Texas Wine Blog

Lost Maples Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Chris

Vineyard: Lost Maples, Fort Stockton, TX

Type of wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Nose: some blackberry, alcohol

Palate: light, blackberry, thin

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Price: $9

I picked up a bottle of this Lost Maples Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 vintage at HEB to pair with some bone-in ribeye steaks and vegetable skewers. As this was the first time I came across a wine from this vintner and due to the low pricepoint I wasn’t expecting too much from this wine. When most of us think ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ what comes to mind? Typically I think bold, spicy, maybe earthy. The aroma of this wine was very light and thin with some blackberry notes and a lingering alcohol scent, not too inviting. Upon first taste of this wine the blackberry did carry over as did the thinness of the wine. This wine reminded me more of a red table wine that you might have as a third or fourth bottle with a group of friends. The wine was enjoyable but not what one would expect from a Cab. If this wine was oaked it was not oaked for very long. While this wine was lacklustre it will not steer me away from trying other wines from Lost Maples as it was not a poor quality wine, especially for the price. If you are looking for a good inexpensive red table wine to serve at a party before and after the good stuff this might fit the bill.

Lost Maple Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 in bottle

Lost Maples Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 in glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: cabernet sauvignon, Lost Maples, red table wine, red wines, texas wines | Leave a comment

McPherson Sangiovese 2009

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: McPherson Cellars, Lubbock, TX

Type of wine: Sangiovese

Nose: black cherry, licorice

Palate: light, black cherry, vanilla, spicy

Rating: 5 out of 5

Price: $15

I picked up this bottle of McPherson Cellars 2009 Sangiovese at Spec’s Liquor after eying it on several previous trips but deciding on something else. Being at a mid-range price-point I was hesitant to try it out, not having had any other wines from this vineyard. Upon pouring the wine I immediately noticed how aromatic this wine was. The nose of the wine is a dark, black cherry with a hint of licorice, very pleasant. Upon tasting the wine there is a very smooth, silky, light texture to it. It’s light, but not thin. Up front there is the black cherry flavor, following through with a bold spiciness and vanilla taste and finished nicely with a light oak taste, perfectly aged. This wine is perfectly balanced and smooth and therefore i’m rating it a perfect 5/5. I have not had anywhere near as pleasant an experience with a sangiovese previously, even those from regions known for producing them. I highly recommend picking up a bottle of this wine if you enjoy semi-dry or dry red wines such as pinot noir, cab franc or bourdeaux. I know I will be buying this regularly to pair with pasta dishes and other hearty meals.

McPherson Sangiovese 2009 in the bottle

McPherson Sangiovese 2009 in the glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: dry wines, mcpherson, red table wine, red wines, sangiovese, texas wines | Leave a comment

Becker Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2010

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Becker Vineyards, Fredericksburg, TX

Type of wine: Merlot

Nose: dark fruit

Palate: dark fruit, woody

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Price: $12

I first tasted this wine at the Becker tasting room in Fredericksburg and it did not make a lasting impression. I was spending time with my family for Thanksgiving and one of the bottles of wine on hand was this Becker 2010 Reserve Merlot. The nose of the wine is an inviting dark fruit aroma. The first taste of the wine is very woody/oaky and rather bitter. Subsequent tastes became less bitter and notes of blackberry and dark cherry came through, however still overwhelmingly woody. To be fair, it became rather smooth, supple and drinkable after the first glass, however a lot of merlots i’ve tasted have been more complex and with less bitterness in this price range. I would not recommend picking up a bottle of this wine as there are far greater ones to choose from in this price range, such as the Messina Hof 2009 Barrel Reserve Merlot. If you were to catch this wine on sale for under $10 it may be worth giving a try to form your own opinion.

Becker Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2010

Becker Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2010 in glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: becker vineyards, becker wines, dry wines, merlot, red wines, texas wines | 2 Comments

Messina Hof Unoaked Chardonnay 2010

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Messina Hof Vineyards, Bryan, TX

Type of wine: Chardonnay

Nose: crisp, citrus

Palate: tart, citrus

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Price: $9

The Messina Hof Unoaked Chardonnay 2010 takes a different approach to a Chardonnay. Most Chardonnays are oaked and often have an extremely dry and woody finish. This wine has a very pleasant, fresh and light citrus aroma that is very inviting. The first taste of the wine is rather tart, reminiscent of grapefruit or perhaps even a lemon. It follows through with lighter citrus notes and finishes crisp and refreshing. The wine, while classified as a dry white, is more of a semi-dry and not overbearing. This wine would pair great with a chicken or seafood dish or just by itself chilled on a warm day on the patio.

