Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 103 WINE #6 FERRARI-CARANO 2013 TRÉSOR, SONOMA COUNTY This deeply saturated, classically styled cuvée from Sonoma County features a blend of all five Bordeaux varietals—a backbone of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon with Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc from three separate vineyards, adding complex notes of clove, black currant, and a hint of tobacco and dried red earth. "A lot of people know Ferrari-Carano for our white wines, but we are looking at Cabernet as something special for us," said presenter Kimberly Pettit. She described Trésor's label—which depicts the sunset in Laguna, California where the Carano family keeps their boat docked part of the year—as being "as interesting as the wine." "It's a painting that was commissioned from artist Marco Sassone for the winery when it opened in 1981," Hendrickson Pettit continued. "It wasn't intended to be part of the label, but it received so much attention from visitors to the winery that it became part of the Carano lore." THE PANEL SAYS: Tart red fruit, cranberry, raspberry, cassis. Fresh lillacs, dried oregano, tomato leaf, tobacco. Dried red earth. —Lindsay Drew Big tannin, big acid; oak markers; sawdust, lumberyard. Dark fruit with cassis, berry, and plum. —Chris Costas This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc hails from vineyards in Washington State's soon-to-be-recognized Royal Slope appellation, as well as the Seven Hills vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA. With initial aromas of fresh black cherry, cassis, vanilla bean, and juniper berry making way for deeper scents of blackberry pie and dried strawberry, the palate offers concentrated flavors of blackberry, black currant, and dark cherry with a touch of spice. With firm but silky tannins, it pairs well with pork tenderloin, cheese, and fire-grilled vegetables. Named for the 1859 wagon road that first connected eastern Washington to present-day Montana via the Rocky Mountains, Mullan Road is a venture of Dennis Cakebread, Chairman of the famed Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley. "Seven Hills, located along the southern edge of the Walla Walla AVA, has an elevation of 850–1,050 feet, excellent soil and air drainage, and is one of the most technologically advanced in the industry," said presenter Mike Zinni. "Yields are strictly controlled to assure ultra-premium quality." THE PANEL SAYS: Plum and velvety black cherry. On the palate, the rich ripe fruit is super forward and followed by spearmint. —Mandi Nelson Cherries, slight menthol, great texture. Slightly stemmy and vegetal. —Mark Rashap Kimberly Pettit, South Central Regional Manager, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, presented the Ferrari- Carano classic Trésor.