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Top Wines
The Buena Suerte Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, planted on Patricia and Amarillo loamy fine sands, supplies the Mourvèdre for this 2022 release. My favourite of the four Portree Cellars reds I sampled from the 2022 vintage, it is ripe and red-fruit driven, with nicely integrated cedarwood spice. Full-bodied, with round, supple tannins, it brims with juicy dark-berry fruit, loamy earth, dried sage, paprika and a fine sprinkling of cocoa powder on the long, saline finish. A wine to drink all night long — ideally paired with brisket, pulled pork or beer-can chicken rubbed with smoked paprika.
Sourced from Timmons Estate, an 18-acre vineyard in Lubbock County, Texas High Plains — purchased by several Texas wineries including Lost Draw Cellars and William Chris Vineyards — where vines are rooted in sandy-loam soils. Portree’s Tempranillo from this site opens with ripe red-berry fruit before segueing into an intensely savoury profile, with prairie grass, green olives and lavender. The juicy ruby-red fruit is framed by grippy acidity, finishing with rose-petal florals and grapefruit zest.
Malbec sourced from the 1,040-acre Lahey Vineyard in Portree Cellar’s hands is high-toned, floral-driven, with mixed berry fruit, cedar spices, and dried sage. Medium-bodied with sinewy tannins, a hint of fig paste layers itself under that mixed berry fruit character, and high-toned acidity keeps everything light and fresh on the finish.
Portree’s Touriga Nacional from the Phillips Vineyard in the Texas High Plains leaps out of the glass with surprising florality, red berries, and tropical fruit like guava and passion fruit, with underpinnings of cinnamon spices and a building depth of dark cherry fruit and raspberry fruit, and exotic florals with high-toned acid tension on the finish. Not exactly what you’d expect from a red, and a little sharp on the finish, but if you’re making Sangria, I’d buy this by the case-load. Keep following this producer and see how the 2023 release turns out.
Fresh, inviting and layered, this rosé soars from the glass with blue fruit, cherry, orange peel and a hint of cocoa powder — an intriguingly unexpected touch. Luscious on the palate, it brims with rich blue-fruit compote, candied violets and a long saline-acid finish. One hell of a rosé, best served well chilled and enviably suited to year-round enjoyment. Sourced entirely from Phillips Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, where vines are rooted in sandy-loam soils over a caliche limestone base.
Bright and citrusy, with a salty sea-spray quality that takes hold on the palate and carries through the extended finish. Along the way, crisp, crunchy citrus and orchard fruit mingle with layers of white flowers and chalky minerality. A complex Picpoul Blanc, best enjoyed with a salad, crispy chicken tacos or pulled pork. Sourced entirely from Phillips Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, where vines are rooted in sandy-loam soils over a caliche limestone base.
The 2024 Ducks Unlimited Red Blend is simply fantastic. It’s a powerhouse, and one of the best red wines I’ve tasted from Texas. The aromatics just soar out of the glass with blackberry and boysenberry fruit framed by elegant cedarwood spice, lifted by violets and a bright pop of blue fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it shows a framework of fine-grained, firm tannins with a long finish marked by wet slate and crushed rock minerality, underscored by crisp, focused acidity. Serve it cool, at a cellar temperature of about 57°F, and you’d be crazy not to pair it with brisket or seared duck breast over a balsamic reduction. The blend is 62% Tannat from Vintage Press Vineyard and Hye Estate, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot from Dell Valley Vineyard.
Aged in 40% new French oak and 60% neutral oak, this is a bold, muscular, and expressive Tempranillo from the estate. It offers dark berry fruit layered with red-fruit nuances, leather, tobacco, cocoa powder, and dried sage. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it features fine-grained, maple-laced tannins and a bold, chocolaty finish accented by wet slate minerality. Nice freshness and verve.
Like the 2023, this was fermented in stainless steel, with aging split between partial acacia wood puncheons—used to build mid-palate weight and aromatic intensity—and stainless steel for five months. Fragrant honeydew melon, white peach, and jasmine aromas lift from the glass, all making appearances on the light- to medium-bodied palate. A silky, satiny fruit profile builds with added complexity, ranging from crunchy green apple to pear and more white peach, finishing with a long, chalky mineral note.
