Friday, February 6, 2009

Monika Kaufman & Chrissy Carpenter Taste California, Napa Valley's Katherine HALL Wines, Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 Here At Cleveland Park Wines



     Here is a photo of Monika Kaufman ( northeast regional sales manager 401 St. Helena Hwy South St. Helena, CA 94574  Tel: 212-759-2008  Fax : 212-759-2290 mkaufman@hallwines.com  www.hallwines.com ). She came yesterday with Washington Wholesales rep. Chrissy Carpenter to taste her three HALL wines : 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 Napa Valley Merlot and 2005Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved all three!

     To be a bit more specific, I really thought all three HALL wines were beautifully made, expressive of their origins, the grapes themselves, stylish, refined, well-contained wines where all the elements worked in full harmony and did not eclipse the others.

    I especially liked the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2005 Merlot : i thought for their prices that especially in today's trying times they represented better values than the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

     The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ( around $18 ) was bright, fresh, lively, entertaining and engaging in more subtle, less-evident, less intrusive ways and I really appreciated that. I don't always want to be sledge-hammered by the wines I taste. I like them to open gracefully and to continue to open and reveal more of their charms. This way I have a chance to get assimilated with them and continue on alongside them as the event/ dinner /meal unfolds with family, friends, business associates. We become, so to speak comfortable with one another and have the opportunity to become as well more evolved and expansive. These for me are really good things. I feel that I could do all this and more with the 2007 HALL Sauvignon Blanc.

     Follow that with some of the 2005 HALL Merlot ( around $30 ) and we are starting to really perform beautifully as a team. I liked the softness, roundness, the easy-appeal of the Merlot that I could just as readily sip and enjoy as have with a meal. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc for around $45 I felt I would need a meal because it was a bit more closed, a bit less accessible to me. Give me a good medium-rare steak with the Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, of course and I will be singing another tune.

     But, as I stated already I really liked these three wines and will probably order all three to come here  in March to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265  sales@clevelandparkwine.com  www.clevelandparkwine.com ). I will put together an order with rep Chrissy Carpenter next week and look forward to selling them shortly. I think we will also work an in-store tasting here on a weekend with HALL and Chrissy.

     It was great to meet you Monika. Thanks for coming here with Chrissy. Cheers,   TONY

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