAGE RELEASES by David Ransom Thomas Hansen is the Winemaker for Weingut Hansen-Lauer, located in the Middle Mosel winegrowing region.

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