Special Napa-Style Tasting
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NAPA-STYLE TASTING – Special glass pricing on an unusual varietal: Bonarda from Argentina. La Madrid Vineyard, the grape come from a single vineyard in Agrelo, Argentina.
Flight special this evening:
Small vineyards, small production wine selections
2009 Mellowood Vineyard Zinfandel, Fair-Play Sierra Foothills
2009 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mtn., NV (Houston native owns the winery)
2009 Lillian Syrah, Dundee Oregon (winemaker is Maggie Harrison, Asst. Winemaker under legendary Sine Qua Non winemaker, Manfred Krankl)
Starting when the customers arrive and till it’s poured off!
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Bachelor In A Bottle
Hello Ladies, if you find yourself with nothing to do or no one to do it with on most Mondays…you know who you are, then head on over to Memorial Wine Cellars for a little “Bachelor In A Bottle” action and change the course of your week!
MWC will be featuring 3 wines selected by the “ultimate bachelorette” herself, to satisfy the needs of any girl who walks in the door looking for adventure!
This Monday’s hot, hunky trio coming out to bare it all just for you are…drumroll please…
2010 La Tarasque Cotes du Rhone
A sensual, old-vine Grenache-dominated blend of elegance and structure, named for the notorious beast that ravaged the medieval countryside of the Côtes du Rhône. According to legend, the dragon was a reluctant tyrant, gladly saved by the soothing hymns and prayers of Saint Martha.
Such a bad boy he is, but oh so supple and smooth, with notes of figs, cherries, strawberries and spice, slightly wicked but finishes nice! A true French Hugenot that will love your pallet like the beautiful beast he is! Ooh La La
2009 Cepa 21 Ribera del Duero
This proper gentleman is 100% Tempranillo with a beautiful elegance and structure, he will wine and dine you in the most mannerly way and his gaze will linger for a long lazy stare until you can take it no more! Just when you think the night is winding down, the lights go out and my oh my…the wild man has arrived! Mi amore’!
A structured fellow with enough edge to keep you guessing…don’t we love that ladies!
2010 Villa Annaberta Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto, Italy
An” old world” guy from the Northern part of Italy who will make you forget you’re a feminist, he will waltz across your tongue like an expert dancer, but don’t be fooled, he is cooking up a big finish with a ménages a trois of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara as he passes back by for a finale of tart cherry flavor!
Oh those damn Italians…they make beautiful shoes as well!
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National Drink Wine Day Celebration In Progress…
Today is National Drink Wine Day! Pop the cork and enjoy a refreshing glass of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot, Shiraz, or Zinfandel in honor of the occasion.
read moreMemorial Wine Cellar’s Deep Cellar Membership
Deep Cellar Membership:
- Two bottles of super ultra-premium wine each month selected by our wine director
- A personal Riedel wine glass to be kept in a custom-built glass cabinet in the private tasting room. This glass will come with a wine charm to distinguish your glass from other members
- 10% discount on all bottle purchases
- Discounts on daily tastings or wines by the glass
- Discounts on Private Tasting Room for events or parties
- Only $99/ A Month plus tax
Spring Time means…Pinot Noirs
Santa Lucia Highlands has the cool climate to produce some rockin’ Pinot Noir. This wine is made by Jeff Pisoni, known for his powerhouse Pinot Noirs. This vintage is dark and well balanced. The nose really blossoms in the Riedel Pinot Noir glassware. You pick up cherries, strawberries and black tea. The palate isn’t different…with the only exception of the addition of spice and a nice grip on the finish. My kind of Pinot Noir.
UPDATE FROM GREECE…
Please read these great tasting notes from the Kir-Yianni Estate….
read moreSpring Cleaning Sale at Memorial Wine Cellar
Memorial Wine Cellar’s Spring Cleaning Sale…
Come by and purchase wine at steep discounts…these are great value wines, everyday wine, patio pounders…whatever adjective you want to hang on them.
Bottom line…these wine are priced to move.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity…cash and carry items only. No on-premise consumption please!
Dwayne & Mary Harrison
Greek Wine Festival with Great Success plus Houston Press
Just a thank you thought to Stelio Boutari for visiting us at Memorial Wine Cellar for the spectacular event yesterday!
Also, we are so honored with the “ink” at The Houston Press.
Please enjoy our pride on the successful event on Sunday…..
