Pinot Noir – 2005; Santa Maria Cellars; Fredericksburg, Texas

As you can tell from the cork in the picture, this is going to be a very good and well aged red wine!  Just look at that dark black side of the cork for a while in anticipation of sipping.  Kind of gets your taste buds worked up, doesn’t it?  No leaks or crumbly cork is a good sign, too. This Pinot Noir has a rich ruby hue and has a slightly sweet note, without being a sweet wine.  Your palate initially notices the fruity berry notes, with hints of blackberry and cherry in this well rounded, medium bodied wine. This is not too dry, and has a nice finish without harsh tannins. This Pinot Noir makes a nice accompaniment to bold meat dishes like lamb, wild boar, and hearty steaks and Italian dishes. We were pleased with the quality of the wine after 10 years and recommend you pick up a bottle to enjoy yourselves!

www.santamariacellarswines.com

Paulo – 2002; Messina Hof Winery; Bryan, Texas

These premium red wines from Messina Hof are always a pleasure to open and enjoy.  The brand name alone sets the stage with a great reputation that you’re about to sip something really, really good.  This Bordeaux style red wine is a testament to the quality wines that are produced by this award winning winery. Even after fifteen years on the shelf, it’s still smooth enough to drink for any occasion.  After about twenty minutes, it really begins to open up and unfold the character, depth and intensity of the flavors you’ve been expecting.  It’s quite delightfully strong on the berry notes, with hints of chocolate and cherries too. While enjoying the glass of wine, you might also be taking notes on the cork.  It has some very impressive and detailed artwork unlike most other corks.  It’s definitely a souvenir for your cork collection!  Pour a second glass of this vintage as you toast to your wine sipping partner because once you uncork a lovely aged wine such as this one, you will want to enjoy the whole bottle!

www.messinahof.com

Lost Draw Cellars – Fredericksburg, Texas

Located in the Texas High Plains, Lost Draw Vineyards has done their best at contributing to the Texas wine industry by producing some great grapes.  Many Texas winemakers can thank Lost Draw Vineyards for producing some top quality grapes for any number of wines produced by state wineries. Wine lovers know full well that good wine starts with good grapes….no ifs, ands or buts.  In Fredericksburg, you can now find their tasting room, Lost Draw Cellars - a collaboration of partners Troy Ottmers, Andrew Sides, and Andy Timmons.  Kim McPherson is also helping out with their initial wine making.  At the Fredericksburg tasting room (opened last Nov 21^st) you’ll be able to taste many of their quality wines.  The late freeze of 2013 was a detriment to many Texas high plains vineyards.  As a result, not all 2013 Texas vintages will be sourced from Texas grapes as wineries supplemented much of their grapes from New Mexico, California, and Washington.  Lost Draw Vineyards has since installed a wind machine to help combat late freezes and proved its worth during an April 2014 freeze.  Currently, there are eight wines for tasting.  For whites, start with the 2013 Arroyo Blanco.  It’s a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne that has good character and quite smooth.  Next, try the Gemutlichkeit.  It's blended with Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne that comes across as crisp and dry.  The other white is a Gewürztraminer. It’s a really good one to sip and swirl on a lazy afternoon. End off the white list with their very nice and refreshing French Colombard.   Now on to the reds!  The Arroyo Rojo is a Mourvedre, Grenache, Carignan blend with a touch of Viognier.  It's a good enjoyable mellow red wine.  Their Tempranillo is a great one that lives up to the Texas reputation as Tempranillo country. It has good aroma, color, and quite fruit forward.   Lastly, you’ll savor the Sangiovese red wine.  This one is the star of the show!  Made from 40 year old vines (yes 40 year old Texas vines), it just has that quality taste and finish you’d expect from old world wines.  Sadly, we heard that Lost Draw will be pulling up these old vines, so this is likely one of the last vintages for their old Sangiovese grape vines.  The Arroyo Blush is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault that is a bit sweet and refreshing when chilled with some tangerine like notes.  It’s always great to visit a winery when they first open.  The staff here are warm and welcoming and will treat you wonderfully. Troy can be found at the tasting room and is a good friendly guy to chat with, too.  So come check them out when you’re in town and enjoy Fredericksburg's newest winery and tasting room as we don't think you'll be disappointed!

www.lostdrawcellars.com

Corvina Amarone – 2006; Circle S Vineyards; Sugar Land, Texas

How many good Corvina wines have you come across in the U.S.?  And how many Amarone style winemakers have you come across?  Probably very, very, very few.  This was one of the first releases by Circle S Vineyards a number of years ago.  When we first visited CSV, the owner (Dave Stacy) mentioned that he only makes this wine when the grapes are just right.  There is no sense in making wine from grapes unless they meet the meticulous detailed criteria to merit the wine making process.   Since Amarone style wines can be very time consuming and expensive, you'll appreciate why the winemaker was selective about when to make the wine.  In the end, time a patience yields a very good tasting wine.  This bottle has mysteriously sat for some time and somehow escaped being picked for drinking earlier.  Guess it was waiting for the right time to “be chosen”.  The wine had moderate tannins with a complex yet somewhat smooth body.  Cherry notes were evident to tempt the taste buds with a long lingering finish afterwards that was quite nice.  You should pair this one with some untraditional Italian dishes. A special wine like this deserves that little know Italian secret dish!   Sadly, the winery has since closed.  Savor those CSV bottles you have left and enjoy with your closest friends!

www.circlesvineyards.com