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Aged for 26 months in 43% new French oak. The Petite Sirah is sourced from Lahey Vineyards, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Family Vineyard in the High Plains, and the Souzao from the High Plains as well. This is a fragrant, medium- to full-bodied red, with lifted red-toned fruit, plums, high-toned brown spices, pressed wildflowers, and a crushed stone mineral character. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with silky, leather-laced tannins, white pepper nuances, and loads of distinct garrigue. A lengthy finish and balanced, mouthwatering acidity complete the profile.

Aged for 36 months in 33% new French oak, this wine comes from Newsom Vineyards in Plains, Texas, located due west of Lubbock and just seven miles from the Texas–New Mexico border. It’s a well-built wine showing ripe currant and spiced plum fruit with cocoa powder notes on the nose, complemented by bright baking spice, sagebrush, Hatch pepper, and a meaty undertone. Medium-bodied on the palate, it reveals more spice character and a pleasant loamy earth minerality on the finish. Balanced and polished, with a lush texture. Ab Astris is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Erin and Tony Smith, with Mike Nelson heading up winemaking. Their 12-acre estate, planted between 2018 and 2019, grows a range of varieties including Tannat, Souzão, Clairette Blanche, Petite Sirah, and Montepulciano.

Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 32 months in 40% new American oak. Yields were incredibly low in 2022. Winemaker Mike Nelson notes that the variety retains heat well—some years require no acid adjustment for his Tannat, while in others he adds a touch to balance. He envisions pairing this wine with venison, Tex-Mex, or barbecue, and it’s certainly built for that. The wine shows meaty richness and an iron-laced quality that underscores its medium- to full-bodied character, nuanced by dried prairie grass notes. Solid, firm tannins build with intensity on the finish, giving the wine structure, length, tension, and power. Ab Astris is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Erin and Tony Smith. Winemaker Mike Nelson is dedicated to producing handcrafted vintages from their 12-acre estate, the Hill Country, and the Texas High Plains.

The 2022 vintage was a drought year in Texas, and typically Ab Astris would produce a single-vineyard designate, but not this time. In this vintage, winemaker Mike Nelson fermented the wine in bins and aged it for 30 months in a combination of neutral and up to 40% new American oak. The wine shows red berry fruit and baking spice character building in intensity across the medium-bodied palate, framed by fine, firm tannins and finishing with cocoa powder and vanilla notes. Ab Astris is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Erin and Tony Smith. Winemaker Mike Nelson handcrafts vintages from their 12-acre estate, the Hill Country, and the Texas High Plains.

A blend of Malbec, Tempranillo, Souzao, Petite Sirah, and Tannat. Aged for roughly 30 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak. This is a bold and powerful wine, with succulent dark berry fruit and well-integrated cedarwood notes. Full-bodied on the palate, with soaring tannins, mocha nuances, and dusty minerality, finishing with lingering coffee bean notes.

A combination of fruit from California, Washington, and Texas. Grapes are fermented in stainless steel and aged for 18 to 30 months, depending on the lot, in a mix of new and neutral oak. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. This is an easy-going red, with brambly red berry character, smooth tannins, and a lengthy, approachable finish. A very harmonious and well-crafted red blend.

The Cabernet is sourced from the winery’s 24-hectare estate and includes a portion of Petite Sirah, aged for 24 months in 30% new French oak. It shows classic Cabernet character with notes of blackberry, smoky graphite, and smoked paprika, all coming together on a plush, full-bodied palate. There’s an umami richness that drives the finish, with layers of dark fruit, cherry cola, and savory depth building through to the end. Quite the wine.

nuances, pressed wildflowers, and expressive, well-integrated toasty oak. Full-bodied, with firm, taut, mineral-laced tannins and excellent grippy saline-acid tension underscoring the rich dark fruit and spice character. This is a very well-made wine, showing excellent density and impressive complexity from nose to finish.