Our stellar line-up:
- Kir-Yianni “Petra” Roditis Florina 2010
- Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini 2010
- Gentilini Robola Cephalonia 2010
- Alexakis Vidiano Crete 2010
- Semeli Moschofilero Mantinia 2010
- Alpha Estate Sauvignon Blanc Florina 2009
- Estate Hatzimichalis Chardonnay Atalanti Valley 2010
- Gaia “Wild Ferment” Assyrtiko Santorini 2010
- Gaia “14-18h” Rose Agiorgitiko Peloponnesus 2010
- Kir-Yianni “Akakies” Rose Xinomavro Amyndeon 2010
- Tsantali “Reserve” Xinomavro/Krassato/Stavroto Rapsani 2006
- Boutari “Grande Reserve” Xinomavro Naousa 2004
- Kir-Yianni “Ramnista” Xinomavro Nousa 2008
- Alpha Estate “Hedgehog Vineyard” Xinomavro Amyndeon 2007
- Tsantali “Metoxi X Chromitsa” Xinomavro/Cabernet Sauvignon/Limnio Mt. Athos 2005
- Domaine Costa Lazaridi “Cava Amethystos” Cabernet Sauvignon Drama 2004
- Kir-Yianni “Dyo Elies” Syrah/Merlot/Xinomavro Naoussa 2008
- Semeli “Grande Reserve” Agiorgitiko Nemea 2004
- Skouras “Grande Cuvee” Agiorgitiko Nemea 2007
- Gaia “Estate” Agiorgitiko Nemea 2007
- Kir-Yianni “Diaporos” Xinomavro/Syrah Vin de Pays D’Imathia 2007
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Malvirà Winery Owner Visits MWC
Roberto Damonte, owner of Malvirà winery, visited Memorial Wine Cellar yesterday to taste Dwayne Harrison (owner, pictured below) on his current releases of his fabulous Piedmontese wines.
This outstanding producer is located in the Roero region of Piedmont where fabulous wines like Arneis (white) are produced. Now, the wine community in the United States is learning to really appreciate the often forgotten great, delicious Nebbiolo at great value. We strongly believe that Roero Nebbiolo should be a staple wine-by-the-glass in any restaurant/wine bar wine menu. Not all of us could drink Barolo or Barbaresco everyday, drinking Roero Nebbiolo give us the chance to enjoy that noble grape without having to pay a hefty price.
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Highly Rated Wines Tasted Yesterday
Wow!
We had the great pleasure to taste some amazing and highly rated wines yesterday at the Cellar. Gary S (pictured above) tasted us on two great American wines from two highly regarded producers:
1. 2008 Cayuse Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard from Washington State
Parker’s rating: 97 Points
“The Rhone-style wines begin with the 2008 God Only Knows Grenache, a wine raised in neutral oak puncheons. Fragrant cherries, garrigue, lavender, and exotic spices inform the nose of a silky, complex, beautifully proportioned wine that will deliver pleasure for a least a decade.
Ho hum. Just another great set of wines from Christophe Baron. Over the past 6 years, because of my coverage of Spain for this journal, I have gotten to know Tempranillo very well. My principal observation is that it does not travel particularly well although there are outposts of very fine Tempranillo in the Uco Valley of Mendoza and in South Australia. There is one exception, Christophe Baron’s small parcel of estate-grown Tempranillo. The wine’s only competition, in my opinion, is Dominio Pingus, the great Tempranillo produced by Peter Sisseck in Ribera del Duero. I would like to try the wines side-by-side, the only problem being that Pingus is ten times as expensive as Impulsivo. As a postscript of sorts, Christophe Baron has created a new label called No Girls. The origin of the name is a great story but goes beyond this journal’s purview. The two wines have been specifically earmarked for those who have patiently been waiting on the Cayuse mailing list. No, these are not at quite at the same level as those wines bearing the Cayuse label but, as the scores attest, they’re not so bad.”
Jay Miller of Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate (Wine Advocate #19 Aug 2011)
2. 2003 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Proprietary Red
Parker’s rating: 92 Points
“A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2003 Pritchard Hill Estate Proprietary Red continues to demonstrate the renaissance of this estate. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of graphite, blueberries, cassis, and acacia flowers. Medium to full-bodied and pure, with sweet tannin, fine balance, and a long finish, this is a terrific offering from the slopes of Pritchard Hill. It should drink beautifully for 12-15 years.”
Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate (Wine Advocate #168 Dec 2006)
Later, another great wine collector came by and shared this especial wine:
3. 2004 Agharta Syrah
Parker’s rating: 98 Points
“Proprietors Pam and Pax Mahle have fashioned a 2004 Syrah called Agharta. Aged 58 months (that’s not a typo) in French oak casks (the 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages will spend 45-48 months in cask), the extraordinary 2004 is a 475-case blend of 92% Syrah, 5% Grenache, and the rest Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussane. Most of the Syrah comes from the Alder Springs Vineyard in Mendocino. This profound wine’s inky/purple color is followed by aromas of smoky barbecue meats, grilled Provencal herbs, and exotic tropical fruits intermixed with blackberry, cassis, blueberry, and graphite. This super-rich effort tastes like the nectar of Syrah, yet it is dry, elegant, and remarkably fresh and precise. In the mouth, the impression is like that of a multilayered cake – everything is there. This is an amazing, very multi-dimensional wine that must be tasted to be believed. It can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.”
Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate (Wine Advocate #187 Feb 2010)
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