Is Robert Kacher from DC

[DCMark]

I have found Robert Kacher wines to be a good standard of quality, especially when I did not know the wine. From this website

http://www.robertkacherselections.com/bobby-kacher-bio.php

he seems to have an office on V St, NE. But the website has no information.

Mark? Anyone?

[mnebergall]

I too look at the Robert Kacher Selection label as a symbol of quality and value. I seem always to have bottle or two of his Cuvee Prestige on my shelf and those to whom I serve it always like it. My understanding is that he is in the DC area and I get the impression that Rocks knows him.

[Mark Sommelier]

I have found Robert Kacher wines to be a good standard of quality, especially when I did not know the wine.  From this website

http://www.robertkacherselections.com/bobby-kacher-bio.php

he seems to have an office on V St, NE.  But the website has no information.

Mark?  Anyone?

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Yes, Bobby Kacher lives in DC. I've known him for 25 years. He's the hardest working man in the business. Look for his Rhone and Burgundy selections in particular.

[JPW]

I too look at the Robert Kacher Selection label as a symbol of quality and value.  I seem always to have bottle or two of his Cuvee Prestige on my shelf and those to whom I serve it always like it.  My understanding is that he is in the DC area and I get the impression that Rocks knows him.

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As I am partial to Rhone reds, I'm a big fan of Kacher's.

My favorite wine guy at Total Wine in McLean has told me more than once "Take anything with the Kacher name on it. It'll be good".

He imports some great wines at my (el cheapo) price point. I don't think I've ever bought anything with his name on it that was a stinker.

Edited to add -- However, his web site could use some work. Perhaps I could arrange a trade in services.

Edited February 3, 2005 by JPW (log)

[clifford]

I find his wines to be uniformly a great value at every price point. I've only once been disappointed, and that was with a recent bottle of Domaine de Lalande Chardonnay.

[DCMark]

Thanks. I wish he had a store here.

[DCMark]

Peason's had a 2002 Andrel Brunel Ch. N de Pape (Kracher selection) on sale for 21.99 which seems to be a good price. But in looking at vintage charts, 2002 was terrible in Southern Rhone (floods, hail). Is this wine gonna be crap?

[JPW]

At that price point you are drinking a different wine than what Parker tastes. This will not be a wine for long-term aging.

Some of the 2002s that I've had have been a little thin (water-logged if you will), but this should be fine. Again, I would trust in M. Kacher's taste.

[DCMark]

My Parker comment came from the entire vintage in the entire southern rhone region, not just this particular wine. That Andre Brunel CdP usually is at $39.99 in other vintages which is a typical CdP price point.

So I am wondering if Pearsons discounted this since its plonk (its $21.99)?

At that price point you are drinking a different wine than what Parker tastes. This will not be a wine for long-term aging.

Some of the 2002s that I've had have been a little thin (water-logged if you will), but this should be fine. Again, I would trust in M. Kacher's taste.

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Edited February 3, 2005 by DCMark (log)

[iamthestretch]

So I am wondering if Pearsons discounted this since its plonk (its $21.99)?

If that's one of Pearsons' email wines, you can go over there and taste it before pulling the trigger. He always keeps his special offers open for sampling.

[Mark Sommelier]

At that price point you are drinking a different wine than what Parker tastes. This will not be a wine for long-term aging.

Some of the 2002s that I've had have been a little thin (water-logged if you will), but this should be fine. Again, I would trust in M. Kacher's taste.

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Many southern Rhone producers did not bottle Chateauneuf du Pape in 2002, selling the wine in bulk or as Cotes du Rhone.

[DCMark]

Thanks Mark. I think I will pass then.

[mnebergall]

I was just thinking that I don't believe that I have ever seen a Kacher wine in a restaurant. Perhaps I just haven't been to a place that serves them, or perhaps he just does not distribute to restaurants.

I know that sell Kacher wines at Total and Calvert Woodley. What other places have a good selection?

Edited to add: I wonder if Rocks could convince him to do a Q & A?

Edited February 4, 2005 by mnebergall (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

I was just thinking that I don't believe that I have ever seen a Kacher wine in a restaurant.  Perhaps I just haven't been to a place that serves them, or perhaps he just does not distribute to restaurants. 

I know that sell Kacher wines at Total and Calvert Woodley.  What other places have a good selection?

Edited to add:  I wonder if Rocks could convince him to do a Q & A?

