Texas Wine Gal

Lucky girl

Yes, I really am one of the luckiest people I know.  I spend lots of my time enjoying wine and visiting Texas wineries.  The best part is the friends I travel with and the friends I make along the way, including the winemakers, winery owners and grape growers in the Texas wine industry.

This weekend, Jessica Dupuy of Texas Monthly, Alissa Leehner with SAHMmelier, Margaret Shugart with Wine Roads of Texas and I headed out for a Texas wine journey. 

Destination: Mason and Pontotoc. 

Of course, we had to make a few stops along the way, starting with Hye. Texas and William Chris Vineyards.

Tasting with Chris Brundrett of William Chris.

My two favs:

Next stop: 4.0 Cellars — the tasting room with McPherson Cellars, Brennan Vineyards and Lost Oak Winery.

Had to pick up Brennan Vineyards Lily and Buffalo Roam.

Next up:  Mason and swinging by Sandstone Cellars.

Scott Haupert with Sandstone Cellars

Beautiful, rich, dry reds powered by Touriga

I went home with this piece of art — not sure I will ever want to open it because it’s so beautiful!

Sandstone NV Port

#happygirl

Cheers!

Texas vs The World: Cabernet Sauvignon

Yes, Texas does make some great Cabernet Sauvignon!

Frankly, I was a skeptic so that’s why I attended this week’s Texas Wine and Food Consortium tasting of Texas Cabs compared to Old World classics and some other New World wines. But given my skepticism, I wanted to taste them all blind and thankfully, the TWFC folks obliged my request.

Several Texas wines were really nice with lots of red and black fruit, hints of green and even a little funk (which I happen to like).

Here are my favorites from the tasting:

Old World: Le Relais De Dufort-Vivens from Margaux

New World: The Vineyard at Florence Veritas and Stags Leap Artemis

Other Texas Cabs that earned stars were from Bending Branch (Newsom Vineyards), Flat Creek Estate (Newsom Vineyards), Brennan Vineyards and Cap*Rock Winery.

Two highlights of the night:

A Becker Vineyards vertical tasting — let me tell you, if you have the 2007 or 2009 Cabs from the Canada Vineyards, hold on to them (lucky me, I have a 2009)!  The 2007 is an elegant wine with nice fruit and hints of cocoa, while the 2009 expresses more earth, tobacco and green pepper notes.

The Becker Claret was also one of my favorite wines of the night — lots of red fruit and, for me, a sour cherry sweet tart finish.  And that’s what I like.

Finally, Flat Creek Estates shared a 2002 Cab from their cellar.  This 12-year-old Cab was terrific — great fruit, hints of mocha  — like a chocolate covered cherry.

Cheers!