Jennifer Horsley of CLOS DU VAL/ TALTARNI/NIZAS Vineyards Tastes Her New Vinteges On Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Feb. 24th, 2009

Jennifer Horsley of CLOS DU VAL ( www.closduval.com ) TALTARNI ( www.taltarni.com.au )/ DOMAINE DE NIZAS tastes her " new " vintages Tuesday, Mardi Gras, 2009 with Chrissy Carpenter of Washington Wholesalers. 

     It was both a great visit as well as tasting. It's always wonderful to see someone that you consider like an old friend. Jennifer is one : she's been coming to see us here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits now for perhaps five or so years? Is that right Jennifer?

    Most of the wines that Jennifer brings me now are like old friends, too as the owner and various winemakers and reps have all been here at one time or another. I like that : for me it is always very much a people business.

     On this go-round Jennifer brought me also the sparkling " tache " dry rose from Victoria, South Australia. It's always been a favorite of mine and one that I enjoy matching-up with our customers. It's got such a delicate, refined salmon-peach color as the light is always trapped inside and shining out : and then there's always the steady flow of tiny bubbles to hitch a ride on when you've been/felt submerged enough in all this salmon color and dry rose taste and need a fresh breath of air to add dimension and accent to each sip.

     I really liked the whole group this time : there were only mostly favorites. The Chardonnay is not my style ( and filled out-grown into it's body -  comme un belle poitrine - I know I'll get a lot of grief for that last bit in French, comme un homme qui vient d'apprecie ca cote feminine - je peut dire ca aussi  ) but I liked the way it has developed over the last six months in the bottle since my luncheon with wine-maker Bernard Portet.

     I really liked both the Pinot Noir and the Merlot this time around. Again, both have fleshed-out more of their characters, personalities and sides. It's always great to anticipate what one might discover when one revisits a certain wine from the same vintage. It's even more exciting when one is pleasantly surprised with their discoveries! I was.

     The Pinot Noir and the Merlot both seem deeper and more evolved : the Pinot thicker and more splashy and racy and the Merlot more profound and mystic, like a lagoon on a calm clear dark-skied night where the ripple and the reflection of the heavens stir and stimulate one from one's deep core and spreads evenly, in concentric circles outward - resulting in a mellow sigh and the smooth breaking of a smile or a grin over one's satisfied/amused face.

     The Pinot Noir spoke to me more of fire and vitrol and youth and desire and stimulated me to want to jump around a circle of spouting flames and fire or throw myself into the heavens hoping to be swept up by the grace of Nature so that perhaps I could touch a planet or kiss some stars : and all else failing, at least embrace someone special or that I want to make special in my life.

     The Stags Leap estate-bottled Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 was so mellow and silky this go-round that it did not move me quite as much this time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it's silk, fine round spit-polish like the best wine ; loved it's  wined-bronze-silver-gold reflection and overall presence and mood and demeanor. And yet as it grows in the glass and reveals  more you begin to get an idea that it will slowly break-the-mold of past descriptions and you in a moment of joy and discovery with almost childish glee impetuously  throw it away /fly away with it just as you would the bottle after  thoroughly enjoying it over a meal or special moment ( all yours, precious ) : with family, friends and loved ones and  this delightful Stags' Leap district 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ...

     I think it was just a touch warm when I tasted it and I would really have enjoyed this Stags' Leap district 2004 with some food, just like I enjoyed it a few months ago with winemaker Bernard Portet and owner John Goulet.

     Thanks Jennifer and Chrissy for such a nice surprise on this Tuesday - Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day! I later went down to have lunch at Lavandou and continue the celebration.  

     Et Bernard, j'ai une question pour toi : quand tu a fait las connaisance de Steven Spurrier ( l'Anglais ) dans les annees 70 comment tu lui a trouve? Gentil, sympathique, bien?

      I will add more as I go along but I want to get this posted now for you all to enjoy the pictures and stories thus far as I have had time to collect them and process them here for you all! 

     It's now Saturday morning here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits in our nation's capitol on a gray, cold, breezy day at 12:30 PM on February 28th, 2009. 

     Cheers,  TONY

Theresa Morrison Brings Us One Of Her Wineries To Taste With Cellar Master/ Rat, Mark Raymond from REYNOLDS FAMILY

     Theresa Morrison visited Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 , sales@clevelandparkwine.com  www.clevelandparkwine.com  Tel : 202-363-4265 ) in 2005-6 ( I can't remember exactly ) with cellar master/rat Mark Raymond of the REYNOLDS FAMILY. It was our first meeting and I enjoyed  both the wines and meeting Mark ;  but did not buy them at the time.

