Wine: Texas spirit with European style. What a fun place with great wines! Grapes that do well in the hot areas of France and Italy are what Bill and Chris are growing and working with growers in Hill Country AVA and High Plains AVA to make their wines. They take both a classic approach like their 100% Sangiovese and their Artist Blend or Enchanté but also a playful course with their Pet-Nat (sparkling rosé) and their Enoch's Stomp or Mary Ruth (white blends). Groups with diverse wine tastes will easily find their happy place here.
Tasting of 9 100% TX wines: 1. 2015 Petillant-Naturel (naturally sparkling) Rosé: Saignée (or bleed off of juice from black grape pressing) of cinsault, petit verdot, malbec & mourvedre. No added sulfites. Delicious! 2. 2015 Cinsault Rosé: 85% whole cluster press, 15% saignée (strawberry, lemon and a bit of earthiness). 3. 2015 Vermentino: 30% oak fermentation/aged in stainless (citrus, mineral, nice texture from lees stirring/oak ferment). 4. East TX Enoch's Stomp Blanc du Bois: 100% TX Blanc du Bois (tropical & grassy, like a NZ sauvignon blanc!). 5. 2015 Mary Ruth: Malvasia, muscat, blanc du bois (orange blossom, citrus, floral). 6. 2014 Artist Blend: syrah, grenache, mourvedre, tannat (dark berries, spice, pepper, tobacco) 7. 2014 Klenk Vineyard Sangiovese: with a little cab sauvignon (ripe strawberry, herbs, rose, inky in a good way, Super Tuscan!). 8. 2014 High Plains Mourvedre: (cherry & spice). 9. Enchanté: merlot, cab sauv, malbec, petit verdot (black currant, cedar, Bordeaux!)
My take: A beautiful property with delicious wines. Plenty of space to stretch out for a couple of hours inside the original farmhouse, outside on the large, covered deck or under a leafy oak tree. A name to watch in American wine for sure...more on William Chris.
