NOVEMBER 2013 · $4.95

PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG

The Mystique of Mongolia

Batsaikhan Purev, Chairman of Mongolian company APU Joint Stock Company,

producer of Soyombo Vodka.

Soyombo Vodka Emerges from the Legends of a Nomadic People

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64  /  the tasting panel  /  november 2013

WINES

Doña Paula Estate 2011 Malbec, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina ($16)Blue flowers light up this brilliant, white-peppered red. Mouth-watering raspberry and high acid spell “tart” and “fruit”—grown in high altitude vineyards. Mocha and cherry spread luxuriously across the mouth. A great barbeque (ribs) wine. 90

TRINCHERO FAMILY ESTATES

Magnolia Court 2012 Merlot, Paso Robles ($13) Old World acidity and lively, fresh Central Coast sunshine-y fruit accent what tastes like farm-fresh plums and cherry pie filling. A nose of tilled soil appears mid-palate and re-appears on the finish. Aged 16 months in American oak. Charming and food friendly. 90

TURN KEY WINE BRANDS

Freakshow 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi ($20) Like the strong man at the circus whom some

call a brute, those who take the effort experience him to be powerful and elegant at the same time. Think of the confident high-wire climber when you think of the balance and poise in position (high acidity) and a long finish ahead. Soy, caramel, pepper and roasted spices fill in the spaces, a crowd of ripe plum and black currant cheering on the show. 92

MICHAEL DAVID WINERY

Lucas and Lewellen 2010 Syrah, Santa Barbara County ($26) Dotted with sassy black pepper, the milk chocolate effects are as mouth-watering as the luscious blackberries that taste like they were just plucked from the patch. This dark black Syrah (with 3% Viognier) is outlined with crimson and is a hearty, satisfying sipper with fine acidity. 91

Truchard 2011 Pinot Noir, Carneros ($35) From seven separate clonal selections grown on the Truchard Estate, this Pinot Noir is spicy to the max—with almost a jalapeño zing on the tongue but soon subdued with rich black-cherry sweetness. Black olives arise to another savory start, again softened by mocha and rhubarb. And the lift of tea and earthy soil soon softens on the finish of vanilla and plum. 94

Justin 2010 Isosceles, Paso Robles ($62) Fragrant purple flowers hold up a reservoir of grape and blueberry. This is juicy to its very core: ripe, sweet and toasted cinnamon sprinkled with a flash of cranberry. Earthy, gripping tannins are held in check, nestled in a soft cloth. Sturdy but palate-stroking. 95

PICKSPublisher’s

In each issue THE TASTING PANEL’s Publisher and Executive Editor, Meridith May, selects her favorite wines and spirits of the month. Check here for the latest arrivals in our offices, the

hottest new brands on the market and an occasional revisited classic.

Worthy of a smooch.

French-style double bizou.

Wildly infatuated.

Seriously smitten.

Head over heels in love.

Meridith May at The Saloon at The Ranch in Anaheim.

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november 2013  /  the tasting panel  /  65

Cîroc Amaretto Flavored Vodka, France ($35) In the mood for marzi-pan? The nose is reminiscent of a French pastry shop—wafts of almonds and sweet coconut swirling through the air in a come-hither aroma. Distilled from French grapes, the Cîroc vodka founda-tion is smooth and dissipates mildly on the tongue, while the amaretto flavor is more insistent and pleasing. 93

DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA

KRU 82 Chocolate Truffle Flavored Vodka, USA ($17) A sensuously

delightful nose for anyone who desires the scent of chocolate tipped with marshmallow. The palate is indulgent and unctuous, weighty enough to satisfy your chocolate fix and your liquid intake of this 72-proof beauty. Drink it on the rocks or create a masterful dessert cocktail your customers will never forget. 93

WESTERN SPIRITS

Crop Organic Spiced Pumpkin Vodka, USA ($28) This 70-proof vodka is made with organic American grain. Its spicy oat cereal background is lifted and intensified with roasted and toasty pumpkin notes, from pumpkin-seed earthiness to the sweeter meat of the seasonal vegetable’s core. 93

CHATHAM IMPORTS

Mojo Baja Lime Flavored Vodka,USA ($24) Infused with real fruit and distilled in an alembic copper pot still, lime oils and a bitter tip of lime rind hits nose and palate in a whoosh. For a split second, you are reminded of an herbal silver tequila, but instead of the earthy agave, you are treated to a peppered grainy middle, the lime rising up with herbal force. Very crafty. 92

SAINT JAMES SPIRITS

SOME OF THE BEST NEW FLAVORED VODKASSPIRITS

El Silencio Mezcal Joven, Mexico ($79) More than a whisper of smoke, with a hint of gardenia hiding in pepper cream. That’s the first breath you take from this exotic mezcal produced from 250 varieties of agave throughout eight regions in Mexico. On the palate, creamy vanilla pudding arrives with burnt marshmallow. The smoke stays consistent, almost pretty, without masking the underlying floral white tea pleasantries. 93

EL SILENCIO HOLDINGS LLC

Masterson’s Straight Barley Whiskey, USA ($79) Made from choice

Canadian barley and minderal-rich glacial water, the 92-proof spirit is double-distilled and mellowed in white oak casks for ten years. Woodsy and citrus on the nose, its palate sensation is lean and

sharp with a briny start. It mellows to a tangerine creamy sweetness that melts with a purr of peach on the tongue. Sensational. 95

35 MAPLE STREET

Richland Rum, USA ($50) Copper pot–dis-tilled in Georgia and aged in small barrels, this stunningly hued 86-proof brass-colored rum has flavors of seared orange skins and buttered, burnt sugar. Warming the palate and actually heating the back of the throat with a most soothing slide, the handcrafted spirit is mature and regal. 94

RICHAND DISTILLING COMPANY

Masterson’s Straight Barley Whiskey,($79)

Canadian barley and

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