Trebbiano Toscano – 2013; William Chris Vineyards; Hye, Texas

There are many white wines that deliver great pleasure from start to finish. Trebbiano is one of those varietals that holds true to this when in the skillful hands of a good winemaker. Add to that a few years of bottle aging, and you’ll get a pleasant shade, as well as delightful taste and aromas with this wine.   William Chris Vineyards did well this grape in its 2013 release. Sourced from Granite Hill Vineyards, the maturity of this 20+ year vineyard is well represented in this white wine.  One still tastes lemon and floral notes. You can’t help but want to sip your way to paradise.  A great wine for the upcoming holidays as both a gift or to share and celebrate with family and friends. Enjoy!

www.williamchriswines.com

Syrah/Shiraz - 2006; Dry Comal Creek; New Braunfels, TX

What just happened?  Something incredible! Take what would have initially been a bold strong red wine, let it lay for a dozen years in a wine cellar and presto…. greatness has arrived! It’s incredibly smooth with a light lingering finish.  Even for its age, this red Syrah holds some great dark fruit flavor with notes of blackberry and cherry. The hint of leather and pepper notes are still intact to provide additional depth. The woody tannins round out the finish on this wine. We can see why this 2007 Lone Star International Wine Competition winner caught the attention of so many. We were incredibly pleased to find this bottle was still delightful after all these years and it did not disappoint. Got more?

www.drycomalcreekvineyards.com

Family Reunion – 2008; Texas Legato Winery; Lampasas, Texas

Wow, what a treat! Quiet time in the cellar has treated this red wine nicely. This blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, and Merlot was sourced from the Texas High Plains, Hill Country, and California. A lovely melding of places and varietals. The wine has aged well and time has allowed the marriage of these grapes to soften a bit with a lovely smoothness while still maintaining great fruit flavors to savor in every sip. The acids have withstood and are still holding up well with a good balance that is not overpowering. It’s about as perfect as you can get, and we couldn’t get enough, as we kept going back to pour another glass, only to be consistently and pleasantly surprised that each subsequent sip was just as wonderful as the first. The finish was light yet lovely and this red was a welcomed delight to find and taste again after 10 years in the cellar. This vintage has the potential to cellar a little longer, yet happy we enjoyed it recently as it was drinking well. Enjoy a bottle with family and friends and make your reunion memorable!

 www.texaslegatowinery.net

Pinot Noir – 2009; Stone House Vineyards; Spicewood, Texas

A blast from the past, yes!  It’s always a pleasure to pull out a bottle from a winery when it first opened.  It’s like seeing the first drawings of an artist, only to be revealed later down the road.  The fruit from this first Pinot Noir from Stone House was sourced from the Adelaide Hills region of Australia.  One can still discern hints of spice and raspberries on the first swirl. The color has also held well for its age. You would not notice any degradation. It has a light bodied texture with moderate acidity.  The finish is clean and rather short.  This lovely red Pinot Noir has cellared well and still holds a good amount of its flavor.  This bottle can be enjoyed with your favorite lightly seasoned dish or alone. Let this beautiful red wine delight you and help you enjoy the transition the seasons.

www.stonehousevineyard.com

Ab Astris Winery – Stonewall, Texas

This family-owned boutique winery near the LBJ ranch exemplifies what love, hard work, and patience can bring to the Texas wine business. You’ll have to take the “country road” off HWY 290, cross the river, and trek over a crushed gravel road, but it is well worth it!  Once you arrive at the estate, you’ll see their lush vineyard that is merely in its first year, a windmill, the fantastic tasting room, and the owners, Tony and Erin Smith, and possibly their daughter and son in law assisting for the day. The tasting room sits on the topographic high of their estate and is adjacent to the vineyard. You get a superb panoramic view of the country side and can immediately begin to relax and unwind. The Smith’s have been working on this winery idea for about 8-10 years. They were fortunate to cross paths with the well-known John Rivenburgh (wine maker and vineyard consultant) to help them fulfill their dreams. The last three years is where everything has come together, and you’ll see the results in the wine they are premiering on their tasting menu. The estate has about seven acres planted of Tannat, Souzão, and Clairette Blanche with plans to add Petite Sirah and Montepulciano.  With over 20 acres on the property to expand upon, they are off to a good start. There are currently eight wines available for tasting with one more on the way! All white wines are 2017 and fabulous!  The Solis is a Muscat/Roussanne blend with the lovely Roussanne notes adding a pleasant compliment to the citrus notes. There are two single varietal Roussannes allowing one to compare Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country AVA fruit. The High Plans version features fruit from Reddy Vineyards with a rich aged golden color that is quite aromatic and loaded with pineapple notes. The Hill Country option features fruit from Hoover Valley and presents pronounced smooth buttery and honeysuckle notes. The Malvasia Bianca, is more floral with enticing peach flavor. The Smith’s were wise to let the 2015 reds age a bit before releasing to allow a greater depth of flavor to develop with their maturity. The Montepulciano...wow! It is balanced with a smooth finish and a nice mouthfeel!  The Tempranillo is sourced from Newsom Vineyards and shines with great qualities of tobacco, leather and a fine finish. Their Tannat proves Texas is where single varietal Tannat wines rule.  It’s bold, rich, yet smooth for a fabulous experience. The red list includes Tribus, which is a unique blend of Mourvedre and Malbec. It is well balanced and has great character featuring cherry and plum rich notes. We had the special pleasure of tasting the Ausonius, a future Bordeaux style blend of 40% Cabernet, 35% Merlot, and 25% Petit Verdot. This red will be the shining star of Ab Astris Winery!  The notes, the mouth feel, the tannins…oh my! A future case worthy purchase that will only continue to get better with age. The tasting experience at this winery is memorable set back from the busy road, in a country side setting, amid trees on one side and the beautiful vineyard on the other. We hope to review each of these wines individually in the future. Tony and Erin’s dedication to 100% Texas wines holds true.  With John RivenBurgh’s guidance, and their son-in-law Mike’s passion of learning the wine making techniques, their future looks very bright.  Yes, from the stars, the owners are guiding this new vineyard and winery to future success.  Ab Astris Winery stands to be a stellar addition to the Texas wine industry!

www.abastriswinery.com