Howdy Texas!
One of my favorite parts of the Wine Bloggers Conference a couple weeks ago was meeting people from different parts of the United States and the World. One of those people was the Dallas Wine Chick and I regret not having more time to talk with her about just how exciting Texas wine is becoming. The Wine Bloggers Conference was the same weekend as TEXSOM, which is probably where most Texas wine lovers were.
McPherson Cellars is located in Lubbock and their 2015 Piquepoul Blanc won Best in Show White Wine this year from the San Francisco International Wine Competition. The McPherson family has been making wine for over 40 years in Texas and the winemaker, Kim McPherson graduated from UC Davis and worked in the Napa Valley before returning home to Texas. Since Piquepoul Blanc is one of my favorite varietals and hard to find I called them to order a bottle for myself and a friend. To my delight, they offered me a discount on my purchase and sent me a free bottle of their 2014 La Herencia, a Tempranillo blend to review.
Piquepoul Blanc translates to "Lip Stinger" because of it's high acid. Most have notes of citrus and minerals. I can easily see why McPherson's 2015 Piquepoul Blanc won such a high award, not only is it perfectly refreshing for a hot day with just a touch of sweetness-its a great representation of the varietal. They only made 685 Cases and it's not available online, but you can call the tasting room to order a bottle. At $18 it's a steal.
The 2014 La Herencia they sent for review was also great. They suggest pairing it with Texas BBQ, but in San Francisco that ended up being burgers from Big Chef Tom's Belly Burgers. It had notes of spice and rich berry, but my friend summed it up perfectly by saying, "Oak, Cranberries, Raspberries & Cinnamon". My only regret is that I drank this wine too young. It's good to drink now but I expect it will be incredible to drink in 2-3 years. It's also offered at a steal of a price, $18.
So now I have to ask, what's your favorite wine or winery from Texas?
