I recently received an invitation from Maisons, Marques & Domaines to attend their tour stop in Dallas. The tour featured their entire impressive portfolio of wines. It was an epic tasting event of exceptionally high quality wines. With so many wines to taste I decided to keep my focus on wines from France and Italy, and I did not even taste them all. This was my first press invitation to such an impressive tasting event and I am both humbled and blessed.
From the Maisons, Marques & Domaines web site: Maisons Marques & Domaines USA Inc. was founded in 1987 as the U.S. sales and marketing arm for Champagne Louis Roederer and its new California winery, Roederer Estate. The key objectives were to manage the complex U.S. distribution system in order to ensure the delivery of perfect quality products to the consumers as well as to build each individual brand’s image. Today, the company has grown into a well-respected marketer of family-owned, prestigious producers. From France to Portugal, Italy to Spain, and California to South Africa; Maisons Marques & Domaines represents some of the most highly esteemed properties in the world.
The tasting event was well attended, with many people samples wines at each table; therefore, taking pictures and writing detailed tasting notes while holding information, notepad, purse and phone (for photos), while trying to taste and sip amongst a large group of people was difficult. Below is the list of wines I sampled. Even though I focused on France and Italy (with a couple of California samplings) my sampling was quite diverse. I will tell you up front I enjoyed every single one of them and would happily drink them again and seek them out at local wine retailers as well as restaurants. I embedded the hyperlink to of each producer and I encourage you to visit each site to learn more about the wineries and their entire portfolio of wines.
- Brut Excellence NV
- Brut Rose Excellence NV
- Pinot Blanc Les Princes Abbes 2012
- Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbes 2012
- Pinot Gris Grand Cru Spiegel 2007
- Riesling Les Princes Abbes 2011
- Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2011
- Chateau de Selle Cotes de Provence Rose 2013
- Chateau Romassan Bandol Rose 2013
- Les Domaines Cotes de Provence Rose 2014
Louis Roederer Bordeaux Properties:
- Chateau Bernadotte 2011
- Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2011
- Reserve de la Comtesse 2011
- Chateau de Pez 2009
- Chateau de Pez 2011
- Chateau Haut-Beausejour 2011
- Barbaresco DOCG 2010
- Barbaresco II Bricco DOCG 2009
- Barbera d’Alba DOC 2013
- Barbera d’Alba Fides DOC 2011
- Barolo DOCG 2010
- Barolo Ornato DOCG 2010
- Nebbiolo Langhe DOC 2011
- Dominus 2006
- Dominus 2009
- Dominus 2011
- Napanook 2011
Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix:
- Chateau Certan de May 2008
- Chateau Certan de May 2011
- Chateau de Sales 2011
- Chateau Lafleur Gazin 2007
- Chateau Puy-Blanquet 2011
- Chateau Hosanna 2011
- Cotes du Rhone St. Esprit Rouge 2013
- Crozen Hermitage Domaine des Grand Chemins 2010
- Crozes Hermitage Les Launes 2011
- Hermitage Domaines des Tourette Rouge 2011
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2011
- Campo del Drago Brunello 2008
- Millicento Brunello 2005
- Brunello di Montalcino 2009
- Rosso di Montalcino 2011
- Dainero IGT 2010
My overall favorites:
- Pinot Gris Grand Cru Spiegel 2007: crisp, clean & subtle; outstanding
- Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2011: clean; aromatic w/great minerality
- Barbaresco II Bricco DOCG 2009: dried cherry, earth, spice, floral notes
- Barolo Ornato DOCG 2010: black fruit, mushroom, earthiness, balanced
- Dominus 2006: violets, black fruit, smoke, rich & elegant
- Chateau Lafleur Gazin 2007: minerals, black fruit, graphite, rich & adelicious
- Chateau Hosanna 2011: stunning, velvet texture, rich black fruit, licorice, violets
- Millicento Brunello 2005: rich dark black & red fruit, beautiful structure
- Brunello di Montalcino 2009: red fruit, earthy, spice & tobacco
- Chateau de Pez 2009: very full body, concentrated fruit balanced with acidity&tannins
- Chateau de Pez 2011: vibrant aroma; herbs, red fruit, spice; long finish
As you can see this was an outstanding tasting and I was so honored to have been invited. The selection of wines was fantastic; I would have loved to have tasted them all but for my first time tasting MMD’s portfolio I tried to hit my favorites. It was hard to pick favorites but a few wines did rise above the rest. I would love to have each of these favorites in my own wine cellar. Seek them out; many are readily available at your local wine retailers, restaurants and online.
My Song Selection: The song I have chosen to pair with the MMD Portfolio Wine Tour 2015, the wonderful wines I sampled and the wines that were my favorite is Luck Be a Lady Tonight by Frank Sinatra. These were elegant, beautifully crafted, perfectly balanced wines. Many of them rating 90+ points on many leading wine publications. To taste so many high quality wines at one time is simply a blessing.
Pick up any of these wines and let me know what wine you would pair with them. Cheers!
ROCKIN RED BLOG 
2 responses to “MMD Tour 2015 Hits Dallas”
sounds like a fantastic tasting event.
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