Texas wines for turkey day

Texas wine has been growing and evolving for decades now, and, at least from my perspective, the quality across the board seems to have gotten higher and higher since I’ve been paying attention.

Reds are key here, and you’re likely to find some varietal or blended wines that include some classic Bordeaux varieties, Rhone grapes, and cool other grapes like Alicante Bouschet and Graciano.

If you’re looking to drink American this Thanksgiving weekend (and, hey, why not!), try Texas! But whites (especially Rhone grapes) can really excel here, too. Yes, some of these wines can be hard to find (depending on your market), but a lot of producers ship direct from their winery.

C.L. Butaud is a maverick winery that produces some super cool wines with a lot of flair and style. I’ve been stoked on all the wines I’ve tasted from this winery. For example, most of their wines are sold in black bottles, with black labels, and black type – which I just find hilarious and fun. I find the wines, however, to be serious, age-worthy, and impressive. Their Cease and Desist red blend would be a great wine for grilled meats, cool evenings, or to have at the card table with friends.

Credit: Texas Heritage Vineyard

I also recently attended a webinar hosted by Texas Heritage Vineyard in the Hill Country AVA and had the pleasure of tasting through three of their wines. The winery is owned by Billy Johnson, and his wife (Texas Gulf Coast native Susan Johnson) also works as co-winemaker. Houston native Tyler Buddemeyer takes the primary winemaking role. In 2015, the Johnsons planted their first vines, kicking off their dream of starting a family-run winery that honors Texas. Located in the Texas wine corridor of Fredericksburg, Texas, their production facility was finished in 2017. Today, they farm more than 12 acres of grapes like Alicante Bouschet, Malbec, Tannat, Tempranillo, and Viognier. They’re not even a decade in, and things seem to be running smoothly. I’ve tried one or two of their wines before this, but the trio included in this report is quite impressive.

If you’re getting together with family in Texas, why not pick up some local vino? And if you’ve never tried wine from the Lone Stare State, there hasn’t been a better time. I certainly hope to visit Texas Wine Country one day and dig in more myself.

These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.

2022 Texas Heritage Viognier Wildseed Farms Vineyard - USA, Texas, Texas Hill Country
SRP: $28
Light yellow color. For a Viognier, this just strikes me as a lot lighter than I was expecting – in a good way, as Viognier can get way too heavy for me. There’s juicy yellow apples, papaya, drizzled with lime, along with a lot of white and yellow flowers, some honey and chalk dust, too. The palate is ripe but lively and fresh with a pleasantly creamy, medium-bodied appeal. The flavors of yellow pears, white peaches, and yellow plums are delicious, and backed up with tones of floral perfume, celery seed, honey, white tea, and almond skin. A lot of fun, this is a balanced and tasty Viognier. Served blind, however, I would more likely guess Sauv Blanc than Viognier. (89 points)

2020 Texas Heritage Syrah Gotneaux Creek Vineyard - USA, Texas, Texas High Plains
SRP: $44
Medium ruby color. The nose has a cool mix of darker fruits as expected (black cherries, blueberries) with fresh raspberries, and the fruit has a lot of nice spicy elements – black pepper, black olive, some loamy soil, smashed rocks thrown in. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, which hits the spot, and it sports dusty-fine tannins. Flavors of crunchy blueberries mix with red cherries and raspberries, backed up with notes of coffee, roasted herbs, roasted red pepper, along with some coffee grounds and dark chocolate shavings. Delightful now but should also improve – a fun, spicy, fresh Texas Syrah. (88 points)

2019 Texas Heritage Alicante Bouschet Estate - USA, Texas, Texas Hill Country
SRP: $48
Deep purple color. A dark purple color with a saucy nose of dark fruits (blackberries, blueberries, cassis) along with complex notes of pencil shavings, charcoal, tar, roasted red pepper, magic marker, all sorts of deep, spicy tones. The palate has serious grip, a medium-full body, and delightfully refreshing, which makes this concentrated wine refreshing. Flavors of blackberries, wild blueberries, and tart currant blend nicely with nuances of graphite, anise, cocoa, and coffee grounds. There’s lots of stony, dusty earth vibes and all sorts of peppery vibes on the finish. Varietally classic Alicante with a Texas twist. (90 points)

2021 C.L. Butaud Cease & Desist - USA, Texas, Texas High Plains
SRP: $48
Deep ruby color. A deep but vibrant aromatic display of juicy black cherries, saucy plums, along with a complex web of mesquite, spicy red pepper, cracked black pepper, beef jerky, and a lot of sage and other herbs. The palate is ripe and juicy with saucy black cherries, tart red and black currants, along with suave tannins and vibrant acidity. Things line up pretty well! The non-fruit flavors really pop here, with roasted red peppers, roasted chestnuts, black tea, and all sorts of savory herbs and spices. A ripe and sun-roasted wine but with a nuanced appeal. 73% Tempranillo, 20% Mourvèdre, 7% Grenache, aged in 60% new French oak. (90 points)