Moone Tsai Dinner at Michael Mina in the Fountainebleau Hotel Miami Beach with Larry Tsai

"The flavor of wine is like delicate poetry."
- Louis Pasteur

As we get closer to the holiday season you will find that we send out less and less e-mail, like this week where this is the first e-mail that we have been able to get out and it is Friday already!!

You only have a few more opportunities to get out and drink with me this year and this is our last event at the Fountainbleau for 2014 so if you have been meaning to check out one of our events at this venue- this is your last chance this year!!

There are only a few events left on our calendar and next week will pretty much finish our year with the vintage port tasting here at the store and our big Champagne and Sparkling wine bash on Saturday the 22nd will be our final event of the season!!

I met Larry Tsai at the Philippe Melka tasting conducted at the Meadowood Country Club and I was not familiar with this label.  He mentioned that he was coming to South Florida in May after tasting his wine I handed him my card and offered to help set up a tasting with our "Wine Drinking People".  I did a little research and learned about all of the people involved in this project and then it was a no-brainer to me.  I wanted to introduce these wines to our clients so we could get in on the ground floor with one of the new cult wines of Napa Valley.

Larry and his wines were a big hit and now we have everything that they make at Moone-Tsai available here at the Wine Watch.  I was glad to see that he was coming back and am happy to get a chance to break bread with the new releases from this new “Cult” wine from Napa.

The event will begin at 7:30 PM in the restaurant’s semi-private dining room. Seating is limited, and priced at $225++ per person excluding tax and service charge.
 
Moone-Tsai dinner with Larry Tsai
at Michael Mina 74 in the Fountainebleau Hotel
November 20, 2014 
7:30pm

SCALLOP AND LOBSTER CASSOULET
Hijiki Seaweed, Sea Beans, Sunchoke, Shellfish Nage

Moone-Tsai Chardonnay Napa Valley 2012
Price: $69.75       Sale $61.38          Case $712

The nose of our 2012 Napa Valley Chardonnay beckons with alluring aromas of exotic tropical fruits and lightly toasted brioche. Full in the mouth with rich, ripe fruit; the wine reveals delicate leesy notes, along with a well-balanced acidity. By way of barrel fermentation and 18 months of aging in 75% new French oak, the wine is both pretty and plush...leaving a memorable impression of elegance, structure, brightness and versatility.

Bald Mountain, a neighbor of Mount Veeder, is situated in the Mayacamas Mountains on the western border of the Napa Valley. The south-facing vineyard sits at nearly 1600 feet above sea level, and offers stunning views of both the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, as well as of Marin's Mt. Tamalpais to the south. Cool sunshine is abundant throughout the growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while varietal character evolves completely.

BLACK TRUFFLE CHICKEN
Buccatini, King Trumpet Mushroom, Roasted Truffle Jus

Moone-Tsai Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2011
Price: $91.50       Sale $80.52          Case $934

Our 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon entices with a rich fruity nose, lightly accented with violets and spice. The evocative mouth opens with ripe black cherries and immediately impresses with hints of clove, accompanied by a tantalizing dusting of cocoa powder on the mid-palate. With 18-months of aging in fine French oak; the wine reveals a pleasing acidity, and finely grained tannins that tease the palate,…leaving a satisfying finish of black fruit and leather.

Much of this Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the Caldwell Vineyard in Coombsville, an area of southeast Napa Valley where soils are characterized by a unique blend of red volcanic soils and clay. The vineyard is planted on a gently sloping plateau, and the comparatively temperate climate of the area, versus the warmer territory up valley, serves to lengthen the growing season. The grapes are allowed to achieve full ripeness without the pressure of heat extremes common in warmer areas, and low vigor soils throughout the vineyard create small, dense clusters. With the addition of vibrant dark fruit from our preferred vineyard sources on Howell Mountain and in St. Helena, the resulting wine is expressive and evocative.

ELYSIAN LAMB RACK
Tomato Confit, Pomme Souffle, Rosemary Jus Gras

Moone-Tsai Hillside Blend Howell Mountain 2011
Price: $102.50  Sale $90.20  Case $1046

Richly deep and crimson in hue, the wine's aromas signal what's in-store by way of its bold dark fruits, and spice. With a notable swagger, the wine’s arrival is trumpeted with notes of rustic black cherry and wild strawberry, accented by anise and savory sage. Brazenly concentrated, and rustic through the mid-palate, the wine evens its disposition with a balanced acidity and deliciously chewy finish. Aged twenty six months in French oak (67% new), the wine is a resounding testimonial to this heralded appellation, and will age handsomely in the bottle over the next 5-10 years.

