ANTIS Sparkling & MANUEL VILLAFANE Cabernet Sauvignon & Malbec 2008 Of Argentina Introduced By Dan Terass Of William Harrison Imports 11/09 At CPW

This was another unexpected tasting with Dan Terassa our rep for William Harrison Imports just a week ago at Cleveland Park around November 10th was it? I can't remember exactly. It was the late morning when Dan came through with these three samples of new wines that he is representing from Argentina.



We already knew the ANTIS as we have carried some of all of these wines over the years from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and the Chardonnay in the various tiers that they are available. They have always sold well for us especially when our customers were looking/ are looking for a good wine to pair with their food. They are not so much sipping wines, especially the reds in my opinion.




This time, however Dan had the sparkling wine , a non-vintage brut I think ( or was it an extra dry? ) for us to try. Mike was not here so I got the honors to try it all by myself. I liked it, really I did quite a bit. We will sell some at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 anthonyquinn@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com ).




Two other reps came in together from Suprex Imports and so I invited them over to have a taste with me and they both really enjoyed the ANTIS sparkling wine from Argentina. It's always good to get other feedback if possible just to have a range of opinions.




AS you can readily see with these photos that I was busily snapping away with my Canon camera as I like to record these events to include here and share with whoever might be interested.




Then Dan introduced the MANUEL VILLANE Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the Estate Malbec, both 2008 vintages from Mendoza, Argentina and I tasted them as well. I wrote my notes and have left them at work and will add them a bit later once I get there.

I had some specific comments that I made of them and want to relate those here a bit later.




WE have a good working relationship with Dan Terassa. He brings us a lot of really good wine and we have done some marvelous business with him over the years.

So please stay-tuned for an update on the MANUEL VILLAFANE wines here shortly.




In the meantime enjoy these pictures. I really do enjoy trying to capture the mood and the moment as best as I can and with hopefully some more artsy and creative/original shots and angles and compositions. This way hopefully the pictures themselves tell interesting stories that have you all returning for more : just like wanting to listen again to a good song or have another taste of a good wine.




I try to stay true to the notion of a blog which I feel is a bit chatty, more personal, a bit more loose and relaxed : informative in a more casual format. I like this type of writing as to me it is business and more. It's about sharing information and " adding to the equation " and thus providing something new to go along with all the rest of whatever else is " ot there " in cyberspace.




I don't like talking about scores and points and label or image as much as I like talking about the actual wines and the people behind them that were inspired both to create them and pay for them and all that it takes to make them with money from their own pockets.




I like finding out about how the wines were created and how the people behind them came around to this particular point in time with a vision and desire/drive and dedication to have done so that they are now standing before me here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits with a bottle or two that they want me to try and hopefully soon sell here in northwest Washington D.C. in our nation's capitol.






Cheers and I hope you liked the pictures and are now curious to come to Cleveland Park or your local store to purchase some ANTIS sparkling and some MANUEL VILLAFANE 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Malbec both dry reds from Mendoza, ARgentina to enjoy with your meal tonight, Wednesday, November 18th, 2009. TONY

Claude Thibaut Our Sparkling Wine / Champagne Expert Comes To Pour His Own THIBAUT-JANISSON Sparkling Virginia 3-Clone Chardonnay At Cleveland Park On

     I guess I ran out of space in the headline and did not realize it. It should finish : " On Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Thursday, February 12th, 2009 from 5-8 PM. Sorry ...

     It is always great to have Claude here with us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits. I think we met him way back in mid 2005 with his wife Pamela Margaux. They are both now like family and welcome here anytime. Claude's our " go-to guy " and expert on all things bubbly and champagne as he has devoted his whole adult life to it I believe.

     Claude got here around 5 PM and it was quiet at first and so we got a chance to chat as I set everything up for the tasting. That was good : it gave me a chance to find out more about this second year of THIBAUT-JANISSON Virginia Monticello NV brut . Turns out his partner Manuel ( Manu ) Janisson  takes it back to champagne, France and includes it all the time in blind-tastings to see how it does. According to Claude last night it always surprises, pleases and does/scores really well.

     I also learned more about the source for the Chardonnay grapes that he uses to make his Virginia bubbly. It comes from one vineyard close to Charlottesville. I forget the name unfortunately but the vines are some of the oldest in Virginia dating back to either 182 or 1983. They planted three Chardonnay clones, one from New York, a #4 and another one. 

     This second year is amazingly smooth, refined, delicate, silky : medium to light bodied and really nice to enjoy with or without food. Claude has said that it is very similar to last year's : I agree. Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post newspaper also agrees and wrote it up in his December  article of favorite bubblies to celebrate the New Year ( which m by the way mostly only included " Grand Cru " champagnes from France!

     I really enjoyed the subtlety of Claude's THIBAUT-JANISSON N.V. brut sparkling Virginia wine. I can see how easy it would be to enjoy and still feel really fine afterwards. It's simply not heavy or cloying at all : to the contrary, it's exactly the opposite. Claude mentioned this several times : that one will feel fine afterwards/ the next day, unlike when you drink some sparkling / champagne wines.

     Claude has had quite the career that spans 25-30 years or so. He started in the champagne area of France where his father ( now sister ) makes the GUY THIBAUT champagnes that he compares to his friend and partner's JANISSON champagne. I've asked him to bring us a bottle sometime so that we may taste it here. We are waiting Claude. Ne nous oublier pas Claude!

     Claude made the champagne at DAVAUX ( goes back to 1846 , elabore par Union Auboise a Villenueve Bar-sur-Seine ) in champagne, France. he recognized the bottles that we had here back in 2005 ( that we purchased from Kysela Pere/Fille Et Fils ). His eyes lit up when he saw them.

     Then he went on to Australia to make one of the more popular bubblies there. I forget the name now, can't ever seem to remember it Claude : what is it again, please.

     From Australia Claude went to California and made the first IRON HORSE bubblies ( including the " Wedding Cuvee " ) and then made the first " J " for JORDAN vineyards.

     While in California Claude met his wife Pamela Margaux that is from Silver Spring, Maryland I believe he said yesterday. They returned here to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and set-up their two businesses : MARGAUX & COMPANY ( importing mostly French wines including the JANISSON champagnes that we have always sold here since we first met Claude and Pamela in 2005 ) : and Claude making excellent bubbly in Virginia, first at KLUGE and now THIBAUT-JANISSON  on his own with partner Manuel Janisson.

     We have a full range of the JANISSON champagnes here from the FRANCOIS DE ROZAY ( $32.99 ) to the Brut JANISSON  " Tradition " ( $39.99 ) , the dry Brut rose NV ( $39.99 ). We also sell the half bottles and magnums of the JANISSON champagne. They have all found a receptive audience here in Cleveland Park ( Wines & Spirits  3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008  sales@clevelandparkwine.com  www.clevelandparkwine.com  Tel: 202-363-4265 ).

     Here are some pictures that I took of last night's tasting of his second year of making the THIBAUT-JANISSON sparkling Monticello brut Virginia wine. I was only here till 6:30 PM because it was my early night to work. I rushed home to enjoy a meal with my wife and son. 

    These pictures came out pretty well. I'm pleased with them. I'm sure that if i had stayed I would have taken many more as more people got off work and came to celebrate their time-off from work as well as Abraham Lincoln's birthday!

     For more technical information go to : pmargaux@adelphia.net, Tel : 434 466 2592   Fax  434 973 7166  ,  1413 Dairy Road , Charlottesville, VA. 22903 ).      Cheers,   TONY