Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/97133
Most Buoyant Personality Most Serendipitous BOYANCI 2008 InSpire Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($60) The Calling 2010 Chardonnay, Dutton Ranch, Russian River Valley ($32) Kevin Boyer and Tom Steffanci share one very strong belief: wine should be uplifting���in lives, spirits and palates���and keep good times a���oat. In other words, it should bring buoyancy to the lives of its consumer. The fact that the combination of Boyer and Steffanci���s names spell out this idea only seemed to con���rm their dream of creating a fantastic Napa Valley wine that sends out a positive message. InSpire is BOYANCI���s youthful Cabernet Sauvignon brought about by a life changing trip to Peru. For that reason, 10% of the pro���ts go to Coprodeli, a non-pro���t that builds housing, clinics and schools in some of the most impoverished areas of Peru. Mia Klein is the wine maker and viticulturist for BOYANCI & InSpire. Smooth and luscious, dense and rich with plum, black cherry and spice; concentrated and ripe with good structure and length. An Emmy-award winning sportscaster and a wine industry legend meet in a bar (okay, a restaurant), and together, ���nd their new calling: Such good-fortuned fate is the stuff from which legends are made, and The Calling 2010 Chardonnay is no different. Born out of a chance meeting between Jim Nantz and Peter Deutsch that resulted in an incredible collaboration, The Calling 2010 Chardonnay is blended from select Dutton Ranch fruit in the Russian River Valley, resulting in a wine so special that it seems meant to be. Silky and elegant with lovely texture and pure, articulate fruit; great ���nesse and style with layers of complexity and charming style. DEUTSCH FAMILY WINE & SPIRITS BOYANCI WINE Strongest Roots Best Joint Venture Lost Canyon Winery 2009 Pinot Noir, Morelli Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($45) Maison Nicolas Perrin 2009, Hermitage Blanc, France ($58) Rarely does a winery as committed to the land as Lost Canyon come along. Passionate about the celebrated Northern California terroir and determined to create wines that exemplify the region, Lost Canyon has ���ve different vineyards, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Morelli Lane, where this Pinot Noir grows, is only six miles from the Sonoma Coast which means cool mornings and warm daytime temperatures lend themselves to unique ���avors and great color. From vineyards reaching an elevation of 1,000 feet, and from three different Pinot Noir clones, this dusted cherry cedar chest opens to a treasure of candied rhubarb, roasted coffee and Porcini mushrooms. The ���nish is a plum pudding effect: creamy and well balanced with a ���ne acidity. A marriage between Famille Perrin and Nicolas Jaboulet, this small operation has the luxury of being dedicated simply to the wines. They don���t need to produce large quantities to cover costs, so they think small and focus all of their energy on quality. Isn���t that refreshing? This particular Hermitage Blanc perfectly exempli���es Maison Nicolas Perrin���s dedication to perfection. Elegant and complex, this great white Rh��ne shows its ability to support both fruit and oak ���avors. Dense and rich with creamy texture and ripe peach fruit plus a hint of toasted oak; lush, juicy with amazing depth, elegance and subtle power; an extraordinary and rare wine from a great vintage. VINEYARD BRANDS LOST CANYON WINERY december 2012 / the tasting panel / 135