This sparkling is made entirely from the Blanc du Bois grape, sourced from Mound Prairie Vineyards outside of College Station Texas. The vineyard was planted by Bob Hensz and his daughter, Elisa Jones, the winemaker at Elisa Christopher Wines in 2007. The Blanc du Bois was aged six months on lees and offers up fragrant honeysuckle and tropical fruit notes with a kind of bright vinous character, all balanced by a rich, frothy and creamy mousse, finishing with nice chalky minerality and baking spice. Elisa Christopher Wines is owned by husband-and-wife duo Elisa and Chris, with Elisa also serving as the winemaker. Passionate about sparkling wine and their red wine program, they plan to begin planting their 43-acre estate in 2026.
This blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Malbec, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from three different vineyards in the Texas High Plains and aged for 18 months in 62% new French oak. It’s a soft, plush, medium- to full-bodied red that builds on classic Texas wild herb character—a heady mix of black tea, bay laurel, sagebrush, and scrubrush—all intertwined and framing juicy dark cherry and spiced plum fruit, with hints of pomegranate and blood orange zest. The wild herb and fruit notes linger beautifully on the finish. Pair it with barbecue slathered in rich, honey-mustard sauce, or serve slightly chilled alongside hard cheeses. Elisa Christopher Wines is owned by husband-and-wife duo Elisa and Chris, with Elisa also serving as the winemaker. Passionate about sparkling wine and their red wine program, they plan to begin planting their 43-acre estate in 2026.
This 100% Pinot Noir sparkling wine is sourced from Reddy Vineyards in the Texas High Plains. Made in the traditional method, it was aged on the lees for 18 months prior to disgorging. Its luminous pink hue reveals lovely, pure aromas of red cherry, white peach, and nectarine. The mousse is frothy and vibrant, carrying great energy across the palate. Flavors of ripe cherry, apricot, raspberry, and even a hint of strawberry unfold with a striking saline-driven acidity that propels the mouthwatering finish. Elisa Christopher Wines is owned by husband-and-wife duo Elisa and Chris, with Elisa also serving as the winemaker. Passionate about sparkling wine and their red wine program, they plan to begin planting their 43-acre estate in 2026.
The ‘B 15 03 RCV MTR’ is the same wine as the ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’—from the 2015 vintage and made from an old vine field blend—aged for an exceptional 114 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. The once-bright currant and spiced plum fruit has evolved into dried fruit and rich rum raisin cake, showing deep maturity and layered complexity. The tannins remain grippy but are finally beginning to resolve, leading to a long, spicy finish. Not yet released as of May 2025. Check with the winery for availability.
The ‘B 15 02 RCV MTR’ is the same wine as the ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’—from the 2015 vintage and crafted from an old vine field blend—aged instead for an extraordinary 100 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. The currant and spiced plum fruit found in the 76-month-aged version is still present, now evolving into more tertiary territory. Notes of dusty sagebrush, loamy earth, kirsch, and crushed almonds emerge, along with spiced nuts and plenty of textural tannin to carry the wine’s weight and complexity. NOT YET RELEASED as of May 2025. Check with winery.
The ‘B 15 01 RCV MTR’ hails from the 2015 vintage and represents the first two of ten barrels from an old vine field blend, aged for 76 months in 100% neutral Radoux medium+ toast French oak. This deeply expressive wine marries the lifted florals and blue fruit tones of the 2017 with the herbaceous spice and bright acidity of the 2016. Aromas of dried violet, grilled agave, and spicy currants unfold into a layered palate of tart red berries, dark cassis, and blood orange. Rich loamy earth, black truffle, and nutty undertones weave through a full-bodied frame, supported by sappy tannins and a savory, saline-tinged finish. The texture is firm yet supple, with persistent energy and depth from its extended barrel aging.
The ‘B 17 00 RCV TOU’ is 100% Touriga Nacional, aged for 52 months in neutral barrels. Compared to the 2016 release, which spent 36 months in barrel, this 2017 bottling offers lifted aromas of dried violets, rich nutty nuances, blue fruit tones, and a hint of grilled agave. Full-bodied on the palate, with rich loamy earth, black truffle notes, dark cassis, and tobacco. This is the kind of wine you’ll want to sip on all night—ideally after enjoying the 2016 with a well-salted steak.
