WOW Tailgate Road Trip – Sept. 25-26

Raining the 1st half, letting up the further south we went. There was water over the road on 820 S at the Lancaster Ave overpass. And a chocolate Brown SUV that rolled between Cresson & Granbury going North.

Met up with Jeff S. @ Bluff Dale & we tasted the rest of the trip together.

 

Barking Rocks – Granbury

Viognier had the typical sweet floral nose of honeysuckle, with pear, apple, citrus – more lemon than grapefruit. The rose had a nose of Raspberry and strawberry, light taste of watermelon.

 

The Sangiovese  had cherry and coffee on the nose and more of the cherry on the palate. Went really well with the ribs from Pearl Street Station.

Tiberia’s Cabernet Sauvignon was very aromatic with the scent of Dark cherry and blackberries.

Didn’t much care for the orange Muscat, however. Appropriate nose of oranges, with some yellow peach, and the appropriate taste, but the taste seemed flat somehow…

 

Bluff Dale – Bluff Dale, TX

The Chardonnay was unoaked and very citrusy (more lemon than grapefruit). The White Cliff (white blend) was wonderfully bright with citrus, pineapple & white peach. The Sweet Carmella had a nose of honeysuckle & tasted lightly of apricots. The Paragon had a nose of black cherries & raspberries. David mentioned that he thought it went with the pork rib, with the Asian seasonings & smoke, but I sided with Teresa that the Merlot, with its red berries & sage, was even better. The 07 Cabernet was full of dark cherries, plum and light oak. And last, but not least, was the Nexus, a sweet red with sweet cherries, and blackberry jam.

 

Brennan – Comanche, TX

One of my favorite stops on the Trip. Wines are elegantly done. The Viognier is what I set for the standard to compare all others with its honeysuckle nose, and the taste of white peaches, lychee & citrus. The 3 Chicks, which is a blend of Viognier, Semillon, and Muscat, has an aroma similar to the Viognier but more rounded, and a fuller mouthfeel. The Austin St. Red (Syrah blend) had aromas of black pepper, black cherry, and tasted of cherries and light oak ,and was paired with the pork rib with a light-sweet BBQ sauce. The Cabernet Sauvignon was full of black cherries & spices, though more subdued than the Syrah.

 

Rising Star – Rising Star, TX

Last stop on Saturday -  ‘08 Chardonnay was citrusy, more lemon. The 07 Syrah was earthy with a nose of blackberry. The 07 Rustler’s Red (blend) came on with a nose of black cherry and plum. The 07 Cabernet Sauvignon was full of black cherries as well. The Sunset was lightly sweet, and the 07 Blush was a wonderful golden peach color and sweet like a dessert wine.

After so much pork ribs, no dinner tonight. Although I did break into the bag of POPPIN’ PECAN – Texas-made and like Crunch–N-Munch, only better.

 

Alamosa – Bend, TX (Sunday the 27th)

Our 1st stop of the day. ‘08 Viognier – this one is more subdued, French in style than the Brennan.  The ’07 Scissortail, a blend of Roussanne, Viognier, and Marsanne – Rhone grapes not typically found in Texas, and had a nice apple-y aroma.

’08 Texacaia – their Super Tuscan – Usually a blend of Sangiovese, Syrah and Tempranillo, this time it’s a blend of Graciano, a lesser-known Italian, Syrah and Tempranillo. Ruby in color, with a wonderful cherry nose & ‘dusty, earthy’ palate. The ’07 Syrah had black pepper, black cherry as the aroma. Lighter in body than the Brennan.

The ’07 Rosato was full of blackberries and some cherries. To finish, the Tawny Port had a wonderful caramel, almost chocolate aroma.

 

Fiesta Winery – Bend, TX

Although not officially on the Road Trip, we made a stop (after a detour down FM 581) at the newest (as far as I know) winery in Texas – they officially opened Friday (September  25th).  Their Tempranillo is wonderful, not overly dry, and full of black cherries. All the other offerings (for now) are sweet – the tasting notes below are from their website as I can’t seem to find mine :-\.

Country Road – A Lush, Rich Merlot with the Essence of Ripe Blackberries.

Home Sweet Home – A Very Summerful, Crisp Zinfandel with hints of Pomegranate.

Skinny Dippin’ – A Crisp, Clean Riesling that makes Skinny Dippin’ Fun and Lighthearted with Refreshing Aromatic Elements of Green Apple.

Texas Well Water – A Pinot Gris with Light, Crisp Bursts of Sweetness and White Cranberry.

Back Porch Sittin’ – A Satiny, Rich, Bold Cabernet Sauvignon with Robust, Lively Blackberry.

Savannah Rose – A Sweet White Zinfandel Blush with Aromas of Strawberry.

