Yannick's parents Jean-Paul and Monique Paquet (viticulteurs/recoltants ) had already come to taste their wines with us on September 26th, 2005 and so it was a great surprise to meet their son Yannick when Laurent Givry, importer/president of Elite Imports brought Alphonse Mellot of Sancerre on November 16th, 2005 to taste wines with our customers. I was expecting to meet Alphonse Mellot for the first time this evening. I had also scheduled Arya Campbell 9 the LAUREL GLEN Winery, CA, ) to come taste with our customers as there would be no conflict between the two owners tasting their very different selections. Alphonse would mostly taste whites from Sancerre in the Loire Valley and Arya would taste her CA. reds as well as her one Malbec from Argentina. This would be a good fit for all concerned.
Then in walks this young man with Laurent and in all the hustle and bustle of setting-up for both tastings I inquire of Laurent : " Who is this other gentleman? " Laurent then explains and says that he is just there to observe. I immediately go in search of some of his family's excellent white burgundies from Pouilly Fuisse and Saint Veran : DOMAINE DE FUSSIACUS and DOMAINE LES VIEUX MURS. I find only the Pouilly Fuisse and open a bottle immediately so that he may also pour one of his wines.
Again, I saw no real conflict of interests as the Saint Veran white burgundy was a Chardonnay while Alphonse's wines were made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. I'll never know if this was alright with either Alphonse or Laurent but since I manage the wine department I made a split-second executive decision and I believe all in all things were a resounding success and that all three owners had a wonderful time pouring their wines and our customers had all the more to take advantage of if they happened to be lucky enough to be in our store ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. 2008 Tel : 202-363-4265, sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ) at this moment in time.
Before Yannick could leave I asked him to sign our guest book and this is what he wrote in French :
" Merci De Mavoir recu dans votre shop - ce fut un plaisir de vous rencontrer. A bientot. " He drew a picture of his house under the note - all written with our silver pen for signing the bottles as gifts for our customers.
For more technical information about Yannick, Jean-Paul and Monique's wines go to : 71960 France, Tel : 03 85 27 10 06 Fax : 03 85 27 10 07 , email : fussiacus@wanadoo.fr - wines made in Macon-Fuisse, Saint Veran, Pouilly Fuisse and Pouilly-Vinzelles.
Yannick Paquet and Arya Campbell represent the up-and-coming / the future of these vineyard's wines. They will carry on the tradition that their families have already started for them. I'm sure they will eventually bring " new " things to the table and if this one tasting was any example at all I see a bright future for both.
Thank you all Yannick, Alphonse, Arya et Laurent ... merci infinement for coming and pouring/ d'avoir verse vos vins for our customers/ pour notre clientele.
Here are a few of the pictures I took this evening during the tasting. I hope you enjoy them. Cheers, TONY
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