Valentine – NV; Bernhardt Winery; Plantersville, Texas

This exceptional red blend is a delight and treat for the tongue!  The soft texture and smooth taste gives a heartfelt warm reception to your taste buds. On the nose, you get very pronounced bright fruit. While the palate discerns velvety strawberry and cherry notes to sip and savor in this well-balanced wine. Although not an entirely sweet wine, this is on the sweeter side and would pair nicely with spicy Mexican or BBQ dishes. It is also such a lush pretty wine to enjoy on its own or with something chocolate.  Highly suggest you stop in to pick up a bottle to sample for yourself and we think you won’t be disappointed and you will likely crave more.  Yes, it is quite wonderful! Cheers!

www.bernhardtwinery.com

F-2 – NV; Locations Wine; France

Ooh…now this location wine is quite lovely!  This red blend of Grenache, Syrah, and some Bordeaux varietals balances out quite nicely.  Do let this crimson colored jewel breathe for about 20 minutes to release those aromatic berries and optimize the flavor profile.  It is a bit smoky at first, however it then transitions to some moderate peppery notes. After a good swirl across your palate, you’ll pick up some moderate acids followed by a nice tannic finish. This wine has plenty of pairing power to entice your taste buds.  That’s just what good wine is all about, right? Enjoy this, with your favorite elegant style meaty dish!

www.locationswine.com

Blanc du Bois – 2010; Saddlehorn Winery; Burton, Texas

This six-year old Blanc du Bois is quite lovely.  The color shows little signs of aging unlike most whites and the fruit is still intact.  It is somewhere between dry and off-dry.  On the nose, you will initially get some herbaceous notes. You’ll detect some butter on this wine and it might trick you into thinking Chardonnay initially, but it’s really a dry Blanc du Bois.  The Apricot aromas are a delight along with some tropical and herbaceous notes.  The tad bit of sweetness gives this elegant wine some versatility in your dish pairings.   It’s also a great treat on those warm winter days!

www.saddlehornwinery.com

1851 Vineyards – Fredericksburg, Texas

Getting overwhelmed by the number of wineries along Texas U.S. HWY 290?  Next time, just hop over to Fredericksburg and take a visit to this wonderful new winery located just south of town on highway 16.  Owners John and Dabs Brown Hollimon have started their own pioneer dreams for the estate.  It’s not often that you get to visit a new winery that sits on property with such a rich history harkening back to the pioneer days of Fredericksburg.  The site was once the location of the owner Carl Hilmar Guenther who started Pioneer Flour Mills.  The original barn building and house are still on the property and are historical landmarks.  Dab’s family acquired the property in 1964.  She has since turned a vision of something more into reality by transforming this historic location into a quality vineyards and winery with the help of her husband John. You will have great views of the older buildings, vines, and ancient trees as you drive up to the tasting room.  On the estate are planted ten acres of Albarino, Tempranillo, Cabernet, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Tannat from 2013.  There are plans to add Mourvedre and Alicante Bouchet.  Many Texas wine fans are familiar with the winemaker, John Rivenburgh.  John has crafted some fantastic wines for the 1851 Vineyards winery. Notice on the label the JD “cattle” branding representing the family collaboration of John Hollimon and Dabs.  The first batch of wines that 1851 has are grapes sourced from the Sierra Foothills for the reds and the Texas High Plains for the whites.  There are four wines to currently taste. The first is a dry Texas white blend of Muscat Canelli and Muscat Giallo.  It has a beautiful orange aroma and a nice bright citrus flavor. The 2014 Tempranillo is just superb!  With earthy aromas and an excellent rustic finish, you’ll have no problem stashing more of these bottles in your cellar!  For the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ll get lots of nice fruit and cherry notes along with a hint of leather.  The 2014 Tannat is not for the timid.  If you LOVE red wine, then this hard-core red is for you. Be prepared for rich, strong tannins with a super long finish, and you’ll be happy with the bold berry flavors that this wine offers. Only four wines to try out you say?  Not to worry.  There are some other wines currently waiting to be released hopefully within the next two months. A 2014 Alicante Bouchet will be totally worth the wait.  We got to taste this (ok, maybe more than one taste) and it is just the epidemy of awesome red wine!  John has done a fabulous job on these initial releases and we look forward to more! Small crafted and attention to detail is what this winery aims for and is what they are achieving right out of the gate in producing high quality wines. The Hollimons also know a thing or two about great hospitality. You’ll enjoy your visit here and the warmth you’ll feel from the staff in this inviting tasting room. Don’t’ be surprised if you walk out with a case.  We’re really excited about this place and will make this one of our regular stops. Enjoy!

www.1851vineyards.com

La Herencia – 2009; McPherson Cellars; Lubbock, Texas

Aging has balanced out this wine quite well. This Spanish style red wine is a Tempranillo blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Mourvèdre, 5% Grenache, 5% Carignan and 5% Syrah.  It is quite delicious and still exhibits the wonderful flavors that delight the red wine lover. The smoothness and rich mouth feel that coats your palate makes this wine worth doing the side-to-side swish across your tongue.  Soft tannins only add to the delicate taste of this beauty.  Yes, the Texas High Plains fruit shows its ability to age well in a finely crafted bottle such as this. Whether you pair it with Spanish, Italian, French or Texas style cuisine, you’ll find this to be a well-suited wine for dinner.  Enjoy!

www.mcphersoncellars.com