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Of course he sells to restaurants. Some of his wines I use: Henri Boillot, Toques et Clochers, Domaine Hamelin, Chauvenet-Chopin, Jayer-Gilles, Bertrand Ambroise, Marc Morey.

[mnebergall]

I was just thinking that I don't believe that I have ever seen a Kacher wine in a restaurant.  Perhaps I just haven't been to a place that serves them, or perhaps he just does not distribute to restaurants. 

I know that sell Kacher wines at Total and Calvert Woodley.  What other places have a good selection?

Edited to add:  I wonder if Rocks could convince him to do a Q & A?

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Of course he sells to restaurants. Some of his wines I use: Henri Boillot, Toques et Clochers, Domaine Hamelin, Chauvenet-Chopin, Jayer-Gilles, Bertrand Ambroise, Marc Morey.

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That just goes to show you, I don't hang out at the proper class of establishment. They certainly are not on the wine list at Archibald's.

[mnebergall]

Of course he sells to restaurants. Some of his wines I use: Henri Boillot, Toques et Clochers, Domaine Hamelin, Chauvenet-Chopin, Jayer-Gilles, Bertrand Ambroise, Marc Morey.

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I'd like to find out where I could get these at retail. They sound suspiciously like burgundies.

[FunJohnny]

Of course he sells to restaurants. Some of his wines I use: Henri Boillot, Toques et Clochers, Domaine Hamelin, Chauvenet-Chopin, Jayer-Gilles, Bertrand Ambroise, Marc Morey.

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I'd like to find out where I could get these at retail. They sound suspiciously like burgundies.

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Kacher wines also sell at Arrowine, tho I can't swear that they are always available there. Believe he led a wine tasting there on one occasion a year or so ago - they have regular Saturday afternoon tastings

[zoramargolis]

Bobby Kacher wines can be found in most of the quality wine shops in DC: MacArthur Beverages, Paul's, Calvert-Woodley, Magruder's, Rodman's, Circle, et al. He lives in NW DC, and everyone in the local wine and restaurant businesses know and like him. He is a friendly, energetic, outgoing, down-to-earth guy. A real mensch.

Interestingly, the 2002 Andre Brunel Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape have been for sale at Costco in Pentagon City. I haven't seen any of his wines there before.

Bobby is a very hands-on importer, spending several months in France every year, working with the winemakers he imports, selecting and helping to blend the wines. In 2002, he imported no wine from a number of the wineries he typically brings in--only a few that he felt were up to his standard of quality made it. If it has his name on it, it is at the very least drinkable. His 2003's that are on the shelves now are excellent, good values again-- check out the Mas Des Aveylans Cuvee Prestige syrah. Parker gave it 90 or 91 points, and it can be found for $11-$12. Really good juice.

We are very fortunate to have Kacher and Fran Kysela both in our area, whose names on a bottle of wine are the QPR gold standard. The wine in the bottle is going to be reliably good and at a very fair price.

[Mark Sommelier]

We are very fortunate to have Kacher and Fran Kysela both in our area, whose names on a bottle of wine are the QPR gold standard. The wine in the bottle is going to be reliably good and at a very fair price.

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We are also very fortunate to have Olivier Daubressse (Vinifrance, Inc.), Laurent Givry (Elite Wines) , Didier Simonin (Simon N Cellars) , Roy Cloud (Vintage 59) and Jocelyn Cambier in our area, whose names on bottles means tasty wine at good prices.

Edited February 6, 2005 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[jparrott]

Hey, we finally have wine on the shelf! (Ugh...this business gives a whole new meaning to "lead time")...

[liamdc]

I believe that Terry Thiese, the outstanding riesling importer, is also based in DC. Is he not?

[fchrisgrimm]

Interestingly, Oregon's Beaux Freres (co-owned by Robert Parker, winemaker and RP brother-in-law Mike Etzel, and Robert Roy) produced a 2001 Les Cousins release, exclusively for Robert Kacher.

Oddly, this wine later turned up through alternative distribution sources at greatly discounted prices. I'm still curious what happened there.

It was a solidly produced Pinot noir (you'd expect nothing less out of the Beaux Freres winery). I know that RP was unkind to the 2001 Oregon vintage, but I found it to be a little better than 2000 (better acids - like a mini-1999, whereas 2000 was like a mini-1998, and a little flatter).

[fchrisgrimm]

... and I would most certainly avoid the 2002 Southern Rhone wines.