A blend of Barbera from the Texas High Plains, Teroldego, and Sangiovese—the predominant variety. Fermented in stainless steel with two to three days of pumpovers, then aged for up to 18 months in a mix of new and neutral French oak. Bright, tart red fruits lead the way, with cherry shining through alongside warm brown baking spices. The tannins are firm and textured, yet carry a velvety edge, giving way to a lengthy finish laced with graphite and limestone notes.

Considered a flagship wine of Augusta Vin, this Petite Sirah offers dark berry and brambly fruit layered with tobacco spices and graphite. Bold and powerful tannins resolve beautifully into rich dark berry fruit, finishing with lingering notes of loamy earth and tobacco. This is one of the most balanced and expressive 100% Petite Sirah wines I have tasted. Excellent on its own at cellar temperature, but equally compelling alongside a full meal.

A combination of Petit Verdot from Washington State’s Columbia Valley and California’s Lodi and Paso Robles regions. Lush dark berry fruit leads, lifted by blood orange acid tension and firm, grippy tannins. Dark berry fruit emerges again on the palate, carried by a lengthy mineral-driven finish.

Made in the Charmat method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 24 months on the lees in neutral French oak barrels before being racked to tank for secondary fermentation with yeast. Dosage is 12g/L. Bright red berry fruit leads the nose, joined by tart cherry, ripe strawberry, and white flowers, with a delicate hint of honeysuckle. The mousse is rich, creamy, and assertive, yet resolves into a mellow, supple palate expression, with good fruit density carrying through to the finish. Despite the higher dosage, the wine remains beautifully balanced. Crafted by Zachary Raines, head winemaker, along with Josiah Phinney, associate winemaker, Cam McDonald, cellar master, and Frankie Aguilar, cellar technician.
Made in the Charmat method, with grapes picked around 19 brix. The base wine spent 24 months on the lees in neutral French oak barrels before being racked to tank for secondary fermentation with yeast. Dosage is 12g/L. Composed mostly of Counoise with a splash of Gewürztraminer, which lifts the aromatics with high-toned white flowers and a hint of guava that also brightens the palate. The mousse is creamy and vibrant, building energy through a lengthy, mineral-rich finish. Nicely balanced, with plenty of acid tension that carries the dosage seamlessly.
This non-vintage dessert wine is blended in a solera style, with fortification occurring in tank midway through fermentation. Fortified with brandy distilled from wine, it’s a truly delicious and well-balanced example of the style. Aromas of candied cinnamon and red berry fruit lead to a palate brimming with luscious dark fig jam, licorice, and a touch of green olive, all accented by savoury Christmas spice. Despite its richness, the wine maintains a lifted freshness and finishes with crisp tension. A dessert wine you can confidently cellar, as it will develop added volume, intensity, and nutty complexity over time.

The 2022 Ranger Hays is a blend of 74% Malbec, 14% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from vineyards across the Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country. Aged for 24 months in 25% new French and American oak, it’s a savory, medium-bodied red showing notes of dark olive, loamy earth, iron, and crushed rock. Velvety tannins carry through to a starker, mineral-driven finish.

The Merlot from the 7-acre Blackmon Ranch Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country AVA is cold-soaked in foudres, then fermented, with winemaker Tony Offill using only the free-run juice, aged for 16 months in 20% new French oak. Aromas of incense and spiced plum lead into a palate of supple, juicy dark berry fruit framed by velvet-textured, firm tannins. There’s excellent mid-palate depth and plenty of tension to carry the day. These are among the most food-friendly wines I have tasted from Texas, all underpinned by vibrant, mouthwatering acidity.

