Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
SCRAMBLING - Always, I can't seem to do otherwise! Today I doing it again and
yet I got here to work early and that's always nice, busy and yet managing to be
on-time : love it.
OH WHAT FUN! It never ends as there is always something changing and that keeps
it both challenging and exciting at the same time, just try not to lose sight of
the big picture.
YESTERDAY on my day-off I went to the Siema portfolio wine-tasting and enjoyed
making some 'new ' discoveries as revisiting some that I already knew fairly
well.
THE NICE THING about going to taste like this is having a chance to retry the
wines and see where they are in their evolution. Even got to try some of the
CUSTER'S LAST STAND ale brewed by SMUTTYNOSE Brewing Company as it was open as
the wine-tasting closed and so it was a way they treated themselves after the
tasting, even though it is not sold by them.
I REVISITED the wines of KALTERN in Italy's Alto Adige region ( Tobias was there
and so I got to meet him and taste his new ' K ' series of both a blended white
of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, some Pinot Grigio and also a blended red that has
Blaufrankish and Schiava ).
WE ALREADY HAVE many KALTERN wines on our shelves like the Gewurztraminer 12,
2012, On Special for $12.99, down from$15.99 a bottle : dry and smooth and
really nice to sip as well. I liked it, very pleasing and would complement many
a meal and cut through many sauces and spices, even things heavily-marinated,
what a deal!
I ALSO REALIZED HOW REALLY fine the Pinot Nero ( Blauburgunder 12 ) 2012 is,
$17.99 : it spoke firmly, joyously and with great skill to me, I turned my
palate over several times to be sure that I liked the slightly white pepper
flavors, the toasty berry - cherry flavors, quite a treat.
I ALSO REVISITED from IL BORRO in Tuscany with assistant winemaker Luca, we
sampled the Syrah-based wines
like the PIAN Di NOVA 2011 75% Syrah, 25% Sangiovese that has never tasted
better - more fruit-forward and bright and balanced, needing less time to age
than before. The magnum of the Alexander that we tasted was sublime with
everything showing brightly, like stars - many sparkling - twinkling up in the
skies and heavens, no burn, delicious and mouth-filling and 100% Syrah grapes.
I also tasted the Bordeaux-based with Syrah 2009 IL BORRO Toscano, $43.99 that
was so well-balanced and tasty, medium-to-light-bodied, and silky and perhaps my
favorite red to enjoy now with this cooler fall weather? I liked it, liked it a
whole lot.
THE IL BORRO 2011 ' La Melle ' Toscano I.G.T. Chardonnay, On Special for $28.99
is delicious to drink now with or without a meal, I really enjoyed tasting it
again yesterday.
TRIED and WAS THRILLED to realize once again the TEN SISTERS Kiwi wines of Ellie
and her large family, a delicious dry 2013 Sauvignon Blanc , $18.99, a Single
Vineyard from Marlborough, 12.6% alcohol by volume that we have on our shelves :
it shouts-out, it reaches out, it envelopes one's palate so delightfully, firmly
... , and the Pinot Noir that is delicate and silky and really subtle and
bright. We need to get that back on our shelves.
DID NOT , UNFORTUNATELY get to Klaus and his fine Austrian wines from LEO
HILLINGER, ANTON BAUER, JOSEPH BAUER, STRAUSS, STEININGER, and introducing the
superb wines of NETZL, like the Chardonnay 2013that we sell well at $19.99 a
bottle.
THE OTHER WEEK Andrew left a bottle of the 2011 ANTON BAUER Zweigelt red
Feuersbrunn, $13.99, 13.5% alcohol , and we all made some joyous noise for it, a
fine food wine as the fruit-toasty-berry-up-front flavors and the good acidity
will marry well with so many styles of food, whether inside or outside, so
versatile, so tasty.
I WAS ENTHRALLED when I did try the LEO HILLINGER Blaufrankisch ' Leithaberg ' ,
$32.99 a bottle, 13.5% alcohol by volume, : talk about presence and
concentration, extraction and finesse of flavors and so many lilting,
reverberating tastes , too that linger, return, and make it impossible to think
of much else! I love that, we need that, a great escape, a great journey.
I DISCOVERED the wines of BIG CORK Vineyards ( 4238 Main St. Rohrersville, MD
21779 , 301-432-3889 ) , met owner Dave Collins that poured the BIG CORK
Viognier for us and it blew Katarina and me away : rich , bright, layered and
flavorful, oaked and yet I liked it, there was no heaviness or unpleasant
edginess to it, balanced, refined and very drinkable with or without a meal. It
was a treat and it set the course for us to then enjoy Dave's Chardonnay,
Traminette, and his Cabernet Franc as well. I did not care so much for either
the Merlot or the Sauvignon Blanc : both need more time in the bottle for me.
