Cleveland Park Wine Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine
Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits
SWIMMING IN WINE / BEER / LIQUOR!
THIS IS ALWAYS THE FEELING THAT I GET when it's the end of the month and I
know that Michel Dumas , Ravis Sharma, Santos Rivera and Tony Quinn ( me ) will
be swimming in a whole lot of deliveries flooding through our back door and
finding precious room on our shelves and displays. We only have so much room :
we are only so big here : this rectangle space of ours where so much has
happened ( like having winemaker Sandi Arns taste today quickly her samples of
both the 2009 ARNS Cabernet Sauvignon , and the barrel sample of the 2010
Cabernet Sauvignon , and sign our bottles of the 2007 Syrah, $82.99, and the
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, $84.99 , that will make great Mother's and Father's Day
presents ) only comfortably can hold so much. We have to be picky, we have to be
careful and selective as we offer you all as much selection as possible.
IT'S BEEN REALLY BUSY here in this weather that cannot decide what to do. For
awhile I was beginning to think it was Vinho Verde time and now these days it's
cooler and more cloudy, wet with drizzle and some rain and so we have had to
postpone jumping immediately into Portuguese vinho verde dry whites with a touch
of sparkle and low alcohol. We do have the cute half-bottles of the GATAO Vinho
Verde in stock now at $5.99 for easy-traveling and for just one or two people to
enjoy a glass and not have anything left over. FUN. Cute blue cat label, too.
ALL IS WELL as I remember this past weekend wine-tastings on
: 1) Friday with John and Theresa Morrison tasting the A) PALAIS PRIVE
Luberon French dry white 2012 blend of Grenache blanc and Cinsault, 12.5%
alcohol by volume. Delightful, really showing well : elegance, polish and
finesse ; the B) DE MEYE South African, Stellenbosch 100% Shiraz 2011 ,
$11.99 that's medium-bodied, bold and flavorful, and the C) COMPASS 2011
California Merlot, $12.99, from Jonathan Dreyer of his own DREYER Wines in
Graton, California that is full and nicely layered and quite pleasing in it's
medium body touch to one's palate. Needs no food, a delight to sip with or
without a meal.
2) Saturday with Richard Lay of Elite Wines & Spirits that sells us the
Eric Platt portfolio of New Zealand wines. We tasted the A) OLD COACH ROAD
Pinot Gris from Nelson, the 2012 at $16.99 that's quite dry and closed and not
as forward or opulent, slow to open and lovely with many a meal. We also tasted
with Richard the B ) FORREST Pinot Noir 2010 from Marlborough, $26.99 that is
very delicate, silky, tender, like the young green shoots of vines, almost as
soft as a baby grape's just-starting-to-grow skins! We also tasted the C) more
bold and forward, developed and mineral and citrus style SEIFRIED Sauvignon
Blanc, $20.99 that is always good , especially with a meal, a warm-weather meal,
onside or outside and you are ready for a grand time!
AND THEN THERE'S YESTERDAY, Monday April 29th, 2013 when I was invited by Siema
Imports ( paid for by the State of Virginia for professionals like myself in the
wine business ) to promote the local wines of Virginia. We visited three
vineyards with Bruce our excellent driver from Pro Wine Tours and visited :
1) BOXWOOD ESTATE WINERY , Middleburg, Virginia where I saw owner Rachel
Martin, viticulture-specialist Lucie Morton, young winemakers - Johnston Moore
and Andrew Smuts and tasted the 2011 vintage in tank, the 2012 in barrel, the
2012 dry rose in bottle, $16.99 - we only have a few bottles left, the 2011
BOXWOOD was wonderful, the 2012 Lot A Cabernet Sauvignon was stunning, the 2011
and 2012 Cabernet Francs were thrilling, the 2012 Petit Verdot was gamier,
beefier, more earthy and rustic. It was a great tasting that finished with some
of the 2007 red in bottle, the BOXWOOD I believe that was really showing well -
a Library Release of theirs now. We also tasted the 2010 reds from the bottle.
Thanks Andrew, Johnston, Lucie & Rachel.
2) BREAUX Vineyards was our next stop to see and to taste with Lawrence
Camp ( Business Development Manager ) and we tasted some really nice clean and
crisp and dry - refreshing 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, some 2007 Nebbiolo that was
really top-rate , some " Chere Marie " 2012 100% Vidal Blanc : off-dry, lush,
round, forward, smooth, velvet- medium-bodied, $16.99 on our shelf : and a
wonderfful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon that was very fruit-forward, round, bright,
crisp, fleshy, medium-bodied that I will have to ask our local Siema rep, Andrew
Stover about? I liked it, liked it a whole lot! Thanks Lawrence.
