($30): The 2012 Eroica Gold, the inaugural vintage for this super wine, may explain the exceptional quality of the 2012 Eroica.  If I had to guess, the winemaking team compulsively selected grapes — ones with even a hint of extra ripeness went into the Gold Eroica keeping the 2012 Eroica even brighter and more vibrant than usual.  Not that Eroica Gold isn’t bright and vibrant.  Indeed, you should judge sweet wines by their acidity and verve, not their sweetness.  Using that standard, Eroica Gold gets an A.  Brilliant riveting acidity offsets flavors of apricot skin and ripe yellow peaches and amplifies the lush long finish. A touch too sweet for most foods — although I wouldn’t argue if there were spicy Asian fare on the table — it’s a perfect choice for cheese or as dessert.  (I avoid serving sweet wines with desert because the sweetness of dessert often fights the sweetness of the wine.) 95 Michael Apstein Dec 24, 2013