Wine Extravaganza at Masraff's

Last night I attended the TPCR Wine Extravaganza at Masraff's.  TPCR = Tony's Prostate Cancer Research. Tony Masraff founded TPCR in 1999 to raise awareness and support the work of individual researchers focused on discovering a non-invasive cure for prostate cancer.

That said, the TPCR Wine Extravaganza (the largest fundraiser for TPCR) was last night.  The event is truly a grand evening of wine tasting from some impressive and amazing wineries (95 different wines were present).  Every wine exhibited was of the highest caliber.  Truly stellar representations.   Below are a few wines that jumped out at me that I thought were worth noting (I could mention many, many more...but I don't think you'd read this entire post if I actually named them all.....)

2007 Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
97% Cabernet Sauvignon
3% Cabernet Franc
All Estate Fruit
18 months age in New French Oak
Smooth.  Velvety.  Plumb, currant, blueberry, and chocolate flavors.
Napa Valley.

Laetitia Sparkling Wine - Brut Cuvee Non-Vintage
Blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc.
24 month aging process.
Mostly 2008 grapes.
Creamy and light, yet a crispness to it that gave it a little bite (which I like).
California.  Near San Luis Obispo.

2007 B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Mellow, elegant, but complex. 
Happy bitter flavors resulting from the tannins.
Tobacco, oak and anise flavors. 
Fun fact:  B.R. Cohn is Bruce Cohn, the long time manager of the Doobie Brothers.
Sonoma Valley.

Boekenhoutskloff The Chocolate Block
Anything with the word "Chocolate" in the name must good in my book -- and even though this wine does not taste like actual chocolate -- my theory holds true -- anything with the word "chocolate" in the title must be good, this wine include -- yummy!
Rhone Blend.
67% Syrah
14% Grenache Noir
10% Cabernet Sauvignon
7% Cinsault
2% Voignier
Spicy.  Plumb. Currants.  Acidic (I love acidity).  Mellows with age. The Voignier makes it very aromatic.
Also, fun fact:  15% of the entire allocation is for Houston.
South Africa.

The Venue.  Masraff's is elegant and classy, with a contemporary twist on traditional interior design.  For the Wine Extravaganza, an enormous tent was erected at the entrance providing an abundance of space for silent auction items, additional tables and a band.  The flow of the event was excellent.

The Food.  Masraff's provided a variety of mouthwatering items in which to sample.  From crispy and delectable Spring Rolls to fresh Salmon to Beef Tenderloin with yummy Horseradish Sauce (subtle, yet fine horseradish flavor).  The Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna, seared, and slightly cool, was delicious!  See below.

Two side dishes really got my taste buds jumpin'!  The roasted potatoes with green and red bell peppers woke up my palate.  The big old kick of caynne gave the potatoes a spicy pop.  The peppers were roasted perfectly -- crisp, tender, yet the delicious roasted flavor burst with each bite.  Then there were the Mashed Potatoes -- creamy, yet still containing lumps and skins (Mmmmmm).  Lots of Butt-ah! They were served with a side of Parmesan cheese and pico de gallo.  Hello yummy flavors!  The textures and flavors of the creamy potatoes with fresh, spicy pico was an excellent pairing.
For dessert, a sampling of cupcakes were served (along with Mini Chocolate Eclairs and Mini Fruit Tarts).  I devoured the Lemon Meringue Cupcake in seconds.  The cake was moist with a solid, yet subtle lemon flavor.  The icing was a meringue buttercream, complete with browned peeks. 

The evening was a tremendous time!  The wine was fantabulous.  The food was delicious.  The venue of Masraff's was elegant and superb.  And....TPCR raised almost half a million dollars to go towards prostate cancer research.  Congratulations to everyone involved.  Cheers!

Masraff's
1753 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77056
713-335-1975
www.masraffs.com
For TPCR info:  www.tpcr.org