Sweet Dreams – A Silky, Smooth Pinot Noir that Exudes Chocolate and Cedar

Finished with Sweet, Mellow Rounds of Raspberry.

Rhinestone Cowgirl – A Smooth Pinot Gris with Bold Layers of Citrus, Smokiness and Higo Chamba.

Muscat Blanc - A Refreshing Texas Grown Muscat with a Clean, Zesty Citrus Undertone.

 

 

Pillar Bluff – Lampasas, TX

’09 Chenin Blanc – citrus, more lemony than grapefruit. The Enology 101, was a blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet, 15% Cabernet Franc, 2.5% Petit Verdot & 2.5% Malbec.  The ’08 Merlot was full of black cherries. The ’09 Viognier had a nose  of apricot & mango. Founder’s Red – a semi-sweet red with a hint of cherries. And the Orange Muscat, with a 13.9% ABV, was, of course, full of oranges, and a hint of tangerines.

 

Texas Legato – Lampasas, TX

 

Just down the road from Gil Bledsoe & Pillar Bluff, is Bill, his brother, and his wife SuLynn. Both worked for Bank of America. I understand SuLynn is retired. Not sure as yet if Bill is as well.

The ’07 Family Reunion – made up of Texas Cabernet Sauvignon and Texas Malbec, and Merlot. We tasted the ’08 Family Reunion next, with 40% Petite Syrah and 60% Malbec. Both were well done with aromas of black cherry & blackberries. The ’09 Cabernet Sauvignon had aromas of black cherry, plum, with a hint of cedar. The ’09 Petite Syrah was a little lighter, but also had a nose of black cherries. Sweet Surrender ‘08 is made from Cabernet Franc with all of the body, black cherry with a pleasant sweetness.

The port-style wine, Sojourn, had a wonderful plum aroma.

 

 

Red Caboose – Meridian, TX

Last stop, appropriately – as the caboose is the last car on a train.

We started off with the ’09 Blanc du Bosque (named for Bosque County where the winery is located). Golden in color, with aromas of peach & citrus. A slightly sweet wine, but very good.

Next was the ’09 Veranda White – a blend of Blanc du Bosque & Viognier. For sipping on the patio/veranda on a summer evening. Honeysuckle & lemon.

The last of the whites was the ‘09 Viognier – honeysuckle, peach, and a hint of green apple.

The reds –

The 07 Tempranillo had aromas of black cherry. The ’07 Syrah/Cabernet was full of plum, black cherry and a hint of cedar. Next was the ‘08 Malbec, with black cherry, plum, and tobacco. The ’08 Le Noir/Tempranillo was next with its aromas of black cherry, plum, and tobacco also. The newest wine, Hobo Hooch, which was a blend of Chardonnay and Zinfandel, had a wonderful nose of cranberries and could also be considered a patio wine. We had interesting conversations with our tasting companions, who mqake their own wines as well…

 

Talk was in the works from previous Road Trip travelers that we should not only go in reverse order (i.e. start in Meridian @ Red Caboose 1st) and stop for dinner in Granbury, but to also conduct the Road Trip a day early (start on Friday as opposed to Saturday) so we could visit the San Saba Pecan Company when they’re open, as well as go back to Der Autobahn (a German restaurant outside Meridian) for dinner on Saturday.

 

The winery which won the prize for best Pork Ribs was Texas Legato.

 

Bouchaine Wine Dinner at The Classic Cafe in Roanoke

The Classic Café in Roanoke held a wine dinner Wednesday pairing Bouchaine wines.

My favorite wine was the 2008 Gauthier San Saba Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, which was paired with a Shrimp & Chef’s Pantry Okra Fritter with Spicy remoulade sauce. The Sauvignon Blanc had aromas of apple and melon, with a hint of citrus. Slight minerality on the palate.

The 2007 Bouchaine Chardonnay was pale gold, had an initial nose of turpentine, which gave way to peaches, light oak, and a spicy finish. It was paired with a chilled Green Goddess soup which had a drop of Siriacha. My second favorite was the 2006 Pinot Noir, with dark cherries, and a hint of raspberries & blackberries, paired with Duck Confit-stuffed Texas Quail & Brown Sugar Caramelized Braised Pork Belly and served with: Steamed White Asparagus & smoked Gouda & Bacon Au Gratin Potatoes.  

Dessert was Blueberry Pecan Bread Pudding topped with Vanilla Bean Anglaise and paired with a 2008 Bouchaine Bouche d’Or (mouth of gold) Dessert Wine. This wine was a beautiful golden color, made from Chardonnay grapes that weren’t harvested til December so they became infected with botrytis cinerea (noble rot) which intensifies the sugar. Honey, apricots, and a hint of cinnamon & caramel characterized this wine. A very lovely dinner and some wonderful wines.

