This was my second encounter with Rob Gibson , the first had been perhaps a year back when he came in with a rep for the Grateful Palate portfolio of top quality Aussie wines. Was it you Ammo ( John ) that brought Rob to me for the first time? I don't remember. Again I am at home and do not have access to all of my plastic binder notebooks with sleeve after sleeve after sleeve filled by each and every visiting wine owner/maker to Cleveland Park, Washington D.C. Oh well, I will " wing it " in my attempt to get caught up with all these marvelous people, their wines and their visits to both our store and the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. I love it. I thrive on all of this. This is my life-blood in the wine world, this is what matters to me and keeps the flame of constant interest and passion still alive in me after nearly 30 years in this business of serving the public as a " wine-enabler "/facilitator. That's how I described myself to one of our, Kathi Kemp customers at Cleveland Park Wines and Spirits in 2000 and she has never forgotten it. Her remembering it has helped me to remember. Thanks Kathi.
Anyway, it's now July 7th, 2008 almost three years after I met Rob again, this time trying to sell me some of his LOOSE ENDS Barossa reds, whites and one sparkling red blend of dry Shiraz, Merlot and Mataro( small amount ). I bought them, too. My rep Shannon brought Rob to me and I really enjoyed his wines, especially the GSM ( Grenache, Shiraz, Merlot ) red blend. We have a selection of these wines at the store. Call Mike or me at 202-363-4265 for pricing and availability. I think the GSM is just under $20 a bottle, and the red sparkling around $23 if I am not mistaken.
I remember when I first met Rob selling his GIBSON wines. He's really quite tall. He reminded me of my friend and California wine owner and maker Jed Steele. They are both quite tall, they both tower over me. I remember tasting at least three of the GIBSON reds. I liked them and perhaps would have bought them at the time until I heard the prices. They were at the time just too expensive for us. I must have been feeling cash-poor. I was also struggling with the old idea I had in my head that Barossa wines were big and alcoholic fruit-bombs with little polish and finesse. In thanks to Rob his wines were really helping me to dispel this old myth that only rang true in some but not all cases. But both the price and this hard-t0-break mindset were still alive in me and I am ashamed to admit it. Oh well, there's always room to grow and improve and Rob you helped me along then. As I type I am looking at these pictures here in my book that I brought home from work.
Rob wrote : " What a buzz going on here. Have a g'dday everyone Regards from the " dirtman " " Rob Gibson . 53 Murray Street, Nuriootpa, SA 5355. Tel : 08 8562 3193. robgibson@gibsonwinegrowing.com.au. This was back in July 15th, 2006, a day after France's Bastille Day and a few days after the 4th of July, both holidays that I like to celebrate.
I looked at Rob carefully as he came in after Shannon. Shannon is striking and so at first I was caught-up in greeting this beautiful woman. However when I looked at Rob I said to myself that I had met him before. I asked him : " We've met, haven't we? But you were wearing another hat, so to speak, weren't you ?! ". He replied what a good memory and eye for observation that I had. He cracked a smile and told me about his first visit representing his GIBSON wines. I think we broke the ice on this second visit of Rob's. On the first for me at least there could have been a little more melting of the ice. It was probably just me, but I don't think that he " got me " and what I am attempting to do at the store. If I feel this on my part it holds me back some. But as I said it was probably just me being too-sensitive. So shoot me! We are what we are.
On this visit I responded much more favorably to the wines than I did on the first visit. I really like working with the Country Vintner and I know that has a lot, too to do with the melting of the ice. I feel that Country Vintners ( at least my rep Chris Pigott and some of the people there ) " get me ". I don't feel the same chemistry with the Henry Wine Group ( I like their reps- Joe Manekin, though, and now Megan ) and that was probably in my thoughts, too on our first meeting. Anyway, that's not what I want to talk about.
I want to talk about Rob Gibson. I have a lot to say about him and his wines. I will include more on my blog page called : chataustralia.blogspot.com. That will be my next entry - about Rob and wife Anne Gibson and the marvelous two days that I spent at their winery and in their company. So check it out soon. I will also include some of the pictures for you all to enjoy from my trip there this last February 7th-21st, 2008 in their summer. Wow.
Since bringing the wines to the store in July 2006 we have sold lots of Rob's wines. We have also since included the " newer " dry white that has some Frontignon in the blend to add interesting and unique aromatics and flavors to it. It's more intriguing than another Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Kudos to you Rob and Anne for stepping outside the comfort-zone and adding something " newer and fresher " to the arena of wines. I appreciate that greatly. The dry bubbly sure is great for this summer heat now. People are intrigued when they see it on the shelf. They always pull it off and ask about it. I almost always say " try it, you'll enjoy it ". However, it is the GSM that we have probably sold the most because it's so smooth, bright, appealing and lacking in " edge " or unresolved tannins. The Shiraz needs to mature a bit more, it also needs for whereas the GSM can be enjoyed on it's own. Come by and get a bottle and conduct your own taste-tests and decide for yourselves. That's what it's really all about : what will your palate at any given time really enjoy? Only you can decide that and the best way is to buy and taste the wine. Cheers to you Rob and Anne and to hopefully many more times shared together with some good Aussie wines from the Barossa valley, SA.
Here is a picture or two from my trip to Australia this past February to get you as excited as me until I can download the pictures taken at the store in 2005/2006. Remenber, this like us and wine are all works in progress!
They call Rob affectionately " the dirt man " because he works in the vineyard with the vines. He's a passionate promoter of all things Barossa. You can see that in my haste I included a picture of Stanley of the STANLEY-LAMBERT Barossa winery by accident showing me one of his vines. Oops! Rob also really enjoys working with the Merlot grape as well as the Shiraz. Here are many pictures of his first fermentation of 2008. The wine tasted like a Merlot/ Shiraz smoothie - delicious! I told him that he should bottle some just like that, it would be the " next wine-sensation " I predicted. Take care, TONY
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