Julia Kemper White Reserva 2015

The 2015 Reserva white is a similar blend to the 2016 regular, that is, roughly divided in equal proportions with Malvasia Fina and Encruzado (a formula repeated on three whites this issue). It was aged for ten months in an equal mixture of new and used French oak. This is potentially brilliant. It takes the tension that the 2016 Branco had and doubles it. It also has far better concentration to go with its intensity. With extra time in oak, this hardly seems to show much, its acidity and power cutting through everything, slicing and dicing the wood and leaving only splinters. The spice, coupled with the touch of sour lemon on the finish, gives it an edgy demeanor, but it should be a great food wine. The acidity level and concentration mean that it needs food badly, by the way. It's not a simple sipping wine. This should age well. It could actually use a year or two in the cellar to pull itself together. To me, this would be the pick of Kemper's three whites, a nice intersection of value and quality. Drink date: 2017-2028. Score - 93. (Mark Squires, robertparker.com, Aug. 31, 2017)