Yesterday, Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 Barry and Chris tasted Mike Martin and me on the 2007 FREEMARK ABBEY Napa Chardonnay, $21.99. We will taste it this Saturday in the store with our Cleveland Park customers from 3-7 PM. Chris will come and pour it along with the Tuscan red 2004, the " Prima Voce " TENUTA DI ARCENO, $16.49. It's a classic, old-world style of Italian red : medium-bodied, dusty-dry, some good body and yet not a casual sipping wine. It needs a meal and to be open for awhile before drinking.
The FREEMARK ABBEY 2007 Chardonnay has that good Napa oak and some butter. It will hold it's own against many a dish and for those that like this style it will be a big hit at this price. I remember when it was more expensive : I'm glad that the price has dropped.
Chris will also pour some other wines from his MONUMENT portfolio that includes another California wine, a Pinot Noir and a dry Spanish white.
You should join us this weekend to taste these wines as there is never any charge. Bring some family and some friends and make it a special event in Cleveland Park.
Chris and Barry also tasted me on the BYRON " Santa Maria Valley " Pinot Noir, $25.99. We will not be tasting it this Saturday as we had already picked another Pinot. The BYRON is a very popular style of California Pinot Noir. I'm glad that I got a chance to revisit it.
As you can see by these pictures that I like looking for interesting angles and contrasts with the wine bottles, the wine glasses filled with the wine and all juxtaposed one against the back-drop of the other. The more things to include that relate to the others the better. I love the distortions, the way the glass amplifies certain words and images. I also like the way the glass breaks up a person's face and makes some of it big and some of it small.
Here I have taken more traditional photos of both Barry and Chris.
I really enjoyed tasting the FREEMARK ABBEY Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ( $38.99 ). I immediately appreciated the bouquet first and then the way the Cab evolved and opened for me as I slowly sipped it. From start to long finish this medium-bodied Napa Cabernet Sauvignon showed balance and some strong character, making me want to linger longer over my glass of wine. Why rush it : let it work it's many charms slowly and without being strapped for time.
I will write more time-permitting. Now I have to post these pictures and these few comments. I'll have to find my notes and pictures of the first tasting with Eileen McLemore and include them here as well.
I love this picture of Chris above that I took where the glass in fact does distort his head and make it quite a contrast to the top of his head that it does not cover. The same person, the same face yet two distinct realities that coexist in harmony anyway.
In the meantime enjoy both these pictures and what I have written so far.
I love both these two last pictures of Chris and Barry where I capture moment's of pure surprise and a reaction I am sure to what I said at the time to get purer, more honest, less posed pictures. Cheers guys ...
Enjoy, TONY
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