Wine Club Release – Sep-2024
Texas Wine Collective – Carl’s Corner
Wine Club Release – Sep-2024
Hello TWC Wine Club Members,
Texas Wine Collective September pickup events are scheduled on Sundays, September 8th and September 15th. There will be an early session, 11:00-1:30 pm, and late session, 2:30-5:00 pm, each Sunday for club members and their guests to taste the wines in the allocation accompanied by several curated food bites. There will also be live music for your enjoyment.
Four adults per wine club membership are allowed to join the party. Reservations are required to make sure you get the opportunity to enjoy the paired food bites. Please check the website – www.texaswinecollective.com – and make your reservations to enjoy the wines, foods, friends, and facilities at Texas Wine Collective. Join us and drink well, my friends.
Allocation Selections: R=Red, M=Mixed, W=White, S=Sweet
Lost Oak Winery Trebbiano 2023 TX High Plains W/M
Grape(s): Trebbiano 100%, sourced from Diamante Doble Vyds, Tokio, Terry Cty, TX
Mechanically harvested fruit: pressed, juice fermented cool at 56oF for 25 days, aged 5 months in SS tank, bottled @ 13.7% ABV, 0% RS (dry)
This grape is very popular in Italy and grown extensively in France (called Ugni Blanc) for distillation into Cognac and Armagnac brandy. It offers refreshing crispness for white blends and varietal wines and has become popular in Texas by proving to be both drought and freeze tolerant. There are tropical blossoms, ripe melon, and a hint of citrus on the nose with flavors of pomelo and honeydew melon. The wine is light-bodied with some floral and citrus notes on a pleasing, crisp finish. Pair this with aged NY white cheddar, parmesan crisp with prosciutto, soy ginger pasta bowl, mustardy potato salad with bacon, and apricot marzipan honey thyme tart. Great for garden, porch, or pool - with friends on sunny days.
Brennan Vineyards Roussanne 2023 TX High Plains W
Grape(s): Roussanne 100%, sourced from La Pradera Vineyard, Terry County, TX
Machine harvested fruit; pressed and fermented cool over 1 month in SS tanks; aged with lees stirring in SS tanks; bottled @ 12.5% ABV, 0% RS (dry)
Roussanne has proven a reliable white grape variety in several parts of Texas and many wineries now offer Roussanne in blends or as a varietal bottling. Winemaker Kevin Spivey created this golden-colored, medium-bodied wine that has characteristics of no-oak Chardonnay with aromas of dried apricots and toasted almonds; flavors of gala apples, papaya, dried mango, and key lime; and a well-balanced finish with gentle acidic grip. Pair this with buttery lobster, crab, or shrimp, a rich paté. Alfredo-sauced pastas, grilled chicken, turkey, or pork, and lemon shortbread cookies.
McPherson Cellars Reserve Roussanne 2022 TX High Plains W
Grape(s): Roussanne 100%, sourced from Lahey Vyds near Brownfield, Terry Cty, Texas
Mechanically harvested fruit; pressed and fermented over 25 days at cool temperature in SS tank. The wine was aged 3 months with lees stirring in used oak barrels before bottling at @ 13.7% ABV, 0.3% RS (dry)
Although Viognier has gained some traction as the white grape of Texas, McPherson Cellars has long made the case that Roussanne may be a better choice. This Rhône Valley grape grows well in many parts of Texas and offers fuller-bodied characteristics of Chardonnay, especially when treated in oak barrels. This Reserve bottling brings a juicy mid-palate with notes of muddled lemon with a slight char, nectarine, golden apple, white flowers, and a hint of saltiness. Kim calls this “Texas Sunshine” in a glass. There is a bit of creamy texture from the barrel that fits with both quaffing and food pairing. It pairs well with grilled seafood, shrimp scampi or Alfredo, poultry or pork with cream gravy, cornbread, and butter-sautéed peaches over vanilla ice cream.
McPherson Cellars Mourvèdre Block Series 2021 TX High Plains R
Grape(s): Mourvèdre 100%, Crookhouse East Block, Farmhouse Vyds, Brownfield, Terry Cty, TX
Machine harvested fruit; destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tank at 60-80oF over 10 days with overall 30-day skin contact; aged 15 months in French oak barrels (18% new); bottled @ 13.7% ABV, 0.2% RS (dry)
Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo focus on this thin-skinned grape and convert it into a velvety soft wine with aromas and flavors of poached plums, ripe strawberry, warm mincemeat, beef jerky, potting soil, and violets. The wine is layered, complex, and zesty with lingering notes of baking spices and vanilla pound cake. There is a smooth cherry-skin bitterness, almost dusty note, to the gentle tannins and bright acidity at the finish. This is an ideal accompaniment for duck confit taco on soft corn tortilla, charcuterie platters, goat cheese and fig jam bruschetta, grilled bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, brisket mac and cheese, and blackberry cobbler.