The ‘B 16 00 RCV TOU’ is 100% Touriga Nacional, aged for 36 months in neutral barrels. The nose offers spicy currant fruit and herbaceous aromatics, leading into a palate of tart red berries, blood orange, and sappy tannins. The finish is marked by a spicy, saline-acid tension that adds lift and vibrancy.
The ‘B 17 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot, all ENTAV 181 clone. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 52 months. This wine smells and drinks like an aged Right Bank Bordeaux, with aromas of loamy earth, sooty minerals, spiced plums, and currant fruit layered over a subtle green tobacco leaf note. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with firm, velvet-textured tannins, cigar box nuances, and underbrush emerging with time. Balanced tension and mouthwatering freshness carry the wine to a long, savory finish.
The ‘B 15 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 26 months. It delivers rich black currant fruit and warm baking spices, with notes of spiced plum and plump, satiny tannins that glide into a long, balanced finish with just the right amount of tension.
The ‘B 16 00 RCV MER’ is 100% Merlot. Fermented in picking bins, then racked into stainless steel tanks to settle before being barreled down for 38 months. This wine shows greater density and richness than previous vintages, with deep currant fruit beginning to take on a Port- or Sherry-like quality. A rich nuttiness is emerging, along with a rum-raisin character that adds complexity and a sense of coiled-up energy.
Wineries
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Portree
The Portree Cellars Tannat from the Lahey Vineyard in the Texas High Plains offers a sappy, red-toned fruit character in a medium-bodied, grippy expression of Tannat. Unlike many of the richer, denser Tannats seen throughout Texas, this one leans slightly lighter and greener, with distinctive tobacco, black tea, and truffle notes on the dry finish. While it may not have the power and density of other Tannats, its freshness and unique profile make it a delightful choice. Serve it with a good chill alongside your favorite Texas BBQ.
The Portree Cellars Fiano, sourced from Pepper Jack Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, is a vibrant and expressive wine. It showcases aromas of citrus peel, lemon oil, and toasted hazelnuts, creating a compelling and layered profile.Medium-bodied on the palate, it offers a touch of white pepper spice and additional dried floral notes that carry through to the finish.
The Diamonte Doble Vineyard Gewürztraminer from the Texas High Plains is a highly aromatic white, bursting with vivid notes of chamomile and bergamot tea, wildflower honey, and savory sagebrush. These aromas transition well into the medium- to full-bodied palate, which showcases deep, penetrating flavors layered with intense spices that lead to a long and lingering finish. Serve it well-chilled alongside a pork loin with an aromatic spice rub.
The Parr Vineyard Mourvèdre from the Texas Hill Country, produced and bottled by Kerrville Hills Winery, is a meaty, intense, and deeply flavorful wine. Its medium-bodied palate is framed by muscular, firm tannins, complemented by savory charcuterie and white pepper notes. A hint of vanilla bean and chocolate adds richness, leading to a lengthy and powerful finish.
Dragonette
A blend of Syrah from four vintages—2019 (20%), 2020 (20%), 2021 (40%), and 2022 (20%)—this wine brings together fruit from Stolpman, Kimsey, and Larner vineyards in Ballard Canyon and John Sebastiano in the Sta. Rita Hills. The final blend is 95% Syrah, 4% Grenache, and 1% Viognier. Aged for an extended period in barrel before careful blending, this bottling pays homage to Vega Sicilia’s famed Único Reserva Especial in Ribera del Duero. The label, a commissioned artwork by artist R. Anthony Askew, adds an extra layer of thoughtfulness to an already compelling bottle. I love this wine—and you will too—because it delivers a mouthful of Syrah deliciousness, done the Santa Barbara County way. Rich, supple dark fruits meet tangy blood orange acidity and mid-palate density. The wine builds with layers of black cherry, blackberry, violets, sandalwood, and robes of dark chocolate, all weaving into a satiny sheet that glides across the palate. The multi-vintage integration is so seamless and complete, it makes you wish Dragonette would craft a wine like this year after year.
Notes from the winery on how this wine was made:
“We harvested each block in the cold morning hours, personally hand sorting in the field. The grapes were destemmed within hours then cold soaked for 2-7 days, before fermentation with native yeasts. Pumpovers, punchdowns and delestage were used to gently extract flavor, while managing tannins. At dryness, the wines were transferred to French oak barrels of various formats (500L puncheon, 400L, and 228L barrique) of which a portion is new. Each vintage included in this blend was itself a blend of the best barrels for that given season. Each component vintage was aged separately with a range from 26 to 62 months in barrel, with an average age of 42.8 months in barrel. In honor of our 20th Anniversary, the wine was bottled in January of 2025.”