Messina Hof Unoaked Chardonnay 2010

Messina Hof Unoaked Chardonnay 2010 in the glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: chardonnay, dry wines, Messina Hof, texas wines, White Wines | Leave a comment

Fall Creek Vineyards Granite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Fall Creek Vineyards, Tow, TX

Type of wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Nose: light fruit, berry

Palate: cherry, light oak

Rating: 2 out of 5

After having favorably reviewed some other Fall Creek Vineyards I had high hopes for their Granite Reserve cabernet sauvignon so I picked up a bottle at my local Spec’s store. The wine gives off a very light fruity, berry aroma. This does not bode well for a cabernet sauvignon. The first sip of the wine has a rather tart cherry taste and not much else. It is a very thin wine and follows through with a very lightly woody/oaky bite. Since there is not much to this wine, there is not much to this review. Quite frankly, even at the $10 price-point i’ve had much better cabs, or at least wines that more closely resembled a true cab. I would avoid this wine under all circumstances.

Fall Creek Vineyards Granite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in the bottle

Fall Creek Vineyards Granite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in the glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: cabernet sauvignon, dry wines, fall creek vineyards, red wines, texas wines | Leave a comment

Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie 2009

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Becker Vineyards, Fredericksburg, TX

Type of wine: Rotie (dry red, syrah blend)

Nose: earthy, raspberry, olive

Palate: dark berry, earthy, coffee

Rating: 4 out of 5

Price: $15

I first tasted this wine at the Becker Vineyards tasting room in Fredericksburg. I remembered it being very bold compared to many of their other red wines. I picked up a bottle this evening at a local Spec’s store to give it another taste. The nose of the wine is very earthy with notes of dark berry (raspberry/blackberry?) and what I can best describe as a green olive scent. It definitely brings to mind a heavy meal with a thick, peppery steak for pairing. It’s very much a unique aroma, I wouldn’t say inviting so much as intriguing. The first taste of the wine is a strong, dark berry flavor. It is very smooth and velvety for being so strong. It follows through and finishes with an earthy quality and a taste of strong coffee. All in all this is a very enjoyable bold red wine. If you are a syrah drinker, perhaps consider picking up a bottle of Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie 2009 the next time you want to grill up a fat juicy steak.

Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie 2009 in the bottle

Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie 2009 in the glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: becker vineyards, dry wines, red wines, syrah, texas wines | 3 Comments

Becker Vineyards Claret 2009

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Becker Vineyards, Fredericksburg, TX

Type of wine: Claret (dry red)

Nose: spicy, bold, woody

Palate: dark berry, oak, spicy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Price: $13

I first tasted this wine at the Becker Vineyards tasting room in Fredericksburg, TX. It didn’t make a lasting impression on me but I saw a bottle of it in the local Specs store this evening and decided to pick it up and give it another try. Claret wines are Bordeaux style red wines, typically oaked for 1-2 years resulting in a bold, dry red wine. The aroma of this wine is consistent with that of a typical bordeaux, bold, spicy and woody. The first taste of the wine is fruit-forward and that of raspberry/dark berry. It follows through bold and spicy and finishes strong with a nice oak flavor. I am not disappointed in this wine and would recommend picking up a bottle to pair with some beef or a heavy meal, especially at this price-point. This is a bold, dry red wine that has been aged in oak for 15 months, so if you do not like woody and bold red wines you may want to steer clear.

