Saturday, April 6th from 2-5pm – You are cordially invited to our Marietta Cellars Wine Tasting! Southeast Regional Manager Justin Molis joins us to pour the wines and tell the stories. Don’t miss it!
Now in the hands of the second generation, Marietta Cellars was founded by Chris Bilbro in 1978. He named the winery after his great aunt Marietta – a tough Italian immigrant who was known for always having a stock pot on the stove, a bountiful garden, and a plentiful table. Not having children of her own, she took Chris under her wing and taught him how to cook and to taste, which is a direct correlation to Chris’ winemaking style. To this day, no wine gets bottled without Chris’s approval. And while Chris is still very active in all aspects of the winery, his son Scott now runs the day to day operations. And he runs things very well! If you want to learn more about Team Bilbro, check out this recent article from Food and Wine.
From their hearty and rustic Zinfnadel-based wines to their powerful and structured Syrahs and Cabernet Sauvignons, this is an impressive roster of wines. And this promises to be a fun and engaging tasting led by Justin as well as our good friend Richard McKinney of Tron Distributing. Stop by, taste the wines, and buy them at the best prices in the country.
Asheville’s Best Free Wine Tasting – Just stop by – we’ve got plenty of free parking!
Don’t forget, all the featured tasting wines are 20% off by the bottle on tasting day.
1. NV Marietta Cellars OVR Rose (North Coast, California) – The OVR means “Old Vine Rose,” and this certainly lives up to that name. Made from Syrah, Grenache Noir, and Grenache Gris, including some of the oldest examples of these varietals in California, this lively rose has vibrant aromatics and a clean mouthfeel.
2. NV Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot #68 (North Coast, California) – Always a candidate for California’s red wine value of the year, the current release is no exception. Primarily Zinfandel, with assorted small doses of other complimentary grapes, it “has tons to love and is a little gem to drink over the coming year or two.” – Jeb Dunnuck – 90 points
3. 2016 Marietta Cellars “Roman” Zinfandel (North Coast, California) – Named after Roman Cisneros, the winery’s cellar master and employee of 30+ years, this is a great introduction to the Marietta style of Red Zin. “The Zinfandel-based 2016 Román is plump, juicy and forward. Succulent red cherry, plum, spice and leather are all propped up by bright acids.” – Antonio Galloni – 90 points
4. 2015 Marietta Cellars Christo (North Coast, California) – When he was a kid, Chris’s great aunt Marietta called him Christo — this is an ode to her and this really showcases the bold and pleasure-bent, Marietta style. “The 2015 Christo is a Rhône style blend of 64% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 7% Petite Sirah, and 6% Viognier. Beautiful blackberry fruit, peppery herbs, underbrush, and a hint of olive all give way to a medium to full-bodied, plump, textured beauty” – Jeb Dunnuck – 92 points
5. 2015 Marietta Cellars Armé (North Coast, California) – Moving on to the estate’s Bordeaux-styled, Cabernet-driven blend, this is about as good as it gets for less than $25. “The 2015 Armé, Marietta’s Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, is fabulous, not to mention a tremendous value. Grilled herbs, plums, blueberry jam, spice, mint and leather give the 2015 its nuance and complexity. Supple and beautifully layered in the glass.” – Antonio Galloni – 91 points
6. Suprise Wine – Trust me, you’ll like this surprise!
Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator at Table Wine
828.505.8588
josh@tablewineasheville.com