This was a fun and in many ways impromptu tasting as Kate ( her family owns GOTHAM Winery that makes these PUPPETEER wines ) was able to join us briefly to taste her unoaked sparkling Chardonnay ( $10.99 ) from South Australia that comes just like the old Coke bottles with a bottle top. It's meant to be drunk young and it sure is vibrant, bright, creamy and fresh.
Nicolas that works for FERRATON PERE ET FILS distributing the wines in the Eastern United States was scheduled to come and taste his assortment of two FERRATON whites ( a white Cotes du Rhone ( $12.49 ) and a white Crozes Hermitage ( $21.99 ) : blends of Clairette Blanc and Grenache blanc was it? I think so ) and three FERRATON reds ( a 2008 Cotes Du Rhone ( $12.49), a Cotes du Rhone Villages ( $15.49 ) and a Crozes Hermitage ( Approx. $28 I believe ) from 3-7 PM.
We enjoyed quite a lovely afternoon as people just kept coming and wanting to taste these dry white and red FERRATON PERE ET FILS Rhones and finish off with Kate's PUPPETEER sparkling Aussie Chardonnay. It was a perfect fit and we sold quite a bit of all these wines. Nicolas, you stayed past 7 PM because the wines were open and people were still coming and both wanting and or willing to taste. They bought, too as at the end we did a recap and I believe that you were quite pleased Nicolas.
I can see our customers Phil and Jim in the picture above with two new customers tasting with Nicolas and Kate.
These customers in both the picture above and below were in a group and new to our store Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ) as well. At least I did not recognize them but I was drawn immediately to the strong bright cadmium colors of the young brunette's dress here. Being an artist I often take and include some of these less-than-conventional photos to add to the moment which for me always has a bit artsy flair and feel of color, vibrancy, excitement, discovering new wines and new people, etcetera.
All the wines showed well. Here Nicolas is pouring one of them for one of our new customers as the two others look on. I heard them speaking French with Nicolas so as they left with their purchases of FERRATON wines. I sold them some other wines, too as I overheard part of their conversation with Nicolas and they seemed happy. I certainly hope so : that is the only goal that matters - a customer's satisfaction.
The FERRATON PERE ET FILS white Cotes Du Rhone 2008 ( $12,49 ) was perhaps my favorite FERRATON wine of the moment because for me it completely complemented the moment of this Saturday afternoon on Connecticut Avenue N.W. in Washington D.C. I loved how bright and smooth and easy to enjoy sip after sip after sip.
I also enjoyed the FERRATON PERE ET FILS white Crozes Hermitage ( $21.99 ) from the northern Rhone valley. It was bolder, bigger, denser, more color and more edge and more like a more detailed carving or marble sculpture. It was sort of like the unfinished/unpolished marble sculptures of Michelangelo that you can see in Florence, Italy. Don't get me wrong : I really liked this dry white but I would like it a whole lot more in the context of the right meal to bring out and soften and round-out more of it's intense flavors.
I could easily see taking it down to the Lavandou restaurant at the end of our block that specializes in French cooking, especially that of the Provence and southern Rhone regions. I should have ordered my lunch from Lavandou, That would have been perfect if I had only been thinking of myself and my own pleasure at that moment in time. No such luck : too many customers to take care of on a busy Saturday afternoon here in our nation's capitol.
I also liked all three reds. I had already tried all of these when Arielle Monaco of the Country Vintners Import Company had brought Nicolas by to introduce him to me as well as taste these current vintages available through Country Vintners. They were fairly fresh those earlier memories but it was good to check them out on a second go-round.
The 2008 dry red Cotes Du Rhone FERRATON was charming and being medium-to-light-bodied and made from a lot of Grenache a delight to drink on it's own. It had a small bite and a touch of pepper on the palate but was showing very well. At $12.49 it is an easy wine for us to sell all day long.
At the first tasting earlier that I mentioned when Arielle and Nicolas came by I really gravitated to the Cotes Du Rhone Villages dry red Grenache blend. It had more weight, heft to throw around, more defined notes in all the spectrum of flavors : with bolder highs and lows as those rushes you get when on a roller coaster. I love that feeling when it's in terms of a wine on my palate and my tongue is the scaffolding for the roller coaster ( wine ) to be on.
The red FERRATON Pere Et Fils Crozes Hermitage being made from the Syrah grape is again even bolder, more daring, more thrilling even ( like riding that roller coaster in the dark of night? ) and it definitely benefits a whole lot from food as it has much more hearty flavors with a very lively acidity. I liked it and am glad to have it in the store along with the white Condrieu northern Rhone wine that we did not taste because it costs $68 a bottle I believe. I liked how silky and elegant and smooth the Viognier flavors were in this Condrieu. It has finesse and charm and many subtle nuances of flavors that you have to stop and pause and try an concentrate on if you want to get your money's worth with it. Don't be in a rush : don't chill it too much - just enough to enliven and brighten it a shade or two.
As I said I am now at home on my day-off and trying to keep up with all the events that pass through our store on a daily/weekly basis. I am behind and I hate that but then there is only so much time and light in a day and only so much energy in the dark of night at the end of the day.
Thanks Kate and Nicolas for coming to pour your wines in our store in Cleveland Park N.W. D.C. I appreciate it ; so do our customers.
I like that you brought a map with you Nicolas to show our customers where the wines come from. That was " une tres bonne idea ".
The picture above is from the start of the tasting when we still had lots of wine to sell.
There's that pretty cadmium-hued summer color dress above that really gets me thinking of the warmer weather that's coming especially after the two long weeks of being buried in snow from the " snowstorm of the century " here in Washington D.C.!
It's nice to take some posed pictures like the one above and below of our happy customers clutching their bottles of FERRATON PERE ET FILS wine with Nicolas to their side. Great smiles, too.
It's important for me to take pictures like the one above to help me remember vintages and names and labels, etc.
This customer sees some contented and beautiful customers sipping FERRATON PERE ET FILS Rhone wines and he wants to join the party. Can't say that I blame him.
This lady in the picture above has her bouquet of flowers for her sick friend that she is taking them along with a meal and a bottle of FERRATON. Now that's what I call a good friend.
Cheers, and stay-tuned for my updates really soon. TONY
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