http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=murfcudab&oeidk=a07e7gbfd723319cb93

We need three more people for this class to make – I will open extra bottles from my stash if we are able to get three more people signed up by 2pm… – Sam

Class – Marechal Premium Varietal Chardonnay 2010, Lioco NoCo Chardonnay 2011, Bouchaine Carneros Estate Chard 2009, Domaine Tremblay Chablis 2011, Prudhon Puligny Mont Enseig 06, Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 08, plus food from Three Little Pigs, plus 1 hour class – $40.

Meet Stonestreet Winemaker Graham Weerts here at Ruth Chris Thursday –

107 West 6th Street, The Scarborough Building, Austin, TX 78701.

April 25 at 6:30 for dinner and discussion of his award winning 90 point plus wines High above California’s Alexander Valley stand the towering Mayacamas Mountains, home to Stonestreet’s rugged Alexander Mountain Estate. This epic, untamed landscape is both challenging and rewarding when it comes to growing grapes. Here, we are truly a guest of nature, subject to both its bounty and its whims, which serve as a constant reminder that we are merely custodians to this remarkable place. With less than 800 of our 5,100 acres planted to vine, this extreme expanse doesn’t take kindly to direct orders. Comprised of 400 separate vineyard blocks aligned with the contours of the mountain, the Estate is an intricate puzzle of peaks, valleys and ridges that create a broad spectrum of aspects and facings. The story of Stonestreet is the story of our commitment to uncovering the true potential of this special land.

Featured Wines:
2010 Upper Barn Chardonnay 93 pts
2011 Broken Road Chardonnay 93 pts
2009 Monument Cabernet 92 pts
2006 Cougar Ridge Cabernet 90 pts

$90.00 per person
4 Course Wine-­‐Paired Dinner

RSVP with Kaycee McQuaid at 406-890-5524 or by calling Ruth Chris 512-477-7884.

 Viña Ijalba, which is also one of Rioja’s leading Organic wineries, produces all of its wines under organic methods and processes. The wines of Bodegas Viña Ijalba, are the result of vineyards planted traditionally with the best bio-organic techniques.

Vina Ijalba Genoli White Wine Rioja 2011 – 11.97 – ● – 100% Viura, nice brightness & mineral – nose starts a little shy in regard to fruit, (citrusy), then bounces back with a bit more mineral and lemon curd. A bargain. Floral & fruity on the nose, medium body, broadly textured, medium length finish. Versatile, especially good with tapas and appetizers. Like all of the Ijalba wines, there is pretty fruit, cleanly framed.

Vina Ijalba, Livor Tempranillo, Rioja 2011 – 11.97 – ● – Line priced with the white – Cherry, juicy, softer, easier Tempranillo. Good to bring back. From the Rioja Alta sub-region of La Rioja. Fresh & tasty juice, clean aromas, with ripe red berry fruit & a bit of fennel frond, creamy. Dry, with round tannins and ripe fruit. (with 10% Mazuelo). This has been a big hit in the shop. We really like the balance at the low $.

Vina Ijalba Rioja Crianza 2008 – 15.97 – ● – 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Aged for 12 months in barrel. Fruity nose with toasty vanilla. Balance of ripe red berry and cassis fruits and oak tannins. Full-bodied with ripe tannins. Designed to love bottle age this wine has a minumum of 18 months before release. Clean. Purity.

Vina Ijalba, Graciano, Rioja, 2010 – 21.97 – ● – Juan Carlos Sancha’s doctoral thesis was entitled ‘The revival of native minority grapes in DOCa Rioja’. He made Rioja’s first single-varietal Graciano for Viña Ijalba in 1995 (‘It would have been the first in the world,’ he says ruefully, ‘but for Brown Brothers in Australia’). Organic – Aged 12 months in French oak. Lighter, focused. Lean, grippy, and cool to have. First Graciano to be bottled on its own in Rioja (1995) (It would have been the first in the world, but for the Brown Brothers in Australia). From Rioja Alta. A darling of the critics. Very enjoyable. More mineral & mint, less chocolate than a Cabernet Sauvignon, to which it is sometimes compared. Very cool to get to see as 100%.