Ayoub Memoirs Pinot noir 09

Best Value Wine

Mo Ayoub's tribute to his family, each vintage features a different family photo.

Mo says: "Memoirs is my fond personal tribute to my family. The 2009 Memoirs features a photo of my parents back in 1953, enjoying a leisurely lunch in the beautiful mountains of Lebanon."

The 2009 Memoirs is a blend of Pinot Noir crafted from four select top producing vineyards in the Dundee Hills, McMinnville & Yamhill-Carlton AVAs. The diversity of the AVAs gives this wine a wide array of layered flavors & complexity. It has tons of richly textured fruit framed in with silky tannins and highlighted with refreshing acidity. Hints of anise, black pepper, pretty oak lingers on the lengthy finish.

The wine was barrel aged for 11 months in 25% new and 75% older French oak barrels. You can enjoy this wine now or cellar it for 10-15 years. Only 350 cases were made.

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

Ayoub's well priced tribute to his family, "Memoirs" Pinot noir 07, is a blend of four Pinots from high end, highly rated Oregon wineries - so good that they could be described as Oregon wine royalty. Mo bought barrels of their wine for his "Memoirs" project under the condition that they remain anonymous.

Although we can't tell you the wineries' names, the quality is obvious. Taste this Pinot and try to identify the high end wines in the blend. Ayoub's Estate wine is one of the four sources. The other three are top tier Oregon wineries, familiar to everyone.

A "Memoir" in honor of Mo Ayoub's fond recollections of family, this Pinot is dark in the glass, with a vivid perfume of sweet cherry and raspberry compote, dried roses, and a hint of spicy incense. Velvet-textured and ripe, the wine is flush with black cherry and blackberry flavors, seasoned with a hint of Bourbon vanilla. Easy, velvety tannins balance a streak of fresh red cherry acidity that adds structure. Swirling the glass, the finish evolves to include a reiteration of the rose petal and incense notes of the nose. - Avalon

Winery Tasting Notes

It is a pleasure to introduce my latest Pinot noir, Memoirs. Memoirs is my fond personal tribute to my family. The photo featured on the 2007 Memoir Pinot Noir inaugural release was taken in 1964 as my family enjoyed a day at the beach in Beirut, Lebanon. This photo is the first of many that I look forward to sharing with you.

The 2007 Memoirs is a blend of Pinot Noir created from four select top producing vineyards in the Dundee Hills & Eola Hills AVAs. The wine was barrel aged for 18 months in 25% new and 75% older French oak barrels. It has aromas of dark cherry preserves, exotic spice and a hint of eucalyptus. The mouth-feel is broad and silky with subtle oak spice and soft tannins framing elegant cherries, red plum, cranberry and maple. The lengthy finish is highlighted by seductively sweet vanilla and well balanced acidity. This wine will benefit from time in the cellar, and it has 7-10 years aging potential.

Only 380 cases were made.