3) We then met with owner Kirk Wiles CEO, Founder of PARADISE SPRINGS of
Clifton wines and tasted a fabulous Petit Manseng floral and fragrant and
opulent white with " no holes " in it's texture, fabric and flesh : and a
fabulous fruit-forward dry red Tannat that also impressed me thoroughly. Oh , I
almost forgot, we also tasted the 2011 Sommet Blanc off-dry white blend of 43%
Vidal Blanc, 31% Traminette and 26% Riesling, $21.99 that we have here now and
will be fabulous once it starts to get hot and muggy soon. It's lighter than the
Petit Manseng, has some " holes " that one can breathe and rest in once the
terrible heat starts to make us hide and shrink away, and makes us look for
these holes/spaces to do so in! They also have something " rare " with old
vintages of the 1991 and the 2000 sparkling wine from the OASIS Vineyard at
$34.99 in case you want to try a mature, aged sparkling Virginia wine. It's only
available there, great with meals and not casual sipping. 1991 was a great
vintage in Virginia. The OASIS Merlot 1991 was a wonder to hold on one's palate!
Cheers. THanks Kirk.
WE HAVE WINES from all of these three vineyards here in stock for you.
FROM BOXWOOD ESTATE We Have :
1) BOXWOOD ESTATE 2008 " Boxwood ", $28.99 a bottle. Should be about
perfection just around now with a meal, especially from the half bottles that
mature faster, $17.99 a bottle.
2) BOXWOOD ESTATE 2009 " Boxwood ", 29.99 a bottle, also with a meal this
should be a treat.
3) BOXWOOD ESTATE " Boxwood Trellis " 2010. $21.99 is another that with a
good meal should be a real treat to enjoy.
I spoke to Rachel Martin some yesterday during our winery tour and tasting
and I told her that I am very happy to sell her wines here but that they need to
be served with a meal and they need to age properly. They cannot be rushed. They
need their own proper time and space and place. They are really coming along
fabulously and it was such a treat for me to finally visit the winery after
years and to taste there " sup place avec Rachel " : comme ca m'a plu enormement
: merci Rachel.
It's thrilling to be at the very start of a fine winery like BOXWOOD ESTATE
and I encourage you all to visit this beautiful winery and vineyard nestled ever
so nicely into the gentle rolling fields here in Middleburg. BUY SOME of these
bottles from us and put them away for a special occasion down the road. Do not
be in a rush. Support a fine venture like BOXWOOD ESTATE that is doing
everything that it can to be the very best that it can, and to be affordable,
too. They are currently giving us all " special - VERY SPECIAL " pricing. They
also have BOXWOOD Wine Bars where you can go and enjoy drinking their wines
under optimum conditions with food that is run and managed by her brother that I
still have not met. They have spared no expense to do the very best that they
can and are growing into their own Lot A grape skins. We need to support them,
be patient and buy and cellar some of their wines.
I TOLD RACHEL that she should take that Lot A 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon that
we tasted in barrel yesterday and bottle it " as is ", after it has aged a bit
more and to charge us between $40 and $50 a bottle because from my humble
point-of-view it's worth between $50 and $80 a bottle, especially to be enjoyed
with it's delightful fruit-forward taste shortly and not have to wait so long.
Whereas 2011 was a wet and very difficult vintage for wines in Virginia, 2012
looks to be a very fine vintage, perhaps as good or better than the 1991?!?
Cheers.
BEER & CIDER From SANTOS ( He's Back From Vacation ! ) :
BEER :
1) Biere De Garde from SCHLAFLY, On Special for $10.99, a 1 Pt. 9.4Fl. Oz
bottle, 7% alcohol by volume, from St. Louis, Missouri, www.sclafly.com... beer
to keep! Enjoy.
2) Wheat ale from AGAVE On Special for $10.99 a 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles,
unfiltered, from the BRECKENRIDGE Brewery in Colorado, 4.2% alcohol by volume,
... brewed with agave nectar. Cheers.
CIDER :
1) Poire Pear Cider de Christian Drouin, $15.99 a bottle,
bottle-conditioned, unfiltered, 4% alcohol by volume, from Cudray-Rabut, France.
Great for the warmer weather soon.
PEAR & APPLE WINES / Wines Also From Michel Et Tony :
1) Heyser Farms Spencerville Red Hard Apple Cider , crisp and refreshing
apple wine, $18.99 a bottle, 8% alcohol by volume, from GREAT SHOALS Winery,
Princesse Anne, Maryland, www.great shoals.com. Tasty! Lovely with a meal.
2) Hard Pear Pear Wine BOSC & BARTLETT , $18.99, 8% alcohol by volume,
from the GREAT SHOALS Winery in Princesse Anne, Maryland, www.greatshoals.com.
Cheers.
3) 2011 Menetou Salon Loire Valley 100% Sauvignon Blanc, $21.99 from Henry
Pele, 13% alcohol by volume, flavorful, tasty, firm and fleshy and food-oriented
dry French white to excite and please both at the very same instant in time,
chain-reactioned to continue following with taste like falling dominoes down the
length of one's plate and well into the centers of all one's senses, too.
