Longhorn Red – 2004; Driftwood Estate Winery; Dripping Spring, Texas

This 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah has been sitting around a while in the cellar, possibly longer than we had anticipated, however, it was nice to see what time’s impact was on this Texas classic wine. Surprisingly, the garnet color held up quite well for its age. There was some loss of fruit flavor, but there were still pleasant notes of blackberry, cherry, and pepper.  The tannins had also tapered off to leave a smooth end-to-end finish with a bit of dustiness. The acids were still holding quite nicely for this full-bodied red wine. It was nicely balanced and will still leave you with an enriched full mouth feel. Not bad at all. We were very pleasantly surprised that we were able to sit and enjoy this aged bottle with a nice meal and have no regrets. Hats off to Gary Elliot on this one. Cheers!

www.driftwoodvineyards.com