Brennan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 TX High Plains R/M
Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon 100%, from vineyards in Tokio, TX, Terry Cty
Mechanically harvested fruit; destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tank at 65-85oF; aged 24 mo in used American and French oak barrels; bottled @ 15.3% ABV, 0% RS (dry)
Cabernet Sauvignon, a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is the world’s most widely planted grape variety. Grown in almost every wine region, it tends to express its typicity of structure, aromas, and flavors wherever it is grown and in a myriad of winemaking formats. Although the variety originated in a cooler, wetter climate, growers in Texas have adapted methods to produce quality varietal wines. This Cab Sauv has medium-plus concentration; aromas of black cherries, baking spices, and beet greens; full-bodied mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and black currant fruit; well-balanced with layers of complexity and a rich finish with soft, elegant tannins. Pair with BBQ, skirt steak fajitas, grilled asparagus, and pear tart with molasses and cream cheese.
Lost Oak Winery Merlot 2022 TX High Plains R/M
Grape(s): Merlot 95% Bingham Family Vyds, Meadow, TX, and Mourvèdre 5%, Diamante Doble Vyds, Tokio, Terry Cty, TX
Machine harvested fruit; destemmed and crushed; fermented over 10 days in SS tank at 60-85oF; wine pressed from the skins and aged 18 months in used American and French oak barrels; blended and bottled @15.2% ABV, 0% RS (dry)
Winemakers Jim Evans and Angela Chapman have produced many delicious Merlot wines, and this is another standout. A cross between Cabernet Franc and an obscure variety from Brittany, Merlot is the 2nd most widely planted grape in the world, used for both blending and varietal wines. Merlot is popular in Texas and grows well in many areas. This wine offers a pale ruby color and aromas and flavors of cherry, red plum, underripe strawberry, vanilla, black tea leaves, woodsmoke, and freshly plowed earth. Rich and layered with good balance, this has a lingering finish with moderate tannins and a hint of chalk. Pair with feta baked with honey and pecans, sauteed mushrooms with parmesan, roasted pork shoulder with peach glaze, and classic lasagna Bolognese. For dessert, try orange-infused dark chocolates.
Lost Oak Winery Rosa Blanca 2023 TX High Plains S
Grape(s): Muscat Blanc 47%, Reddy Vyds, Brownfield; Muscat Canelli 40%, Diamante Doble Vyds, Tokio; Zinfandel 11% & Merlot 2%, Reddy Vyds, Brownfield; all Terry Cty, TX
Mechanically harvested Muscat fruit was pressed and fermented cold in SS tank; aged 7 months in SS tank; blended with the red wines, sweetened, stablilized, and bottled @ 13.8% ABV, 4.0% RS (sweet)
Winemakers may blend to achieve a specific color, bouquet, or flavor profile, or may just have fun mixing things together. Muscat Blanc, one of over 200 cultivars of the Muscat family, was blended with just enough Zinfandel and Merlot to give a classic rosé tint. The aromas offer strawberry, peach, and apricot while the palate may conjure memories of lemonade and popsicle stands in the summer. This is truly a porch or patio “pounder” that is still capable of pairing with melon skewers, sweet avocado spread on buttered brioche, bacon artichoke dip, sweet baby back ribs, maple sausage, and strawberry pound cake.
Brennan Vineyards Sweet ArrowRed N.V. TX High Plains S
Grape(s): Blend of red grapes from Blackwater Draw Vyd, Brownfield, Terry Cty, TX
Machine harvested fruit was destemmed, crushed, and fermented over 8-10 days and kept in skin contact for about 25 days. The cuvées were aged in SS tanks; once blended, the wine was sweetened, stabilized, and bottled @ 13.9% ABV, about 4% RS (sweet)
This lighter ruby-hued wine has aromas and flavors of candied cherry and baked plum. There is a balance of acidity and sweetness that flows easily over the palate. This wine can be served slightly chilled to pair with chocolate torte, chocolate pudding, cherry-chocolate cheesecake, and berry custard tart. It kinda goes with sweet-sauced BBQ and Mexican dishes like chicken molé, too.
Texas Wine Collective Sweet Muscat 2022 TX High Plains S
Grape(s): Fruit sourced from Lahey Vyds, Brownfield, Terry Cty, Texas
Machine harvested fruit was pressed and fermented for 25 days at 56oF in SS tank; aged in SS tank (no malolactic transformation). The wine was sweetened, stabilized, and bottled @ 12.7% ABV, 4.2% RS (sweet)
This light, easy-drinking white was produced by Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo for the TWC label. It is fruity, sweet, and refreshing with aromas and flavors of peach, apricot, and Meyer lemon with some lemonade and pineapple juice character. There are hints of tropical fruit at the finish. Besides being a simple, fun palate pleaser, it pairs well with spicy cuisine – Thai, Indian, or Mexican, soft cheeses and dried fruit on your charcuterie platter, salads with spring fruit and toasted pecans, and butter sugar cookies.