   REYNOLDS FAMILY in Napa produce cult wines (voted six years in a row Best Boutique winery in Napa ). 

      They make Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay ( Carneros ) ; and two Pinots , one Russian River and one Carneros and a single-vineyard Stag's Leap reserve Cabernet.

    They also make the " ultimate " Napa wine, according to Theresa from the best vineyards in each appellations called " Fourteen ".  She came by here yesterday, Friday January 22nd, 2009 with Catherine Wevar Zencovich , europe manager of TERRA MATER, Santiago, Chile Luis Thayer Ojeda 236, Pisco 6, Providencia, Santiago de Chile cwevar@terramater.cl ). We will carry the two Shiraz wines from TERRA MATER shortly.

     However, Theresa got me back to speed when I asked here about these pictures that I found of Mark and the REYNOLDS FAMILY wines. She will bring me current vintages to try and I look forward to that. Theresa says that they have done really well for her and that she and her husband John are thrilled to have them in their portfolio of wines here in the D.C. metropolitan area.

     Mark, come see us again next time you are in town. Happy New Year 2009 to you and to your family. Cheers, and thanks Theresa. It was great to see you and Ian Tarlie and to meet Catherine. Sante, hasta luego, until the next time ,   TONY

     

     All available now through Boutique. For more technical information call Thersa and John Morrison at : 410-626-1286  or go to : wine@34south.com   www.34south.com .

Michael Martini Of LOUIS MARTINI Winery, Tasting Here In Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits With Our Customers In 2006

     It's always fun to get someone like Michael Martini here in the store to taste with customers. This was sometime in 2006 ; I will find the paperwork and include that shortly.

      I had met his father years back when I worked for Forman Brothers distributors back in the mid 1990's - Louis Martini when he came to do a seminar tasting for the salespeople of Forman Brothers. I enjoyed meeting him : gentle, soft-spoken, like a gentle giant moving ever so slowly but thoughtfully and with definite knowledge and purpose.

     I asked him how long a Zinfandel could age and he responded fairly quickly that a good one could easily last twenty years or more. He should know. LOUIS MARTINI winery has been making really great wines at great values for more than forty years I believe.

     I remember drinking a bottle of the 1968 Merlot I believe, or it might have been Cabernet Sauvignon. It tasted like it had been made the day before and I drank it sometime I think in the mid 90's. Wow, it was stunning, like the fairest of the fairest California sunshine's through grapes that tasted of bright, no-bite, creamy pure vibrant red cherry/berry/strawberry flavors - unbelievably impressive for so much bottle age. BRAVO to you all for this delicious red California wine!

     When Michael Martini came to taste this go-round in 2006 sometime we decided to taste both the Napa and the Sonoma bottlings of the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as one or two of the smaller-batch, more expensive Zinfandel that tasted like a great old Italian wine as well as  a Cabernet Sauvignon. I will have to find my notes, it's been almost three years since the tasting and memory fails me now. I do, however want to share these pictures with you all as they are quite interesting.

     I spoke some with Michael : never enough as I have to share the winemakers / owners with our customers. I did find out from Michael though that he plays in his own rock band along with someone from FERRARI-CARANO and another winery which the name escapes me now. I liked that quite a bit and would love to hear your music Michael. I can't remember if you told me you were the singer?

     Anyway, the tasting was another big success. We had a number of our favorite customers stop by to taste with you like Ian, Mary-Shannon, Margaret, John and more. Both the two Cabs : Napa and Sonoma sold well. We actually sold out of the Sonoma first because it is such an unbelievable value for all you Cabernet Sauvignon lovers out there : and it's balanced and focused and a great match for food with the alcohols all in check so as mot to overpower either the wine or the food.

     Here are the pictures. I will add more later of the details, time, vintages, prices, etcetera. We always continue to sell LOUIS MARTINI Cabernet Sauvignon here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington D.C. 20008, sales@clevelandparkwine.com   www.clevelandparkwine.com  Tel : 202-363-4265 ).

     It's 7:55PM now on Friday evening here at the store in our nation's capitol, January 2nd, 2009. Happy New Year to everyone. Cheers,   TONY