1. 66 / the tasting panel / october 2015
DOMESTIC
90Ghost Pines 2013
Winemaker’s Blend
Merlot, 86% Sonoma
County, 14% Napa
County ($25) Dark and silky
with plum and cassis; rich and
balanced with dense texture
and lovely spice. 6% Petite Sirah.
E&J GALLO
92Gary
Farrell
2013
Chardonnay,
Olivet Lane Vineyard, Russian
River Valley ($45) Pure and racy with
searing acidity and graceful flavors of spice,
vanilla and tangy fruit; elegant and layered,
complex and yet simple.
VINCRAFT GROUP
90Dancing Crow
2014 Sauvignon
Blanc, Big Valley
District ($18) Silky,
smooth and juicy with
bright, tangy fruit; fresh and
balanced, racy and mellow. Organic.
90Truchard Vineyards 2013
Estate Roussanne, Carneros
($25) Truchard proves that Carneros
can produce wonderful Rhône varietals.
Long and elegant with minerals, floral
notes and crisp acidity; lush and dense.
91Barden 2014 Chardonnay,
Sta. Rita Hills ($48) A new
Santa Rita Hills–sourced label from Doug
Margerum. Juicy style and elegance; long,
tangy and bright with racy style and and
considerable finesse.
MARGERUM WINE COMPANY
92Winter’s Hill
Vineyard
2012 Estate Pinot
Noir, Dundee Hills
($39) Lush and juicy
with tangy
cherry and pure flavors; crisp, racy
and bright, long and lively.
90Le Chateau 2012
Petit Verdot,
Columbia Valley ($29) A
dense and floral stand-alone
PetitVerdot with notes of
chocolate and spice; smooth
and balanced with harmonious
flavors.
92Clos Pegase
2012 Cabernet
Sauvignon, Napa
Valley ($50) Smooth
and velvety with deep,
ripe, lush flavors; long,
balanced and seamless; generous and
charming.
VINTAGE WINE ESTATES
92Emmolo Wine Company
2012 Merlot, Rutherford
($60) From Jenny Wagner of the
Caymus Wagners; dark and rich with
smooth texture and lovely, mellow notes
of spice, chocolate and plum.
90Eighty Four
2009 Petite
Sirah, Napa Valley
($65) Dark and
showing a blackberry
nose; thick and rich
with juicy cassis and plum; smooth, lush
and intense; a superhuman effort with
this variety by Doug Shafer and Elias
Fernandez of ShaferVineyards.
In each issue, Editor-in-Chief Anthony
Dias Blue selects a wide range of the
best wines and spirits from among
the more than 500 he samples over
the course of a month.The reviews
are subjective editorial evaluations,
made without regard to advertising,
and products are scored on a
100-point scale:
85-89: VERY GOOD
90-94: OUTSTANDING
95-100: CLASSIC
Once products are selected for
publication, producers and importers
will be offered the option of having
their review accompanied by an
image (bottle photo or label art) for
a nominal fee.There is no obligation
to add an image, nor does the
decision affect the review or score in
any way.
The “twisty” icon indicates wines
sealed with a screwcap closure.
For additional Blue Reviews, go to
www.tastingpanelmag.com.
Prices are for 750 ml. bottles unless
otherwise noted.
Anthony Dias
BLUE REVIEWS
BLUE REVIEWS
TP1015_066-101.indd 66 9/29/15 7:50 PM