Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/97133
BLUE REVIEWS Shafer Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District ($215) As usual, a powerhouse wine with concentration, richness and tons of ���avor; tar, licorice and spice box plus ripe plum and berry fruit are all present in quantity; stunning now, but let this blockbuster calm down for a few years. 95 Stags��� Leap Winery 2009 Petite Syrah, Ne Cede Malis, Stags Leap District ($80) Dark and spicy with a hint of mint; lush and intense with concentrated ���avors but de���nitely some ���nesse; rich and nicely structured; impressive but it���s hard to believe someone would pay $80 for PS. At the Peak in Piedmont Ceretto Is a Leader in One of the World���s Great Wine Regions 90 TREASURY WINE ESTATES Le Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arriv��! Georges Duboeuf 2012 BeaujolaisVillages Nouveau Cuv��e Sp��ciale, France ($10) Tangy and bright with juicy black raspberry and racy acidity; dry and nicely balanced; long and fresh. The 30th anniversary bottling of Beaujolais Nouveau from the man who created it. 87 DEUTSCH FAMILY WINE & SPIRITS Georges Duboeuf 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau, France ($10) Dry and juicy with bright, tangy cherry fruit; fresh and smooth with soft tannins and racy acidity; bright, peppery and long. 88 DEUTSCH FAMILY WINE & SPIRITS Joseph Drouhin 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau, France ($11) Bright and juicy with vibrant cherry and raspberry fruit; dry, peppery and fresh with lots of charm and style; long and balanced. 88 DREYFUS, ASHBY The hills AT The fooT of The Alps in Italy���s Piedmont region produce some of the world���s greatest wines. Barolo and Barbaresco, in particular, should be an important component of any serious wine collection. The Ceretto family has been a leader in this region for more than seventy years. This venerable�� company, a pioneer in vineyard-designated wines, is presently being guided by the third generation of the family and, clearly, the winery is at the top of its game. A recent tasting with Marketing and Export Director Federico Ceretto demonstrated the conident style and exceptional quality of Ceretto���s current wines. A few days later I pulled two of their 2000 Barbarescos from my cellar and was extremely impressed with how perfectly they had aged ��� expectations of greatness had been met and even exceeded. Ceretto 2008 Barolo Zonchera ($60) Rich, ripe and balanced with lovely earth, spice and depth; classic and deep with length and ���rm acidity; ready to drink and made for food. Ceretto 2009 Barbaresco Asij ($45) Smooth and elegant with notes of earth, spice, violets and plum; complex and seamless, rich but delicate, with a lingering ���nish. 92 91 92 Ceretto 2007 Bricco Asili Barbaresco Bernardot ($90) Smooth, lush and deep with elegance and complexity; lovely texture, ripe, meaty and rich with notes of violets, spice and plum; long and lovely on the ���nish. Ceretto 2006 Bricco Asili Barbaresco Bernadot ($105) Powerful and ripe with silky texture and great depth; layered, rich with notes of spice, earth, meat and ripe plum; long and vivid with great complexity. Ceretto 2007 Bricco Rocche Barolo Brunate ($105) Lush and juicy with great acid structure; ripe plum, leather and deep ���avors; rich, complex and built to age; dense, elegant and re���ned. 94 94 Ceretto 2006 Bricco Rocche Barolo Prap�� ($105) Rich and luscious with lovely burnished fruit, spice and silky texture; long, intense and beautifully structured; deep and elegant with amazing complexity and style. 95 WILSON DANIELS. 52 / the tasting panel / december 2012