We sell all of these wines on a regular basis except for the fancy " Le Cedre " on a regular basis and I am thinking about including the " Le Cedre " this December , 2009 for those of us in search of the " original " and excellent Malbecs of Cahors and of the world. People should be allowed to taste some of the very best Malbec made in the world : why not?!?
Here are some of my pictures though I certainly have more and intend to include them as soon as I can.
Most of our customers do not know that the grape Malbec originally comes from France and Cahors in particular where it is a superstar and has been for many moons and years : way before they made it another superstar in Mendoza, Argentina much more recently. Everyone has already forgotten the Bonarda grape that they grow widely in Argentina for the Malbes. That's a shame as it, too has great promise there : and it came from Oltrepo Pavese, Italy though most people do not know that either.
People : there is a past to all these grapes and that is mostly in the eastern hemisphere and not in the western. Norton is one of the very few grapes that I can think of that comes from North America and not somewhere in Europe.
When I tell our customers about Cahors and that the Malbec grape comes originally from there and that they should try the " original " area of production they often look at me funny and ask me if it is as good there?
My quick response is : " Would those that took the Malbec vines to South America of the Malbec schlepped ( spelling ? ) them all that way if they had not thought they were pretty great/grand in France?!? Does that make any sense to you?
I say they are as great if not better and that everyone should be now trying a Cahors red next to an Argentina Malbec. Buy two bottles, one of each and enjoy them together. There is room for both. The French simply have not until very recently done their job to promote properly their fine country wines ; and their labeling often does not mention the grapes used on the back labels so no one buys them because they have no idea what they are buying or drinking.
J'aime vos vins Francaise mais c'est tres domage que vous n'avez pas bien faites vos travail pour bien enseigner/ expliquer aux publique mondiale moderne qui voulent bien apprendre apprecier les bons vins du monde qui sont disponibles a eux. Exusez-moi pour mes fautes d'autograph ici et bonne continuation ... j'aime vos vins beaucoup ".
Stay-tuned, I have more to add here shortly. In the meantime go out and buy some bottles of LE CEDRE Cahors and Domaine BOUISSEL Fronton which is a spicy, earthy, pithy southwest French country blend of mostly Negrette and some Malbec, Cabernet Franc and more. It's a great food wine that is spicy and well-seasoned. It's not so much a wine to drink on it's own. The Negrette grape needs to be softened and filled/fleshed-out by the food. Some good cheeses with a some age might be really simple and nice with the BOUISSEL?
Marci Weinstein our rep for Constantine Imports ( and a good friend of Lisa Giufre ) stopped by and tasted with us. She also works with this same export sales manager with another series of wines. What were they again Marci? She's pictured here, too.
Cheers et a bientot ... TONY
P.S. : It's Thanksgiving Day ( Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 3:04 PM ) here in northern Virginia and I am home with my family and we are getting ready to have out Thanksgiving meal. I feel fortunate to be here with my family though we are sad that our daughter or one of my brothers cannot be with us, too. I give thanks for all that I have and am looking forward to our meal later.
Yesterday at Cleveland Park I sold lots of wines that go well with the traditional turkey meal and all the embellishments like fresh cranberry sauce, yams, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, gravy, green beans, apple and pecan pie as well as all manner of cheese pies. It was fun : most our our customers are like an extended family now for me that I have worked at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits managing the wine department for almost ten years. I gave many of them hugs and kisses as they left and felt blessed to have so many interesting and appreciative customers that still like to go to their stores to buy and not do everything on-line. Thank you one and all : may your Thanksgivings be wonderful and toasty and warm and filled with family and loved ones and good cheer and all the food and liquid libations that your hearts might desire or yearn for now.
Lisa Giufre came to help at the store yesterday and it was nice to have her help as Mike Martin and I are sometimes stretched really thin as so many customers come at the last minute for assistance as they ask the constant question " What wines go well with turkey?". Thanks Lisa.
I had a lady ask for Argentinian Malbec because her sister was in Argentina now - in Mendoza I believe. We set her up with one or two bottles to toast to her absent sister at her meal. Of course I told the story to her of Cahors and Malbec.
Malbec is perhaps the most popular red these days in Washington D.C. and the metropolitan area around it. We get requests for it non-stop. I did sell some Cahors, too as some of our customers were open to trying Malbec from it's original area of production. I think that it will work fine with the turkey as there are so many other flavorful ingredients that are served with it. On it's own I do not think that all Malbecs will complement the turkey : some Malbecs are softer and smoother and more elegant and polished. Those will work well with the turkey.
We also sold lots of Pinot Noirs, some Tempranillos, some Sangioveses ( VALDIPIATTA, Rosso and Vino Nobile, Montepulciano ; FALESCO, Umbria ), some Gamay ( MANOIR DU CARRA, LABOURE-ROI, BOUCHARD Aine Et Fils - lots of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 that is an excellent vintage ). Even sold some Zweigelt and some Chambercin red - ROCKBRIDGE - from Virginia ( as well as some Cabernet Franc - FABBIOLI CELLARS - and Petit Verdot - JEFFERSON VINEYARD - from Virginia ). It's an American holiday and so I recommended first wines from the United States and then broadened the selections from there.
Something for everyone : that's the idea. Now we just have to wait and see how our recommendations do today at all these Thanksgiving turkey meals?
I have to stop now and go be a part of the last-minute preparations. The apple pie is in the oven baking and both the home-made stuffing and the 16-pound turkey have just come out. The green beans are now on the stove and everything is coming together beautifully.
The weather is brisk, damp, a bit biting and cold and we may or may not be able to be outside around a fire I plan to build on our deck? We will see. I sure could use a glass now of either the LE CEDRE Cahors 2006 or the Ch. BOUISSEL red Negrette Fronton just about now. But I will wait patiently until our guests arrive soon.
Cheers once again and Happy Thanksgiving may it be now or whenever in the year as well all have thanks to give for being alive and with our loved ones ... TONY
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