Notes from the winery on how this wine was made:
“We harvested each block in the cold morning hours, personally hand sorting in the field. The grapes were destemmed within hours then cold soaked for 2-7 days, before fermentation with native yeasts. Pumpovers, punchdowns and delestage were used to gently extract flavor, while managing tannins. At dryness, the wines were transferred to French oak barrels of various formats (500L puncheon, 400L, and 228L barrique) of which a portion is new. Each vintage included in this blend was itself a blend of the best barrels for that given season. Each component vintage was aged separately with a range from 26 to 62 months in barrel, with an average age of 42.8 months in barrel. In honor of our 20th Anniversary, the wine was bottled in January of 2025.”
Brooding, expressive, and impressively focused, this blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Grenache draws from three distinctive vineyard sites—Stolpman (clay loam and limestone), John Sebastiano (Linne clay loam), and Larner (sand)—each selected for its unique soil series. The wine opens with a rush of pure black cherry and blackberry fruit, mingling with dark plum, deep forest underbrush, bark, dark chocolate, rich loamy earth, and roasted espresso bean. Aromatics build with momentum, gaining lift and energy on the palate, where gorgeously perfumed violet and rose petal notes emerge. In 2021, the tannins are particularly gentle, velvety, and elongated, wrapped in a dusting of white pepper and tobacco leaf. The finish is vivid and complex, with ripe, muddled farmers market–fresh blueberries, a pulse of blood orange acidity, and savory notes of black truffle, tar, and incense. Wow. As winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis explains, the idea behind Dragonette’s MJM Syrah has always been simple: “The sum is greater than its parts.” That ethos has guided every vintage since the inaugural release in 2007.
Year to year, this wine goes in and out of the most vivid floral intensity imagineable and in 2022 it is back in spades, boasting darkly seductive voilets and rose petals notes, dark blood orange acidity, darker cranberry and black cherry notes, alluring incense and a deep woodsy underbrush character, liek the backside of a fallen bark on the forest floor, detail-driven into the tannins, which are supple and salty, giving length, tension, and energy to this entry level Syrah from Dragonette. What a killer wine.
For a compelling case study in site expression, taste this Bentrock Vineyard Pinot Noir alongside Dragonette’s Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir. You’ll immediately feel like a hopeful Master of Wine or Master Sommelier—the wines are structurally distinct yet flavorfully aligned. These are Dragonette’s top Pinots of the vintage, both bursting with red cherry fruit and exquisitely defined brown baking spices—think the finest Indian spice blends, perfectly dialed-in medium-roast espresso, and a curl of dried blood orange peel hanging from the rim of a Manhattan. Add in smoky incense and crushed slatestone minerality, and the aromatics alone are worth the study. On the palate, however, the wines diverge. Bentrock is gracious, giving, supple, and seductive. Radian is darker-toned, brooding, reserved—full of secrets. Bentrock tells you everything you ever wanted to know. Radian is coy, plays hard to get, and knows it’s the best-dressed Pinot in the room. It’s coiled, like a lifelong jogger planning to live forever. Bentrock, on the other hand, is Jim Belushi at the start of his SNL career—youthful, charming, and full of potential—and will finish somewhere between John Mulaney’s honesty and the sharp-witted Tina Fey’s antics.
For a textbook lesson in terroir-driven contrast, pour Dragonette’s Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir side by side with their Bentrock bottling. You’ll find yourself stepping into the shoes of a Master of Wine candidate or an aspiring Master Sommelier—the structural differences are unmistakable, even as the core flavors remain strikingly aligned. These are Dragonette’s flagship Pinots from the vintage, each bursting with crystalline red cherry fruit and meticulously defined brown spice—like top-shelf Indian spices, finely ground espresso beans, a dried blood orange peel garnishing a Manhattan, and a wisp of smoky incense over slatestone minerality. But it’s the palate where their personalities split. Bentrock is open-hearted, plush, and inviting. Radian is moodier, more reserved—brimming with hidden depth. Bentrock chats freely, telling you its whole story in the first sip. Radian keeps you guessing, its elegance cool and tightly wound, dressed to impress and in no rush to reveal its full self. Radian is a long-distance runner, lean and disciplined, with stamina for days. Bentrock is Jim Belushi entering his SNL era—charismatic, a little wild, and on the cusp of greatness.