This is the inaugural release from Spencer Gatlin—son of Dan Gatlin—who has launched his own project with a clear vision. “What he has done, and will do, is create his own concepts,” Dan says proudly. One of those concepts centers on Merlot 181, a clone Spencer calls “a grape that blows my mind.” Inspired by a 2018 trip to France—specifically a day spent tasting in Saint-Émilion—Spencer set out to craft a Right Bank–style wine rooted in Pomerol sensibilities. Sourced from Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains, along with a few additional nearby sites, this blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc is grown at about 10 clusters per vine, averaging 1 ton per acre. Fermented in open-top bins with cooling plates and hand punchdowns over 7–10 days, then aged 12 months in 20% new French oak followed by 12 months in neutral barrels. The wine opens with elegant red fruit tones, baking spice, high-toned red florals, and a touch of cedarwood. Medium-bodied on the palate, it offers a plush mix of cranberry and plum with supple tannins and a saline-mineral finish that begs for a well-salted cut of steak.

This is a crowd-pleaser in the Super Tuscan style, offering ripe currant and cassis fruit with hints of blackberry and subtle blue fruit aromatics. Firm, taut, mineral-laced tannins frame the palate, accented by earthy and tobacco spice notes and wet stone minerality on the lengthy finish. A fine medium-bodied wine that builds to full-bodied intensity as it finishes. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

The Cab Trois comes from a hot, dry year, and it shows in the vivid dry herb aromatics that mingle with dried rose petal notes, creating a spicy, herbal character that’s quite intriguing. Purple violet florals carry through on the palate alongside spiced plum fruit and chalky minerality, leading to a lengthy, mineral-driven finish. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

The 2022 Petite Sirah is a full-bodied, bold, and richly textured wine with inky black fruit and blue fruit nuances layered with notes of underbrush, dark forest floor, red tobacco, and espresso bean. It shows impressive density and weight throughout the palate. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

A heady mix of red and black fruit unfolds with rich cedarwood spice, building through cocoa powder tannins and crunchy red fruit accented by warm Indian spices on the mid-palate, carrying through to the full-bodied finish. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

This Cabernet Sauvignon is medium-bodied, showing red currant fruit and black tea notes layered with sagebrush. Superfine tannins provide a solid foundation for this tangy, zesty, blood-orange-fueled red, which finishes with savory black olive and black truffle charcuterie nuances. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

The Conflation Red is a bold, dark-fruited wine with muscular tannins and appealing iron-stone mineral tension at mid-palate. Ripe currant and cassis emerge on the medium- to full-bodied finish, joined by lingering notes of dark fig and subtle underbrush. Nicely put together and easily crushable. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

100% Tempranillo, farmed at 15 clusters per vine with yields around 1.5 tons per acre. Fermented in open bins with cooling plates and hand punchdowns over 7–10 days. Malolactic fermentation completed in stainless steel, followed by 12 months in 20–30% new French oak, then transferred to neutral barrels for an additional 6–12 months prior to bottling. Aromas are bright and clean, with tart red berry fruit, baking spices, and subtle cedarwood notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, supported by very fine-grained tannins and crunchy red berry fruit. The wine is savory-spiced, with excellent fruit purity and mouthwatering acidity.

The most captivating wine I tasted at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025 came from Kalasi Cellars. This is a medium-bodied red with redcurrant fruit and darker blueberry notes, supported by super-fine tannins that offer a pleasing grip—almost like apple-skin tannin. Brown spices weave through the palate, leading to a medium-bodied, spice-bright finish. A great food-pairing wine thanks to its grip and vibrant spice profile.

I tasted this wine at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025. It shows red-berry fruit and generous mild Indian spices, with a medium-bodied palate feel and soft tannins leading to a juicy red-fruit finish. Cedarwood spice lingers pleasant finish.

I tasted this wine at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025, and it was quite enticing. It offered sweet red-berry fruit and warm brown spices, with soft tannins and a medium-bodied palate feel. Notes of brown sugar, cedarwood, and charcuterie carried through on the extended finish.

