2021 C.L. Butaud Desert Willow Mourvèdre

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$48.00USD

C.L. Butaud started making wine in 2014 in Texas and this is an exceptional Mourvèdre from a place where you don’t see exceptional Mourvèdre. Using native yeasts and partial whole cluster fermentation, they coax out pomegranate, Rainer cherry, a campfire smoke quality, light Asian pear and some plum, a whisper of tar and there is a quiet minerality throughout the wine. The acidity and tannins are in check and support the overall drinking experience.

C.L. Butaud 2021 Tempranillo, Farmhouse Vineyards

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$54.00USD

C.L. Butaud started making wine in 2014 in Texas, another wine to join the impressive ranks of Texas wines being produced in the fourth largest wine producing state in the U.S. A truly Texas Tempranillo, this offers black cherry notes, tobacco leaf, plum and pomegranate, dried tomato leaf, a slight rhubarb quality and a light earthiness. The tannins and smooth but noticeable and the light acidity helps create a wine that, on the first sip, makes you want food with it. The oak influence is just a wee bit heavy, however the fruit still shines and the balance created in impressive. 250 cases.

2013 Becker Vineyards Pinot Blanc Bingham Family Vineyards, USA, Texas High Hills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
86
Grade: 
B

Kind of cool drinking a wine from Texas.  Light golden in color.  The nose has a bit of a sweet scent to it along with minerals and slight petrol.  At first I thought it was a Riesling.  On the palate, this is sweet.  A bit disjointed but not bad.  It is sweet with some minerals and a candied lemon note to it.  Worked pretty well with a salad.  I believe it cost around $20 which is fine for a fun wine and something different.  While I am not familiar with this winery or wine, I suspect it was better a year or two ago.  

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Wine has been made in Texas as far back as the late 1700s when the Spanish planted the underwhelming Mission grape. Today the state is the 5th largest producer of wine in the U.S., which may surprise you; however the caveat for Texas wines is that most of it is consumed by the 25 million dedicated Texans who drink it before the rest of us can get hold of some. “There’s a pent up demand for Texas wines,” admits Grape Creek Vineyard owner Brian Heath. And let’s face facts, Texas and the rest of the U.S. have had little to drink wine-wise except for what California produces, and now, with the help of the slow food movement, and awareness of all things “local,” states want to drink what they make.
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Texas Wine: A New American Winemaking Odyssey

The old adage that ‘ everything is bigger in Texas ’ should be amended to include the state’s will to grow grapes and make premium wines – no matter what. In no other major wine producing American state does the tantalizing exploration of wine’s possibilities continue to embolden and elude the producers of the area.
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