Only 300 cases of Dragonette’s 2023 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir were produced—and what a wine it is. Crunchy cranberry and cherry fruit meld with ground espresso and a burst of dark Pacific Ocean sea salt. The beautifully sculpted tannins bring a sense of polish and ease, offering a smooth, approachable expression. Yet underneath, there’s serious structure built for aging. But let’s be honest—you’re probably going to drink it all between now and next weekend.
All you really need to know about this Rita’s Crown Chardonnay is that one glass will never be enough. You’ll swirl, sniff, sip—and suddenly want to chase its magic for days. It holds the energy of a late afternoon thunderstorm, with a moody edge and an electrically zesty palate, like a raincloud squeezing out lemon juice, shifting to lemon oil, then unleashing waves of fresh and candied ginger. It splashes across the palate like rain on slick slate—slightly smoky from the first drops hitting warm stone. Irresistible, complex, and utterly compelling. You just can’t get enough of this structured, dynamic, and gorgeous Chardonnay. It lives on the far side of “delicious”—a word we haven’t invented yet, but one that would mean delicious multiplied by infinity.
This 2023 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir from Dragonette is a power-packed, juicy, and supple red, bursting with alluring aromatics of brown spices—think coriander, cumin, star anise, and a hint of curry—layered with dried rose petal, incense, and ground espresso bean. On the medium-bodied palate, tart, juicy red cherry and raspberry fruit are supported by salty, toasty, smoky minerality that carries through a long, lingering finish. It’s so appealing, you’ll be hard-pressed to put the glass down.
I’ve biked past this vineyard countless times, and to this day I marvel at the complexity of the wine that emerges from these vines. Surrounded by neighboring vineyards, Vegelzang’s vines are planted on undulating slopes, surrounded by a patchwork of trees, shrubs, and rock formations, and the site exudes a quiet energy—and all of it seems to pour into the glass. The 2023 vintage is something special: pure apple and apricot notes lead the way, joined by crunchy pear and bright sea grass—the kind that grows wild on oceanfront sand dunes. A deeply penetrating salinity evokes salted candied lemon peel, nuanced by lime blossom and crushed Marcona almonds. This is Sauvignon Blanc Paradiso. And whether or not you think you love Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll love this wine. You can’t help it.
Bracing and intense, this wine opens with a flash of saffron oil that’s quickly washed clean by a remarkable lime-scented rainstorm—cooling the old slate sidewalks of your neighborhood, enlivening the palate with scents and flavors of a wet pear or apple orchard, and settling in for the day on the mid-palate, carrying a cloud-like density—weighty yet airy—an enigma in and of itself. That acid tension is no illusion. It’s crystalline, bright, and perfectly balanced by a chalk-like minerality. It’s almost too complex to wrap your head around—so don’t. Just drink it. And by god, pair it with oysters or calamari.
Dragonette continues to produce some of California’s most compelling Sauvignon Blancs and this Grassini Family Vineyard, situated inland enough so that a north-south mountain range blocks the Pacific coastal breezes, preventing them from cooling the canyons where this grows and as such the wine is generous in its creamy orchard fruit character, stunning lemon-lime oil purity and unbeleiveable mid-palate depth, like diving into the depths of a salty, briny, ocean, coming up with a handful of oysters. It has that kind of sea-like minerality with lemon blossom and lime zest and porached pear and apple fruit with subtle apple skin tannins. It’s a helluva Sauvingn Blanc. Meaty and laser focused.
Dragonette continues to produce some of California’s most compelling Sauvignon Blancs. This entry-level bottling serves as the precursor to their trio of single-vineyard SBs, offering a vivid preview of the house style. Sourced from the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, it’s a dynamic wine driven by orchard and tropical fruit, zesty sea grass, and prairie herbs. A kiss of vanilla and creamy oak spice mingles with lime oil, saffron, and quince, all carried on a long finish laced with crushed almonds and fine sea salt.