WE WILL have the BIG CORK Vineyards' Maryland wines here as soon as they are
available, starting with the delicious Viognier.
I ALSO SAW LAURENCE of the BREAUX Vineyards and tried the dry rose that we sell,
$17.99 a bottle, ( 13.5% alcohol by volume, enjoyed some last night with my
salmon filet grilled outside on a beautiful night and a terrific day.
I DISCOVERED the soft and bright and smooth, silky Chardonnay from BREAUX
Vineyards. I had not had it for quite awhile and I loved it, I really loved it,
so nice to sip all by itself, a real treat. We will have Andrew pour some here
at his next tasting which is this Saturday! Time flies, it's already here.
BUT HEY, Santos and the ales and the beers are all calling out to me now and
saying : " Our turn! " Fair is fair, lets talk ale and beer, pilsner, porter,
IPA, Pumpking ale and Octoberfest and everything else from Santos :
1) TINDER Rauchbier Crooked Line
On Special for $8.99, 750ml bottle from UINTA Brewing Co. from Salt Lake City,
Utah, bottle-conditioned, : " Set your senses ablaze with Tinder ... " sounds
like a mighty fine suggestion ...
2) " Twisted Thistle IPA " , bold, bitter, juicy from BELHAVEN Brewery, On
Special for $11.99 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles, " " Twisted Thistle is our
flagship American-style IPA, we use loads of challenger, cascade and Hersbrucker
hops to produce a beer that greets you with an amazing nose-full of grapefruit
aroma and follows up with ... "
3) " Birdhouse " Pale Ale - In Honor of Icterus Galbula from The BREWER'S ART,
from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, comes in a six-pack, twelve ounce cans, On Special
for $10.99. How many of you have already tried it? What do you think? Leave us a
comment? Thanks.
ALSO From SANTOS :
1) Pinot Grigio Hard Apple Cider from WILLIAM TELL is hand-crafted, On Special
for $8.99 a 12 Fl Oz bottle, 6.5% alcohol by volume,go to :
www.ciderbrothers.com for more info. Tasty, fun, refreshing, we liked it when we
sampled it last week.
AND FROM MALKIT and from JAGIR we have : in both Liqueur and Liquor :
1) " Rhetoric " Aged 20 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from the ORPHAN
BARREL Whiskey Distilling Co. is brand new and exciting. bottled in Tullahoma,
TN. Something new to try.
2) Kentucky Bourbon from BARTERHOUSE is also ' new and exciting ' On Special for
$83.99 a 750ml bottle, 45.1% alcohol by volume, aged 20 years, : " Well Crafted
Quality ... The Genuine Article aged in American oak barrels ... "
3) Single Grain Irish Whiskey Small Batch 8 Year Old , $41.99 is a pure delight,
I liked it very much when I recently tasted it. Balanced, flavorful, so pleasing
to sip and linger and languish in a good way of course ...
4) Tequila Liqueur , Cinnamon flavored, $26.99 a 750ml bottle, from PELIGROSO is
really quite new, stunning, of-the-moment, thrilled to have it, come check it
out. Great graphic on the back of the bottle, in gold ink / gold leaf , too!
5) Vodka from Hank Birdwell's , One Bushel Per Lot, grown, packed and shipped in
USA, Seven generations of family distilling , On Special for $10.99, 40% alcohol
by volume, great deal! Bottled by PROXIMO Distillers, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Ohhhh yeahhhhh, what a grand deal this is. Grand.
6) Carpano Bianco Il Primo Vermut, Fondata in Turino Nel 1786 from CARPANO,
$24.99 a liter bottle, from Italy : try the white, you all know the greatness of
the red in the fancy tin can, now discover the greatness of the BIANCO, too!
WINE From Chris And Tony :
1) 2012 Villa Alegre dry Chilean Pinot Noir rose from hte Valle Del Maule,
$8.99, 12.5% alcohol by volume, from VIEJO FEO and Baeza Family Cellars, a
soft-dry, smooth and pleasing rose at $8.99, great deal, very pleasing to sip.
2) 2012 Villa Alegre Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Valle Del Maule, also
$8.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume : I like the softness and the fruit-forward
quality of this wine, so pleasing, such a pleasure to sip, easy and refreshing
and bright : a nice mouth-feel. Not for those that want a challenge, this is too
easy for many but just right for so many others.
3) 2005 Saperavi indigenous dry red from NATA VACHNADZE, this Kakheti Georgian
wine at $9.99 a bottle, 12% alcohol by volume,is mature and flavorful and a
really fine food wine, I like it, I like it with my meals. Learn about Georgia's
Saperavi grape variety.
