Doug that works for owner and winemaker Doug Fabbioli of FABBIOLI CELLARS in Leesburg, Virginia dropped this bottle off of an open FABBIOLI CELLARS 2009 dry red made from France's Tannat grape from Madiran, southern France. Tannat of all grapes is the highest in a natural substance called Resveratrol and since the articles started to break about this in 2006 there has been renewed interest in the Tannat grape variety.
In the past in France in the region of Madiran there almost at the border of France and Spain the old classic Tannats were really age-worthy wines and not to be touched for years later : cellared properly and for all intents and purposes forgotten till a really cold and rainy day many moons hence.
When Doug dropped this off last week I was too busy to focus on it. R=There simply was not time. He kindly left it for me and Eon to try along with three other wines to try together ( two Cabernet Franc wines as well as the red top-of-the-line blend Tre Sorels ). Thanks Doug, I have made it through so far the Tannat, the Tres Sorels and still have the two Cabernet Francs to go with Ean ).
I have seen the 2009 Tannat FABBIOLI CELLARS morph and change and readjust and offer up different parts of it's personality over the days it has been open. It has always stayed fresh and bright, a bit hard and dense, spicy, earthy and the fruit has always been masked to a great extent by the other components. I have tried it with my meals and drunk it will grilling outside this past Sunday and Monday nights as I like very much to grill.
Last night was the revelation : it blossomed, it came into full bloom : it softened and rounded and became utterly enjoyable. I am glad that I waited, that I tried it each and every night since it was open and that there was still enough in the bottle each time to do so. Otherwise I do not believe that I would have ever made this discovery? probably not.
I really enjoyed it last night - Monday night, November 14th, 2011 as I grilled our salmon fillet outside on our deck. It was unseasonably warm and balmy ( in the seventies for November? ) and it was a treat. The color has always been deep and thick and reflective like a calm lagoon on a starry evening. I like it. I have taken pictures of it a little while ago and will include them here later.
So, I am still always learning things. I like that, I need that : keeps me stimulated and in love with wine as much as ever before. Cheers and thanks for the samples Doug. This was a grand eye-opener and for that I am grateful. Take care, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn
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