Master Wine Tasting Event @ The Capital Grille

Went to The Capital Grille on 7/17 for their Master Wine Tasting Event featuring wines from California, Italy and New Zealand.  10 wines for $25 plus food.

We started with the Lunetta Prosecco from Trentino ($10 retail). Nice, lightly crisp, with a wonderfully floral nose and hints of apple & peach. I like Prosecco almost as much if not more than Champagne, and the price is reasonable.

The whites:

Almost everyone at both tables goes into happy dances for the Teruzzi & Puthod Terrre di Tufi from Tuscany 2007 ($15). A nose of citrus, and a taste of melons, honeydew, particularly.  I  much preferred the Craggy Range Te Muna Road Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (NZ – $20), with melons and grapefruit, more than the Teruzzi. There was also a lightly oaked Chardonnay from CA, the Cambria  Bench Break 2006 ($31) also with aromas of citrus, but also peach, & nutmeg.  These matched well with the Lobster & Crab Cakes, as well as the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella with Vine Ripe Tomatoes.

The reds:

We start with the Pinot Noir from Wild Rock, Cupid’s Arrow ($20), with red & black cherries, plums & a hint of spice. We move on to the Merlots – Craggy Range Te Kahu (NZ – $30) in Hawke’s Bay that has berry & plum flavors and a taste of cedar. Italy’s contribution is Fontertuoli Poggio Alla Badiola 2007 ($14) a Sangiovese/Merlot Blend with blackberries, raspberries, and a bit of earthiness. The California Merlot, Beringer Bancroft Ranch, Howell Mountain 2003 ($65)  has black-fruit flavors with hints of cedar & coffee beans. Finally, we are presented with the Cabernet Sauvignons. The Italian, Sella & Mosca Marchese di Villamarina  2003  ($60) exhibits flavors of vanilla, and black currants.  The Cabernet Sauvignon from California – Freemark Abbey Sycamore, Rutherford, also a 2003 ($60) has the aroma of blackberries & dark cherries with a hint of milk chocolate. These would have paired well with any of the steaks, and in fact, several members at the other table ordered  Dry Aged Steak au Poivre with Courvoisier Cream for the Pairing of Cabs. We will come back in August before Restaurant Week takes over for the Master Wine Tasting Event featuring wines from California, Spain, and Australia.

Way Out Wineries Picnic Road Trip

Day 1-

 Visited Barking Rocks, Bluff Dale, Brennan, and Rising Star today.  All the wines were wonderful. The Viognier from Barking Rocks & Brennan were classic: peach mixed with orange blossoms and honeysuckle, crisp like an apple, and dry. The 05 Cabernet Sauvignon from Barking Rocks was 3 years in oak, and had a fantastic vanilla nose.

Bluff Dale’s wines: the Chardonnay which had aromas of peach and a little butter, and was very crisp, also.  The Merlot was typical red fruits: raspberries & strawberries. The 07 Cabernet was black cherries & a hint of plum. The White Cliff was citrus fruits and white peaches, slightly sweet. Sweet Carmella was even sweeter, with peach and honeysuckle.

The Three Chicks (Muscat, Viognier, and Semillon) wine from Brennan Vineyards is classified as one of their ‘sweet’ wines because of the Muscat, but to me it’s not as sweet as a Muscat nor as dry as a Viognier. The Syrah, which had been aged 2 years in French & American Oak, was beautiful – blackberries, cocoa, black pepper.

Rising Star always has unique wines among them Blush (cab, Muscat, Chenin blanc); and the 06 Cabernet Sauvignon reserve – black currant and tobacco.

Wine tasting at Cool River with the Meetup groups.

 

The complimentary wine tasting @ Cool River in Irving was Friday. Very disappointed. The wines were good for the most part, but very expensive. The wines are supposed to be 1/2 price for the glass and bottle, but the wines are increasingly available only by the bottle.  Considering setting future tastings at Wine-tastic in Dallas. 

A glass of the Merryvale Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon was $9 (1/2 price for a glass) but not the best of the three. Berries, some leather and a little bit of cedar.  The Flowers Pinot Noir was very good – dark berries, some cherry. But it was available only by the bottle and the bottle was $50 (again, half price). The Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay was very crisp, not very oaky, with some mineral components & citrus. 

We did have a large turnout, with 12 people from both Meetup groups, North Texas Wine Enthusiasts & The Dallas Wine Bats. A guest of one of the members joined the North Texas Wine Enthusiasts shortly thereafter. Also got ideas about upcoming events at the Las Colinas Polo Club tailgate events and Symphonic Saturdays in Addison, as both are not only BYOB & food, but free.