4) Bareasca Neagra from MONSER, is another one of those " Romanian varietals for
fat cats and aristocrats ". just like the MONSER Feteasca Neagra 2012 , 12.5%
alcohol by volume : the Babeasca Neagra is smooth and silky and fleshier, sort
of like a Ruby port, whereas the Feteasca Neagra is leaner and lighter with a
touch more acidity and toasty dryness, like a Tawny port... both wines are dry,
both sell for $9.99 a bottle and offer great value and style and character for
so little money!
5) the Babeasca Neagra 2011 from HEREDITAS, is made from organically-grown
grapes, $11.99, 13.5% alcohol by volume, and has a bit better definition and is
lighter and with a bit more distinct Babeasca Neagra character. I like all three
of these fine Romanian dry reds, great values, too.
6) 2012 Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Tuscany, Italy, and from MORMORAIA
Winery / Vineyards, $17.99 a bottle, 12.5% alcohol by volume, this is classic,
flavorful, distinct, dry and tasty white wine from Tuscany, sometimes prefaced
with : " If Chianti made a white wine Vernaccia would be it. " That would be for
me in this case : " If there was a good Chianti white wine it would be this
MORMORAIA."
7) 2009 Reserva Spanish Rioja from IZADI, $21.99, 14% alcohol by volume, tasted
recently with Juan and Joe and simply had to have it : spectacular, really
bright, really nicely nuanced and dappled in shades and shadows and scents and
senses of all kinds for all people to be appreciated fully by all : a real fine
treat.
8) Chianti Classico 2010 from FONTODI, a half bottle, $28.99, a full bottle/
750ml is $49.99 a bottle : world-class, so elegant, so refined, so velvety and
delightful, I tasted it a couple of months ago with Eric and am delighted to get
it back on our shelves. This is a real treat, get some now and squirrel it away
for the dead of winter, maybe even a couple of winter's away so you get all that
the wine has to offer. Better yet buy some of both bottles, drink the 375ml/
half bottles now and wait for the full/750ml bottles to age. Look out for the
full spread on FONTODI in the Wine Spectator in three or so weeks. Go to :
www.fontodi.com for more info : FONTODI di Giovanni e Marco Manetti s.s. , 50022
Panzano in Chianti, Firenze , fontodi@fontodi.com.
9) ' Water Junmai Ginjo Shu Lords Premium Sake from Kyoto, Japan, Eikun, $29.99,
what a silky, silky, fine, firm-fleshy-flirty-flinty-floral-fragrant Japanese
sake to truly impress and excite and stimulate one's palate.
TWO-DAY SALE :
1) Today - ALL Tuesdays Save On Bubbly / Champagne / Sparkling Wine Up To 15%,
call to place order and pay if you cannot come by ...
2) Tomorrow- ALL Wednesdays save up to 20% On Non-Sparkling/ Still Wines. Call
again to place your orders and to pay and SAVE BIG if you cannot come in person.
ALSO :
202-363-4265 or email your order to : Anthony.Quinn@clevelandparkwines.com , or
Tonythewineguy@gmail.com
WEEK'S TASTINGS :
TUESDAY, October 7th, 2014 ( 5 to 8 PM ) : We have Jan our local rep of both
JUSTIN Vineyards, Paso Robles 2012, $27.99, 14.5% alc by volume, and the
LANDMARK Vineyards ' Overlook ' 2012 Chardonnay, $26.99 a bottle, 14.3% alcohol
by volume ... here to taste the JUSTIN Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and the
LANDMARK Chardonnay, two fine California expressions in wine that are classic,
tasty and memorable. Our Swedish neighbor's parents adored the ' Overlook '
Chardonnay on their last visit here last time.
FRIDAY, October 10th, 2014 ( 5 to 8 PM ) : We have Aleks of the Balkan Wine
Project here to taste Slovenian Macedonian and Croatian wines : wonderful,
distinct, memorable!
SATURDAY, October 11th, 2014 ( 2 to 6PM ) : We have Andrew Stover here to taste
some of the wines written about above that I tried at the Siema wine-tasting
yesterday : KALTERN Alto Adige, IL BORRO Tuscan Italian wines in particular, also the TEN
SISTERS Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, and the BREAUX Vineyards
Chardonnay, too. We will also probably throw in an Austrian wine for good
measure!!
Cheers. Join us, never any charge.
THANKS for all your support, purchases, belief-in-us over the years. We really
do appreciate that.
CALL FOR our FREE DELIVERIES of purchases over $30 : 202-363-4265.
FOLLOW US on Twitter at : cpwinespirits,
LIKE US on Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wine & Spirits
CALL TODAY or come by and save and taste with Jan his Justin and Landmark
California wines : a real treat. Cheers, all the bottles tasted with Jan are 15%
off at tonight's tasting. Cheers, TONY
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