Cheers.
4) LOGAN Weemala Pinot Gris 2009 from Orange, Australia, $13.99, 13%
alcohol by volume, made by Peter Logan, owner and winemaker, : great flavor and
complexity, best with a meal.
LIQUOR & LIQUEUR From RAVI :
1) Acai Spirit from VEEV, an Acai Liqueur and a blend of other exotic
ingredients to tempt and to entice, to cajole and tease and please the senses,
$27.99 a bottle, 30% alcohol by volume, Kosher, from Rigby, Idaho, go to :
www.veevspirits.com for more about this Acai from deep in the heart of the
Brazilian Amazon, this berry is possibly the world's Super fruit?!? What does
that even mean? I like the sound anyway. Cheers.
2) Libertine brandy with natural flavors added from the Distillerie Paul
Vevoille in Fougerolles, France, this Absinthe Superieure, $64.99, 58% alcohol
by volume, is special indeed. Come check it out.
3) 81 PROOF Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from WILD TURKEY, $21.99 a
bottle, 40.5% alcohol by volume, since 1855, from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky : " we
age ours longer - up to 6-8 years in " alligator charred " American oak barrels
... ".
4) Imported Russian Vodka , the HAMMER SICKLE , On Special for $42.99,
1.75ml bottle, 40% alcohol by volume, www.hsvodka.com is a s smooth and velvety
a taste as you can get. Rich on the palate as well.
WEEK'S WEDNESDAY 3-Part Non-Sparkling/Still Wine weekly SALE :
1) BUY ANY $20 or more a bottle non-sparkling wine and SAVE 20% OFF the
marked sticker price, whether on sale or not.
2) BUY ANY SIX ( 6 ) Bottles or more of non-sparkling/still wine and SAVE
15% OFF the marked sticker prices.
3) BUY ANY TWELVE ( 12 ) or more non-sparkling/still wines and SAVE 20% OFF
the marked sticker prices. ALSO INCLUDES : port, sherry, marsala, sake, madeira.
Pay on Wednesday and SAVE HERE at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. Call
Michel or Tony at : 202-363-4265 if you cannot come.
WEEKEND TASTINGS :
Friday, May 3rd, 2013 ( 5-8PM ) : We have Jody Jackman coming to pour.
Since owner Arturo Cousino of COUSINO-MACUL was just here I would like to taste
a selection of Arturo's wines. Reds and whites and more. We will check with Jody
tomorrow. Like the Sauvignon Gris that they single-handedly made famous here in
Washington D.C.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ARTURO again this past week here in Cleveland Park. He
was dining with Alfredo Bartholomaus the old owner of Billington Imports.
Perhaps we can convince Winebow to permit Jody to pour some of the excellent
2007 " Lota " from COUSINO-MACUL, from the Maipo Valley, $99.99 14% alcohol by
volume : 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot? We will see? Arturo has visted
our store here at least twice over the years. He's also sent his talented
winemakers here like Jaime and Matias, and we have done in-store wine-tastings
and wine-dinners. It's been a very fine working relationship between us. Gracias
Arturo, you and your family's wines are consistently excellent, polished and
balanced and a treat. And back in the early 1980's your Antiguas Reservas
Cabernet Sauvignon was the measure and the standard here for very good quality
and value for Chilean reds. You turned the head of a whole lot of Americans then
and helped to put Chile into our consciousness for fine wine. We owe a debt of
gratitude to you amigo for that, for you, for Alfredo, for all those that have
worked hard to make the wines and also to sell and promote them , too over these
many years now. Hasta luego.
Saturday, May 4th, 2013 ( 2-6PM ) : We have Chuck here of Robins Cellars to
taste some excellent California wines like the VIGILANCE 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
from the Red Hills Lake County region of northern California, $14.99, 13.9%
alcohol by volume, that we have enjoyed selling, along with their excellent
Petit Sirah. Chuck has brought us some really fine California " values " that
are true to grape variety, terroir and terrain and not simply another bunch of "
international-style " wines. Bravo for this : bravo for making wines that are
honest and that stand on their own two legs and do not masquerade as something
else. Cheers.
JOIN US for these wine-tastings, there are never any charges : FREE for you
all.
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, join us, come for our Big-Non-Sparkling WINE SALE
Tomorrow, every Wednesday, and come see what " goodies " we will be getting as
we start May.
ALSO : Start thinking about " Mother's Day " as it will be here sooner than
you know! Thanks again, you are all the very best. Cheers, TONY
Please visit our website below for more information, events and specials, and
our calender of wine tastings!
[1]www.clevelandparkwine.com
If you have any orders, suggestions or questions, you may e-mail us at
[2]sales@clevelandparkwine.com or call (202) 363-4265.
