We bought three cases of 2019 Reserve Chardonnay (Penny’s favorite) and three cases of 2019 Louer Family Cabernet Sauvignon. I just wanted to let you know how very, very much we are enjoying them (they are superb!)—and to offer a few vignettes in testimony.
My wife Penny loves the Chardonnay! Chip Mason, the namesake of our Raymond A. Mason School of Business here at W&M, introduced her and us to Rombauer Chardonnay, which has become a favorite of Penny’s ever since. BUT she now likes the R&R Chardonnay better! I was in Naples, FL a few months ago visiting with our friends, Chip and Rand. We dined at their club where she ordered a couple of bottles of Rombauer Chardonnay, which is Rand’s favorite. I told her that when I returned to Williamsburg I would send her a chardonnay (yours) that I thought she would enjoy. Harder to send a bottle of wine in this country than I thought but we found a distributor and sent her a bottle. She loved it!
One of our Foundation Board Members here in the Mason School and a close personal friend, Mike Stakias, was who we consulted on which vineyards to visit in Napa last August. He is quite the wine connoisseur and often brings me one of his bottles of Napa Valley Reserve wine, where he is a member. I am such a wine novice that I have never dared to give him a bottle of wine to try in return—but I did give him a bottle of your cabernet in May when he was here for our Foundation Board Meeting. Here was his response a week or so later after returning to his home in Philadelphia:
Hey Larry, We had a few friends over Friday evening for dinner and opened the Robert’s & Roger’s cab. It was definitely a big hit and surprised me considering it was a so young (2019). I enjoyed the depth and flavor of the wine which I though a little different than a St Helena type cab. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you!! Mike
That is high praise from a guy who knows fine wine!
Finally, I have hosted a Zoom call every four weeks or so for business school deans at colleges and universities in Virginia. I am retiring after 24 years at business school dean here at W&M on June 30th. I have become very fond of the other deans on the call and decided to invite them (and spouses or guests) to Williamsburg as Penny’s and my personal guests for a reception and dinner on Saturday, June 11th. We had a catered reception here in our building before going to dinner, and I had the caterer serve your wines. They were spectacularly well received (as I knew they would be)!
I have also taken your cabernet to several friends’ houses for dinner—including a former W&M president and wine fancier. I have also just ordered a 180-bottle wine refrigerator since I fear our basement will not hold under 70 degrees during the heat of the summer so I will be able to keep what remains of my R&R inventory!!
Larry Willilamsburg, Virginia