Dank Lights Out - 2012; Fly Gap Winery; Mason, Texas

The Black light illumination of the label is a great eye catcher and it gives a whole new meaning to artistry in wine label designs.  The craftsmanship of the wine is as equally impressive for this newer winery.  The Syrah/Mourvedre blend (71/29) is just delicious!  No fancy terms are needed to describe this wine.  It just has that great overall mouth feel of a good quality wine, with medium body, some acidity and a nice slightly oaked taste to this dry red. Though the oaked "woodsy" taste comes through initially when you sip this wine, when paired with food those notes fade as the wine pairs nicely with a wide variety of dishes. This wine also has the potential to age well over the next few years.  Stay tuned to this wine channel when we open that second bottle...at some point in the future! Fly Gap has hit a home run right out of the box, so we're looking forward to more great offerings from this winery in years to come.

www.flygapwinery.com

Cabernet Blanc – 2006; Grape Creek Vineyard; Stonewall, Texas

This is a great tasting rosé that hits all the high points of your tasting experience.  Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, it has hints of ripe berries and a honeysuckle aroma.  It has just the right balance of a good semi-sweet wine, yet sufficient sweetness to please those who prefer sweeter wines.  Sip, swirl, and smell all it has to offer as you take in the beauty of the pale raspberry hue and the lovely fruit forward taste. This is a good wine for every course and would pair nicely with something a little spicy and definitely is very enjoyable on its own too.

 

www.grapecreek.com

Lily Lake Vineyards – Lorena, Texas

After being opened for two years, this small family boutique winery is producing some good local handcrafted wines.  What began as a hobby for owners Rick and Patty Wendt is now an upcoming winery business.  They have about four acres of grapes planted in the estate, plus a few peach trees.  The varietals include: Merlot, Black Spanish, Marechal Foch, and Blanc du Bois.  The vines range from two to six years old.  Other grapes/juices used to make their wines are sourced from around Texas and California.  This may be the only vineyard in Texas trying out Marechal Foch.  They have a lengthy menu of offerings to sample in their tasting room.  At this time there were ten available to try. You will get a fairly good range from whites to reds with some dry, but their focus is on more sweet wines, as they are focused more on producing what they like. Most of their wines will be in the 375ml bottle.  One unusual notable one was the “bubbly” cabernet sauvignon.  It was made that way on purpose as Rick experimented with champagne yeast on this one.  It’s actually quite good and fruit forward.   The Blanc du Bois is quite tasty when chilled.  You’ll also be fortunate to try a vertical of their Black Spanish ports from 2008 to 2011.  A fine example of how Texas climate can change the flavor of the same grape annually depending on our wonderful weather conditions.  Unfortunately, in years past they offered a peach wine as well however, the last freeze of 2013 didn’t fare well for their peach crop, so there was no peach wine for us to try on this visit.  Rick likes to experiment and try different things with wines, so check back from time to time to see what he has created.  This place has a great panoramic view of the countryside. The owners have a back area where you can enjoy live music and events and a lake view.  They are a great couple to chat and sip with, so go ahead and travel that gravel road and sip a spell.

www.lilylakevineyards.com