With its beguiling combination of wild mountain fruit sourced from this legendary AVA, our 2011 Howell Mountain Hillside Blend is a striking example of power, place and derring-do.

The grapes that made this wine were grown in an east-facing hillside Howell Mountain vineyard perched 2100 feet above the Napa Valley floor. The terraced vineyard is planted on an extreme slope, producing thick-skinned clusters capable of creating a wine with intensity, structure, elegance, and weight.

SOUS VIDE RIBEYE CAP
Asparagus Coulis, hen of the Woods, Bordelaise

Moone-Tsai ‘Cor Leonis’ Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2011
Price: $Price: $243.00  Sale $213.84  Case $2479

This remarkable cabernet in its especially limited production quantities, receives our Cor Leonis designation, to mark its position as the very "best of our best" wines that we produce.

Transfixed by the brightest star in the constellation Leo, the Romans dubbed it Cor Leonis, the "Heart of the Lion."

Bearing an extraordinary combination of fruit from a trifecta of Napa Valley's most celebrated vineyard blocks, our 2011 Cor Leonis Cabernet is the hallmark of our winemaking philosophy. The wine’s expressive nose entices with aromas of blackberry and spice. In the mouth, these give way to layers of rich, ripe black fruits that are subtly nuanced with minerality, cocoa, and clove. Twenty six months of aging in 90% new French oak provides elegant framing for this wine's concentration and intensity. With its seamless integration of both sweet and finely grained tannins, the wine is opulent on the palate, and delivers a silky finish of length and elegance.

This richly expressive wine draws its prized fruit from Beckstoffer's heralded To Kalon Vineyard, Pritchard Hill, and Caldwell Vineyard's legendary Block-15 – whose vines have flourished in the rocky, volcanic soils of the heralded Coombsville District for over 30 years. The clone of Cabernet grown on this vineyard is prized for its complexity and depth, and the company of wines sourced from this vineyard is noteworthy.

The event will begin at 7:30 PM in the restaurant’s semi-private dining room. Seating is limited, and priced at $225++ per person excluding tax and service charge.

We are delighted to present Moone-Tsai's rare and remarkable wines, whose pedigree is rooted in an extraordinary combination of exceptional fruit, terroir, and artisanal winemaking. With a commitment- to, and experience-in creating notable wines...including the production of three celebrated #1-rated wines in the world; we created Moone-Tsai Wines with the simple mission of crafting the finest wines we know how.

As founders and owners who are entrenched in every aspect of our winery operations, we exercise great care to make sure that the wines we produce and present live up to the "simple mission" that we abide-by. Moreover, as devoted and long-time residents of our cherished Napa community, we take special pride in sharing these wines that bear the "best of the best" fruit from among Napa Valley's most prized vineyard blocks.

Through the years (if age and "domain expertise" count for anything), we have come to appreciate the essential elements of inspired winemaking and well-crafted wines. Indeed, extraordinary fruit, painstakingly thoughtful winemaking technique, and great French Oak are foundational; ...with our accumulated experience, time-nurtured relationships, core operating values, and unwavering commitment to excellence as the difference-makers.

Welcome to Moone-Tsai. We are proud to share these remarkable limited production wines, whose subtle balance of elegance, structure, power and finesse are a striking embodiment of the noble lion, protector of Bacchus, who graces our label.

A bit about Mary Ann Tsai:

Growing up in a spirited Italian family in Boston, Massachusetts, MaryAnn spent summers helping her grandmother tend a verdant garden featuring rows of vegetables, herbs, and an especially precious vineyard. From the last of these, the family celebrated the rite of winemaking; a tradition that young MaryAnn did not fully appreciate until years later.

During her college years, MaryAnn found herself again ensconced in vineyards; this time in a study-abroad program at the University of Angers, France. Located in the glorious Loire Valley, the idyllic town of Angers epitomized French country living and was the perfect place to spark a willing palate for simple, but well-crafted wines and inspired cuisine. It was here that MaryAnn caught "the bug" that would fuel her interest in wines, and ultimately inspire her move to Napa Valley, her graduation from Harvard Business School, and the launch of a wonderful career in the wine industry.

Hired by Mike Moone to join Beringer Wine Estates in 1989, MaryAnn realized a long-standing dream to live and work in the legendary Napa Valley. During this time, and over the next 20+ years, she was involved with producing notable wines and brands, three of which earned the distinction of being named as "Wine Spectator's #1-rated Wine in the World". With the creation of Moone-Tsai wines in 2006, MaryAnn and Larry have set their sights on earning a fourth #1 rating...under the Moone-Tsai banner. Alongside their shared pursuit of this grand-vins endeavor, MaryAnn and Larry are especially proud to raise their two daughters in the fabled Napa Valley wine country that they are pleased to call home.

