Look at the great gold-bright, sun-enriched/drenched-baked-saturated color of this Chardonnay in my Reidel tasting glass here above? Can you believe it : like the warmth and the attraction of the sun itself ... and wait till you get to the bouquet and then next to the taste of this 2008(?, I think so ) taste : like the pull of a benevolent siren that only wants to please you in every way possible in this instance, of course ... you're safe at least if you know and trust your taste buds. Go on : taste it! You'll thank me if you do. Many have already before you ...
It's now Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 1:25 PM and I am trying to get my tear organized and I realize that I never posted this blog and am sorry for that. I was able to try an assortment of these wines with Jody Jackman of Winebow Imports along with the rep from the WOLFFER ESTATE.
This was back in April and so you can see that this entry is way-overdue. You can also see from the photos that I could have as easily included it in my chatart.blogspot.com as I focused a lot on getting some artsy photos here of the label and the light in the store as well as the color of the bottle and trying to pierce through it and see both our rep and the store. I loved the deep yellow of the label ; it mirrored nicely my deep attachment to this particular wine in the group which included reds as well.
I was surprised by my reaction being so strong and in favor of the Chardonnay over the other reds? Why was this? Usually I would pick a bottle of the reds over the whites as I love reds more than I do many whites.
However living now with my wife contentedly for so many years my love and appreciation for whites has grown greatly as wife overall prefers to drink them and not reds. That's okay and I have tasted many more whites as a consequence which is good for my job when it comes time to recommend them on their own and along with food accompaniment.
I first got onto the WOLFFER ESTATE Finger Lakes, New York wines years ago when our then-rep Nikki Neufeld ( how are you Nikki? It's been quite some time and you , too did bring us many interesting people from the Winebow portfolio including the owner of the NARDINI grappa house who's products still sell really well for us , thanks for all of that and Happy New Year 2009 ! ) brought me some of the sparkling WOLFFER wines and I think we immediately included one of them and then two? It's been quite awhile since then and I should now look again at buying some of them as it is the season and I do not have any New York State sparkling wine in the store.
It has been a pleasure to represent the WOLFFER ESTATE wines and I am sad to state that at this particular moment in time that all we have now are a few bottles of their excellent dry " Apple Wine ". Jody, I'll call you on Tuesday and we will address this dilemma together and correct the imbalance.
As I said before on this visit and tasting the wine that impressed me the most was the WOLFFER Long Island, New York Chardonnay 2008 was it? I can't read the label here : it's too fuzzy? It was the current release as I recall. I will ask Jody on Tuesday and add it then to be correct.
Anyway the Chardonnay was the winner hands-down and I think that there are two big reasons for me in this case. One, I don't expect to be blown-away and very impressed with Chardonnays these days if they are nor white burgundies. Second, at that point in time in April I also found it the most enjoyable and ready-to-drink of the bunch that was presented to me. I'm looking for wines that show well when I taste them. I like wines that need to be aged : or that can be aged more.
However, I respond really well almost immediately to those that are showing well at the moment that I taste them : and they catch my interest more as a result. I know from lots of past experiences that no one wants to wait anymore : they want the wine to taste good yesterday and not tomorrow! That seems to be a fact for many of our customers as I also know that they will be drinking the wines today and not tomorrow.
They only own a bottle or two or three and so will drink them now and not wait, simple as that. That's just the reality : it is in no way or form a value judgement on my part. Why should it be? I am happy for their continued business and support. And knowing this I am interested in buying more wines that show well right now and not as many that will need another six or eight months or more of time in the bottle.
This Chardonnay was delicious and according to the weather back in April which might have been quite cool it really hit all the spots that I am interested in. I told both Jody and the lovely rep from WOLFFER ESTATE this at the time. I cannot now for the life of me remember her name but it was her second or third visit to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) and she remembered me and we got off to a great start on this last visit.
I loved her smile and her " look " this day with the beautiful curly hair on this day : the way the store lights above shone and bounced off of it as well as her warm earth colors in her clothing , and the jewelry, too. I think I told her all of this at the time. Being an artist I quickly am drawn to all of this and take it in quickly as we talk and I taste and we get comfortable around one another once again.
It's a bit of a ritual and one that I enjoy thoroughly and which also works really well fro some of the people that I meet for the first time as well as for those that I am seeing once again. It's not for everyone but it's my way and I don't think I will ever change.
I took some extra pictures of her because of all of this and have included them here for you all to enjoy as you call us at the store or email us in search of a bottle of this excellent WOLFFER ESTATE Chardonnay. Don't delay : call now and I will have some by Wednesday for you all to enjoy while you reread this blog and enjoy the pictures as well as the stories here.
I almost forgot to mention that I ordered the Chardonnay for the store and that soon after Jody used it in one of her in-store Friday night wine-tastings.
It has been excellent to work with Jody as she brings so much to the table each and every time that she comes to see us. On top of this she gives so much or herself and gives it her all when she tastes with customers; drawing them in with many notes and observations of the wines that she is tasting. People learn when they come to one of her tastings ; and they relax and enjoy themselves marvelously, too. Often people ask when is she tasting again and is she included in this or that " big Theme " bi-monthly tastings that we conduct on Wednesday evenings at the store with thirty-forty wines or more to taste. She's really a big part of the Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits family at this point and we all love her.
Jody also tries to bring us all her reps and owners and wine-makers when she can. I love this part as much as any other part of my job and it is nice to be able to say to those that I am tasting with that we will include within a three-week period one or other of their wines when Jody comes to taste next on a Friday evening at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits in our nation's capitol from 5-8 PM.
Jody, maybe we should include a WOLFFER ESTATE bubbly or the Chardonnay once again? What do you say?
There, I think I have included a lot of what I would like to say. Now all I have to do is try some of the reds once again to see which one is showing optimally at this point? Is it one of the Merlots?
Cheers and Happy Holidays to one and to all this 2009 : may your New Year be grand, too .... TONY
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