Becker Vineyards Claret 2009 in the bottle

Becker Vineyards Claret 2009 in glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: becker vineyards, becker wines, bordeaux, dry wines, red wines, texas wines | 3 Comments

Llano Estacado 2009 Texas High Plains Tempranillo

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Llano Estacado Winery, Lubbock, TX
Type of wine: tempranillo
Nose: earthy, bold, dark fruit
Palate: earthy, rich berry, full
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: $17

I received this bottle of Llano Estacado’s 2009 Texas High Plains Tempranillo directly from the winemaker, Greg Bruni, for tasting and review. I have had a few different Tempranillo wines in the past and they all have had an earthy and bold nose and flavor in common. The wine pours to a deep red color consistent with what you would expect from a Tempranillo. At first the nose of the wine seemed rather faint and indistinguishable. Once I swirled the wine around for a while and let it open up though it began to have very pleasant earthy, bold and dark bouquet, like that of a nice pinot noir or zinfandel. Before allowing the wine to open up the taste was rather bitter, however the first taste of the wine after swirling it and allowing it to open is very earthy and rich out in front. Flavors of rich, dark berries and fruit follow through and the wine finishes bold and full. This wine would pair wonderfully with a steak or other beef entrees. I do believe with the proper aeration you will thoroughly enjoy this wine, if you like full, bold and rich red wines. I was informed by Llano that this wine should be available in Houston Specs stores soon, and those around the state.

Llano Estacado 2009 Texas High Plains Tempranillo in bottle

Llano Estacado 2009 Texas High Plains Tempranillo in glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: dry wines, llano estacado, red wines, tempranillo, texas wines | 4 Comments

Llano Estacado 2009 Chardonnay (unoaked)

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Llano Estacado Winery, Lubbock, TX
Type of wine: chardonnay
Nose: light fruit, citrus
Palate: crisp, light fruit, citrus, acidic
Rating: 3 out of 5
Price: $14

I received this bottle of Llano Estacado’s unoaked 2009 Chardonnay directly from the winemaker, Greg Bruni, for tasting and review. As far as I can remember, Chardonnays that I have tasted in the past have been all been oaked, which always resulted in a rather bold oaky flavor, some more overwhelming than the others. A good Chardonnay to me can best be described as smooth, buttery and crisp. This being my first unoaked Chardonnay I did not know what to expect. The wine pours in a nice golden color. The nose of the wine is a pleasantly light and fruity aroma with hints of citrus. There is a bit more of an alcoholic scent on the nose than I typically find with Chardonnays, but not overly so. The first taste of the wine is immediately crisp and lightly fruity. It follows through with a citrus flavor and finishes a bit on the acidic side. Being unoaked this is definitely an atypical Chardonnay, however as a wine and not compared to others i’ve tasted it’s pleasant and could very easily be paired with some seafood or light appetizers. Chardonnay drinkers might find this wine a bit thin and light for their tastes, but those who do not typically enjoy Chardonnays but do like some other whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling might want to give this a try.

Llano Estacado 2009 unoaked Chardonnay in bottle

Llano Estacado 2009 unoaked Chardonnay in glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: chardonnay, llano estacado, semi-dry, texas wines, unoaked, White Wines | Leave a comment

Cork This! One Night Stand Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Chris

Vineyard: Cork This Winery, Montgomery, TX
Type of wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Nose: blackberry/dark fruit
Palate: earthy, berry
Rating: 2 out of 5
Price: $17.95

I received this wine in a four bottle shipment from Cork This! Winery in Montgomery, TX. Having had mixed experiences with Cork This! wines I was unsure what to expect. Pouring the wine and holding the glass to the light, it has a much lighter color than you would expect from a typical cabernet. The aroma of the wine is largely blackberry/deep berry without any of the bolder notes you expect from a good cab. The front of the wine gives a taste of blackberry/currant and it follows through with a very lightly earthy flavor. The wine is rather smooth and easy to drink but has very few characteristics of a good Cabernet Sauvignon. As with most of the Cork This! wines, the One Night Stand Cabernet Sauvignon falls flat and thin. This might be a good wine for those that do not like bolder/heavier red wines as a gateway to open up their palate, but for those who enjoy a typical cab I would recommend against this one.

Cork This! One Night Stand Cabernet Sauvignon in the bottle

Cork This! One Night Stand Cabernet Sauvignon in the glass

Categories: Wines | Tags: cabernet sauvignon, cork this, red wines, semi-dry, texas wines | Leave a comment

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