Larry Tsai

Co-Founder, Owner

As a first generation Chinese-American boy growing up in the lively North Shore neighborhoods of New York's Long Island, Larry held a peculiar fascination for the "yin-yang" that one might confer upon the daily experience. Indeed, in an environment where conventions frequently compelled forced choices (Yankees v. Mets; Ginger v. Maryann; dim sum vs. lox & bagels; etc.), he often instead strayed to permutations of the many possibilities lying therein, and beyond.

While this fascination might have led him to distraction, he was able to synthesize this into a world view that would prepare him for the many opportunities that awaited him in college, and later, in his professional and personal life. After earning degrees at Princeton and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Larry embarked on a variegated career that enabled him to indulge his intertwining interests in wine, food, and the arts. By way of his experiences across Fortune 500 companies, and atop emerging gourmet/food/lifestyle enterprises and Napa Valley non-profits; Larry has combined his management skills with a calling to create and deliver extraordinary wines and experiences that support the Moone-Tsai credo.

Since taking the winery's helm in 2010, Larry has moved Moone-Tsai from its single-cabernet-infancy to the brand's current annual production of seven acclaimed wines across 3,000 cases, with distribution in selected U.S. markets and abroad. Along the way, he has found that the simple pleasure of connecting with people who enjoy well-crafted wines is nothing less than divine. Teaching and tasting with the newly impassioned to the more studied and discerning; from Baton Rouge to Bali, Seoul to Sun Valley, Jackson Hole to Jakarta, and Manhattan to Mumbai; he is reminded of the axiom that posits how adept that Napa Valley wines can be in bringing together people over good times and fine conversation.

Mike Moone

Co-Founder

Mike Moone is up to something. He always is. With his passion for ideas, tireless imagination, and a contagious joie de vivre, Mike has burnished a reputation as one of Napa Valley's most iconic visionaries and enterprise-builders.

Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, amidst the breezy beach-boy culture of the 1960's, Mike grew up living the California dream of endless summers, enduring promise and limitless possibilities. While this charmed view might have washed out with the undertow, it instead engendered an outlook that Mike carried with him to college and beyond. Upon graduating from UCLA, he embarked on a career that led him through the upper reaches of classic corporate America. After making his mark in a variety of CEO roles, Mike connected his long-standing passion for wine to building a series of wine-enterprises in the Napa Valley, not the least of which included his storied leadership transforming Beringer Vineyards, the establishment of Silverado Partners, and his involvement as a co-founder of Moone-Tsai wines. With a career spanning nearly 40 years in Napa Valley's wine history, everyone knows that Mike has been up to something good.

Philippe Melka

Winemaker

Bordeaux-bred, and mentored by the world's most revered wine masters, Philippe brings to winemaking a philosophy that is elegant in its simplicity and bewitching to its beholders.

Charming yet humble, straightforward but genteel, Philippe is quick to credit the masterful influences of Delmas and Masclef from Haut-Brion; Moueix and Berrouet from Petrus; Paul Draper from Ridge; and Michel Rolland from Chateau Le Bon Pasteur. Notwithstanding Philippe's disarming modesty, the imprint he has left wherever he has applied his "touch" is unmistakable. Having put the likes of Dominus, Hundred Acre, Bryant Family Vineyards, and Dana Estates on the map for discerning cabernet enthusiasts, the fact that Robert Parker named Philippe as one of the world's top nine consulting winemakers is no coincidence.

Philippe is creating extraordinary wines for Moone-Tsai that bear the imprimatur of his celebrated winemaking style and the winery's core artisanal values, all revealed in the classic combination of distinctive vineyard, terroir and fruit. From this, Moone-Tsai proudly presents exceptional wines of concentrated elegance and finesse...beguilingly balanced with strength, power, and subtle exuberance.

James Tucci

Certified Sommelier

Originally from the East coast, James has spent the last eight years in Napa working in the wine industry. Confirmed as a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, James' extraordinary wine palate and vast knowledge of wines from around the world enable us to deliver exceptional and memorable privately guided wine tasting experiences for guests across the wine-interest spectrum, from the newly-impassioned to the more-studied and discerning.

Wine has been, and remains a core component of James' DNA, makeup and lifestyle. Growing up in an Italian family, James fondly remembers large holiday gatherings with family and friends, where wine invariably played an integral part. And years later, after visiting Italy's famed wine regions, along with the dazzling Lake Como, James asked his wife, "How come we only go to beautiful places when we go on vacation? Why can't we live somewhere beautiful?" That was that. Returning to the States, James and his wife moved to Napa shortly thereafter; where each and every day since then, James makes it a point to appreciate the natural beauty and blessings of their splendid wine country lifestyle.