Kalasi’s 2022 RAJ Collection (Green Label) delivers on the promise of the standout 2021 release, offering a fragrant bouquet of brown spices layered with red and black currant, cherry, and plum. Hints of white pepper, cinnamon, and a trace of curry powder add complexity and lift. Medium-bodied on the palate, with soft, supple tannins and impressive mid-palate concentration. The finish is long, pleasing, and well-balanced. The “RAJ Collection,” named after the family’s son, is a special label crafted only in exceptional vintages. Aged for 24 months in neutral French oak.

This Alta Loma Vineyard Picpoul Blanc shows excellent weight and balance, with pretty notes of citrus peel, wildflowers, and honeycomb. The palate is rich and creamy, filled with ripe orchard fruit that builds in density toward a medium-bodied finish. Hints of honey and crushed almonds linger gracefully, adding depth and texture
Uniquely Mourvèdre, this wine offers heady, meaty aromatics with high-toned violets, black currant fruit, saddle leather, and tobacco. Loamy earth notes underpin the palate, while broad-shouldered, muscular tannins drive the full-bodied finish.

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The Carménère is picked slightly earlier than Counoise but after Cabernet Sauvignon, and is very low-yielding yet remarkably hardy, according to Ben Calais. Medium- to full-bodied, it offers a solid base of acidity, with high-toned, spicy, herbaceous notes of sagebrush. Inky dark berry fruit layers in alongside meaty nuances and black pepper, all carried through to a mineral-driven finish that brings freshness and balance to the supple tannins. Aged for up to 34 months in 60% new French oak.

Sourced from two sites—Family Vineyards and Bolen Vineyards in the Texas High Plains—the 2021 vintage saw reduced Merlot yields due to a spring cold spell. Aged for 32 months in 80% once-used and 20% new French oak, this wine offers striking aromatic richness and impressive mid-palate breadth. Supple-textured tannins frame spiced plum and black raspberry flavors, layered with notes of bright sagebrush, green tobacco, and cola nut that carry through a long, expressive finish.

This wine is part of a separate label from the Gatlin family, made entirely from A-grade ENTAV clones—meticulously sourced and planted in Texas by Dan Gatlin himself. Grown in Gillespie County within the Texas Hill Country AVA, each clone yields an average of 1 ton per acre. Fermented in open bins with cooling plates and hand punchdowns over 7–10 days, the wine is aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak followed by another 12 months in neutral barrels. The texture here is fabulous—silky yet structured—with tannins that carry a saline, Earl Grey tea-like character. Juicy, mouthwatering acidity lifts flavors of currant, spearmint, and crushed cacao nibs, layered with subtle tobacco leaf and cigar box nuances.

Newsom Vineyards is widely regarded as one of the top sites in Texas, though, as Ben Calais notes, Syrah can be finicky here and doesn’t always perform consistently. In 2021, at the winery’s request, the vineyard owners replanted the Syrah block with cleaned-up vine material. This bottling represents the final harvest from the original vines. Until the replanted block reaches full production, they are working with Syrah from a neighbouring section. This is a decidedly Texan Syrah, with ripe fruit and deep mineral tension. It shows meaty aromatics, but as Calais explains, it will never taste the same year to year due to the region’s extreme vintage variation. In 2021, conditions were relatively mild with no severe heat spikes. Syrah buds early, and in this vintage was harvested by mid-September—early for a red variety in the region. The wine is bold and rich, showing layered notes of toffee and wild herbs, balanced by vibrant blood orange acidity and a finish marked by baking spice.

Aged for 21 months in two-thirds new French oak puncheons. This is a delicious wine, offering full-bodied richness and spicy, sinewy tannins that meld seamlessly with flavours of blood orange, cacao nibs, and violets, leading into a long, crème de cassis–laden finish.

