Having
been opened since 2022, this new winery on HWY 290 is a must add to your
regular Hill Country wine trekking trips. Founded by
the Bernard and Perrenoud families, this new adventure for the 12-acre
estate has really gotten off to a great start. Chris Perrenoud has a long-time
history in the Fredericksburg area and helped get her husband Brett hooked on
the Texas wine bug. Both Chris and Brett worked at Becker Vineyards for a long
time, so they have certainly seen many changes to the ever-expanding Texas wine
industry. John and Susie Bernard have had a long time community involvement in
the area. Having established their own careers, this next adventure into the
Texas wine world is the next chapter of their careers. The name of the winery
comes from the blending of John Bernard’s side of the family and Chris Perrenoud’s
maiden name. There is a great story regarding why the name begins with “A”, but
you should pay a visit to find out more. The lovely name isn’t difficult to
pronounce once you hear it. The symbol comes from some Axis deer antlers that Bret’s dad found on the
property. The antlers were both found on different parts of the property and just
happened to match up. They represent the two families working together as well
as how grape vines are pruned back for future growth. Once an old farm ranch house,
the owners have added on to the 20th century home turning it into a
fantastic tasting room with scenic views of large oak trees in the backyard
area and great artwork on the walls. You can see the original rock wall from
the back porch as you admire the lovely scenery. John Bernard’s acoustic guitar
collection has also found a special place in the tasting room to help elevate
the décor. There is ample indoor and outdoor seating and an exquisite upstairs private
tasting room overlooking the main downstairs tasting room with an even better
view of the outdoor area too.
Michael
Barton, from Hilmy Cellars, is helping the owners with the winemaking. There are plans to add a production facility
on site as well as estate vines. They currently have several great wines to
select from that you can’t go wrong with. Most grapes are sourced from the
Texas High Plains. You’ll also notice some wines from the Columbia Valley area
which will give you a great comparison with the Texas wine equivalent. You will notice a three-word descriptor for
each wine. This is Bret’s take on how
best to describe how enjoyable each wine is to drink. A little bit of
everything and then some was tried on this visit. First to start off with was
the NV Dry Bienvenue. Sourced from Wilmeth Vineyards of the Texas High Plains
AVA, this fizzy jewel is a blend of 55% Roussanne, 25% Riesling, and 20%
Viognier. Along with the lively bubbles, are some great minerality and buttery
notes. The next white was a 2019 Viognier from Lahey Vineyards. This big Texas
white wine has great acids and tropical notes to add to that lush feeling. For
the Rosé wine, they have the 2021 Redlin sourced from Farmhouse Vineyards. This
blend of 40% Cinsault, 20% Montepulciano, 20% Sangiovese, 15% Mourvèdre, and 5%
Grenache is not only full of cherry notes, but light, smooth, fruit forward and
quite refreshing. The first red on the menu is their 2018 Malbec. This Newsom
Vineyard sourced fruit is quite smooth with berry notes, well balanced, and has
good acids. This was followed by the
2021 Nichol which is a 50/50 blend of Petite Sirah and Petite Verdot. It is one
of the darker reds you’ll try and has jammy notes, lots of depth, and is very
smooth. Did someone say Cabernet Sauvignon? Well, their Columbia Valley sourced
Cab is delicious. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is big on black cherry, smooth,
and savory. However, brace yourself for the 2021 vintage! We got a “sneak peek”
of this bad beast Cab, and it just hits all those high marks of bold, lush,
long finish, and elegant. It’s a long-term cellaring wine for sure. For a take
on left/right bank style blend, try the Cuerno. Also sourced from Columbia
Valley, it’s a blend of 40% Merlot, 20% Malbec, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Call this jewel well balanced with a nice fruit forward sensation. And not to
be left out, is the 2020 Cabernet Franc from Calistoga. This big and heavy red
wine just explodes with a tantalizing mouthfeel, along with that classic pucker
up tannin sensation. Lastly, was the 2021 Muscat. Sourced from Farmhouse
Vineyards, it does have a beautiful aromatic nose with notes of grapefruit and
other delightful tropical sensations.
To
say the owners are enthusiastic about their place is an understatement. Take the opportunity to chat with them during
your tasting and you’ll get the A-to-Z about their passion for this place. There is a lot of great history packed into
their story, and the views are only complimented by the many species of birds
you’ll find on the estate. You’ll love their wines and fall in love with the
tasting room. So, plan a long visit here and take your time while you taste the
wine. Cheers!
