I recently was invited to do a private tasting with the owners of Tomasello, Jack (above left) and Charlie Tomasello (above right). Since I wanted to do a revisit post in the near future, when I was extended this offer I jumped to accept. I must admit I had some trepidation. Not because I wasn’t looking forward to a revisit, but because I recently wrote a post called 20 NJ Wines for Less than $20 and I did not include them. I had several reasons: I was only mentioning 20 wines out of the several hundred New Jersey wines on the market and hundreds costing less than $20; while there are many Tomasello wines selling for under $20, Tomasello is already well-known for their wines that sell at this price-point (with a few of them in my cellar as I write this post).
So when Charlie asked Jack, “Is this the guy that wrote the article about 20 wines for less than $20?” I again felt my inner voice saying,”Oh! Oh!” I looked at my wife (who was also graciously offered an invitation as my guest). But to my surprise and delight, Charlie and Jack wanted to highlight their Palmaris Label, which presently consists of five wines, with a sixth soon to be released. I was able to taste each of the five current wines: Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The sixth, coming soon will be their Merlot. I couldn’t be more happy, as I had already tried a couple of their Palmaris wines and they were very good.
It’s always a joy to taste wonderful wines that you are going to write about. First, obviously for the sheer hedonistic pleasure. Second, because my artful use of tact does not have to work overtime. No worries here! Palmaris was chosen for the label of their best wines. Palmaris is borrowed from the Latin palmares, the plural of palmaris (“that deserves the palmary or prize, superior, excellent”). The name is truly a very apt choice for the label.
- First we were served the Palmaris 2013 Outer Coastal Plain Chardonnay Reserve. This is a lovely Chard with good acidity, a subtle oak influence and a bit of the buttery quality associated with the malolactic fermentation it undergoes.
- Next came the Palmaris 2013 Outer Coastal Plain Cab Franc Reserve-a lighter, food-friendly red.
- Then came the Palmaris 2014 Outer Coastal Plain Pinot Noir Reserve. I immediately thought of Thanksgiving, as it possesses the acidity and versatility to go with so many dishes.
- Up next: the Palmaris 2013 Outer Coastal Plain Petit Verdot Reserve, one of the few being served in our state and a very good expression of this dark, tasty grape.
- Last, but definitely not least, we sampled the Palmaris 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. This full-bodied wine was truly the star. It is deserving of the hefty bottle (one of the heaviest I think I have encountered). Smooth tannins, but not skimping on the fruit or oaked aging. This wine recently won a Gold Medal at the World Wine Championship sponsored by Tastings.com, scoring 92 points at this 2016 event.
I would proudly serve any of these wines on my table to celebrate any holiday, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon. For the price of this Cab you may not need a special occasion to serve it. It presently retails for $25, but with a membership you can get it for $20. Incidentally, for the $10 membership you get 20% off your purchases (even for single bottles) and free wine tastings for five wines every time you visit.
While my focus on this revisit to Tomasello was the Palmaris label, I encourage you to visit often and try many of their other wines. With almost 50 wines on their tasting menu there is truly something here for everyone. A word of advice for the visitor doing a tasting: Since there are 50 wines to choose from it may feel a little overwhelming, but this is a good place to “think outside of the box.” For those willing to do so, you can try a Blaufrankisch (a great dry red originating in Austria) or a Rkatsiteli (a very interesting, uncommon white wine originating in Russia; it has a hint of spice and is very refreshing). But if you like classic dry wines, don’t miss the Palmaris wines. Right now you can try all five in your tasting. I look forward to the Palmaris Merlot.
Charlie and Jack are third generation owners of the Tomasello Winery. Jack is the viticulturist (the scientific researching, growing and production of grapes for winemaking), while Charlie is the enonologist (winemaker). They both wear many other hats, including sales, management, etc. It should also be noted that a fourth generation is at work in furthering this family run winery. Jack’s son is studying business at Villanova and Charlie’s son is studying the science of wine at Cornell. It looks like the Tomasello Winery will be in good hands for years to come.
I just want to add a final thank you to Jack and Charlie Tomasello for the invitation, the wonderful wines and their gracious hospitality. While I hope they continue to make many of the standbys that have put smiles on faces for many years (they are the state’s second oldest winery), I think Tomasello will soon be best known for their newest label of premium wines-Palmaris.
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Book Update: I am sorry that the Christmas season is no longer a possible publication date for New Jersey Uncorked: A Snob-Free Taste of NJ Wine. I anticipate copyright application to take place by year’s end and publication as early as Valentine’s Day and NO LATER THAN MARCH! Thanks for your patience. I will do my best to make it worth the wait.
Cheers!