The Mosaic is the winery’s classic Bordeaux blend and typically includes all five Bordeaux varieties, though this year’s weather was less accommodating. The wine is medium to full-bodied, showing ripe cherry, blackberry, and black raspberry fruit layered with notes of leather, tobacco, sagebrush, and black tea, finishing with a delicate floral lift. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

The Soleluce is a crunchy, red-fruited, zesty wine with rich forest berry and underbrush notes in a medium-bodied expression. Currant fruit and subtle tobacco spice nuances carry through to the fine finish. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

A staple of the Inwood Estates lineup since 2006, this wine represents an Americanized reinterpretation of a Bordeaux blend—crafted with domestic clones rather than ENTAV selections, which were not yet available at the time. Grown at low yields of 1.5 tons per acre, the wine is built on super dark fruit tones layered with tobacco spice and dark chocolate. Blackberry fruit leads the aromatic profile alongside wild herbs, rich toasty cedarwood, dried fennel, and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied on the palate with sinewy tannins, it finishes with notes of graham cracker crust and warm baking spices.

This wine shows a dark-fruited nose with loamy earth and blue fruit so characteristic of this area. Wonderful dark forest and savory tones mingle with dark chocolate notes, while firm, fine-grained tannins build through the full-bodied finish. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).

From the Pepper Jack Vineyard, this Teroldego is full-bodied, deeply flavored, and unapologetically muscular. Inky dark fruit, black currant, saddle leather, and black olive pit dominate the nose and palate, underscored by savory notes of tobacco, leather, and olive tapenade. The tannins are powerful and structured, carrying the wine through a finish that lingers well over a minute. Talk about your ultimate barbecue wine.

Fermented and aged for three years in 100% new French low-toast barrels. Made by David Finlayson in Stellenbosch. It offers fragrant red and black fruit layered with pressed flowers and earthy notes. Medium-bodied and approachable, with fine, grippy tannins that resolve nicely thanks to mouthwatering acidity. Serve it with a slight chill alongside barbecue.

Malbec from the Challis Vineyard, planted on brown-dirt soils and farmed and owned by Mike West. Clones 9 and 10 were fermented and aged separately before being blended together. 500 cases produced. 100% Malbec. Dark berry fruit leads, supported by cocoa powder and dried wild herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm yet supple tannins and a dry, focused finish.

Fermented in open-top vessels and aged for 18–24 months in mostly neutral French oak, this wine is light and red-fruited, showing high-toned, dusty minerality with firm, taut tannins that build grip and dryness on the finish. It’s a lean, structured expression that will likely gain volume and depth in future vintages with winemaker Michael Barton now at the helm—definitely one to watch for subsequent vintages.

Aged for 26 months in 55% new French oak. Bold and brooding, with muscular tannins and fantastic dark berry fruit layered with leather, wild herb nuances, and rose petal notes. Plush, velvet-textured tannins are laced with crunchy acidity, leading to a lengthy finish accented by hints of incense and clove.

Aged for 26 months in 43% new French oak. The Petite Sirah is sourced from Lahey Vineyards, the Cabernet Sauvignon from Family Vineyard in the High Plains, and the Souzao from the High Plains as well. This is a fragrant, medium- to full-bodied red, with lifted red-toned fruit, plums, high-toned brown spices, pressed wildflowers, and a crushed stone mineral character. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with silky, leather-laced tannins, white pepper nuances, and loads of distinct garrigue. A lengthy finish and balanced, mouthwatering acidity complete the profile.

Aged for 36 months in 33% new French oak, this wine comes from Newsom Vineyards in Plains, Texas, located due west of Lubbock and just seven miles from the Texas–New Mexico border. It’s a well-built wine showing ripe currant and spiced plum fruit with cocoa powder notes on the nose, complemented by bright baking spice, sagebrush, Hatch pepper, and a meaty undertone. Medium-bodied on the palate, it reveals more spice character and a pleasant loamy earth minerality on the finish. Balanced and polished, with a lush texture. Ab Astris is a boutique, family-owned winery founded by Erin and Tony Smith, with Mike Nelson heading up winemaking. Their 12-acre estate, planted between 2018 and 2019, grows a range of varieties including Tannat, Souzão, Clairette Blanche, Petite Sirah, and Montepulciano.

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