Wine Notes: Bending Branch and Pederrnales

Tuesday, Jan. 8 sees the first TX Wine Twitter Tuesday for 2013. I'm coordinating the event at San Antonio's own Vinously Speaking. The wine line-up includes a number of recent releases from Bending Branch Winery and Pedernales Cellars. I have been lucky to already taste these great wines.

Wines for TX Wine Twitter Tuesday @ Vinously Speaking

The three wines available -- a Tempranillo, Tannat, and Albranio -- are ones that require time and patience. These are wines that ask the drinker to sip, to explore their depths.

Layers of greenery

give way: an expanse of fruit

nestled, protected.

Bending Branch Winery

Newsom Vineyards Tempranillo 2010

This wine saw release in November of 2012 and has been available at the winery and at the Pearl Farmer's Market in San Antonio.

When Bending Branch officially released this wine, Neal and Janice Newsom came for a visit to talk about their vineyard and grape growing/wine making in Texas. Neal provided a linguistic lesson to me, Russ Kane (@ Vintage Texas), and a gathering of Bending Branch family and friends. He explained some of the West Texas dialect, explaining the usage of y'all and fixin' to. Russ even provided a northern perspective.

The wine itself has been developing in the bottle. At first taste, I noticed an earthy aroma that was barely noticeable in the tasting; the oak of the barrel aging did come through lightly at the end. That aroma has softened, as well as the taste. This Tempranillo is now focusing on the other components, such as the berry front. The berry, originally, was heavy and clean; it moved naturally into the earth at the end. Now, the wine has a smooth darkness from beginning to end as the the berry and earth blend together. The new sensation is more subtle and crafted as the two flavors intertwine to add a depth to the berry flavor and a softness to the earth and oak.

Texas Tannat (Reddy Vineyards)

Bending Branch has become known for their Tannats. Until last year, the only Tannats available came from California grapes. As of Fall 2012, the Texas grown Tannat has dominated at the winery. This wine has also been available at the Pearl Farmer's Market.

Compared to earlier Tannats, this wine is softer. The sweet-like dark fruits -- I am thinking more in the line of a ripe dark plum or similar fruits -- originally gave way into a bold earth taste. Like the Tempranillo, the bottle aging has been kind. The earth is more pronounced from the beginning, bringing a more natural taste to the wine. The fruit has softened and has become one of a number of flavors. Compared to the Tempranillo, the fruit is still more pronounced.

Pedernales Cellars

Pedernales Cellars saw two January releases: Albarino and 2012 Vino Blanco. The Albarino will be available at the tasting at Vinously Speaking, but the new Vino Blanco will not.

Albarino

This wine comes on strong with acidic citrus fruits like grapefruit. There is this sense of sweetness, but the wine is dry. In fact, the dryness coupled with the acid allows for a crisp wine that bites back (tried alongside the Picpoul Blanc -- aka Lip Stinger -- from Bending Branch makes it clear that the similar sensation is occurring here). As the wine softens through tasting, stone fruits, especially apricots, are more noticable. It is at this point that the acidicity starts to decline and the characteristic earthiness of Pedernales' wines starts to come through. It is this mix of sensations that made this wine drinkable on a cold winter day and yet will be a refreshing treat once the heat arrives.

Vino Blanco 2012

Though this won't be at the tasting, I thought it only fair to provide a quick review. This blend is still heavy on the Viognier, which can be easily noted. Like in previous years, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc round out the blend (but in different proportions compared to the 2011). That helps this blend, as I saw it as more quintessentially Fredericksburg and Stonewall in flavor. Apple and peach come through, along with dried apricot. The wine ends up being light and soft, especially compared to the acidic Albarino.

These wines should be popular with the tasters at Vinously Speaking. Along with the three other wines, there are sure to generate lots of talk.

On Things to Come

This Saturday, I was lucky enough to get a bit of insight on what it is coming down the track. At Bending Branch, I was given a full tour, and at Pedernales Cellars, I was given a glimpse.

Bending Branch

As I already mentioned in a quiet little post on Saturday, Bending Branch has a lot of great wine just about to see release. These 2010s will be great pleasers.

The Favorites

Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo will be available quite soon. These two wines, that weren't available to sample just yet, will make their first appearances at the Pearl Farmers Market in San Antonio. Jen heads out every other week to the great spot at the historic Pearl Brewery to sample Texas appellation Bending Branch wines. Right now, they have the Rose (only available at the market) and the new Texas Tannat. And soon, two more will join the assembly (probably just in time for the Rose to disappear).

Some of those barrels say Tempranillo (July 2012).

As for these two, I can conjecture that the Tempranillo is made from grapes grown by respected high plains growers  -- my barrel room visit in July suggests that. With that in mind, there is every indication that we have some great wine coming up. Also, the Cab will likely make its debut at San Antonio Cellar Classic events on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13. That I am very much looking forward to. In fact, Bending Branch will be a featured Texas winery: great news!

Special Tannats

Vintage Texas Tannat

 First, the Texas Tannat will see two versions this year. The second run of this great wine is coming into its own right now, developing great body and balance; the fruit and oak are beginning to harmonize well. But, that is only the beginning. A Vintage Texas Tannat is on its way. This wine still needs some time in the bottle -- the oak dominates the palate -- but it shows a dark fruit flavor that will be robust and hearty, a good match for the American oak that it was aged in.

From left: Vintage Texas Tannat, Tannat Port (labels are coming), and Chloe Cuvee

The wine that has made a select appearance is the new Tannat port (it was served at the Wine and Tennis Charity dinner). This port is a home run for drinkers like me, and even port lovers like Sean. I get bogged down by the sweetness of so many ports. This port has that, but there is an even tone as the other flavors come through. The fruit has an almost earthy quality -- fresh and dried under the sun -- that takes the sweet edge off. And the sugar that comes through is a rich, deep flavor, one that I would associate with dark desserts like gingerbread or Mexican chocolate. It finishes in a way that makes Sean very happy; there is a deep caramel and pecan hint that lingers at the finish. Sean informed me that good ports should end more like this, a richer sweetness. For me, this richer sweetness made the port more approachable.

Pedernales

At the Pedernales wine club party, winemaker David Kuhlken again treated members to a barrel tasting. This time, we tasted an estate Tempranillo. This wine was still in need of aging (I was told at least six more months), but already, the signature earth and bite of Pedernales' Tempranillo are shining through (like the Bending Branch Tannat, it was still heavy on the oak). David explained that this wine will likely find its way into the reserve blends. These blends are a culmination of what is best about Pedernales wines, and so they are made from some of the best materials. The newer blends will have a strong connection to the earth with the addition of this wine. But what I found interesting was that it had a stronger fruit character than some of their previous Tempranillo's -- something that is evident in the wine club Hill Country Tempranillo released last week. This will likely accentuate the other red grapes likely to find their way into the blends.

Ah, Fall is here and the reds are coming out in force. I am a happy camper. I am more thrilled about what I will be able to take delight in as the year keeps going (or maybe early next year). Honestly, I really excited.

17. A Summer Day

Me and my hat.

17. A Summer Day

The wine bottle is
my twin: inside, a sense of cool
lingers but drips with sweat.

From our shady spot, looking towards the tents.

Saturday the fifth, I braved the already summer heat to join the festivities at Bending Branch Winery (see my live blog post Bending Branch Derby Party). My husband and co-conspirator Sean, from Wine and Savages (a role playing -- thinking D&D -- and wine blog), helped me blog the day away. When we arrived, a little before three, everything was in full swing: wine was flowing, food was available, and the jazz was swinging. People spread across the lawn at Bending Branch, collecting in every shady spot. Despite the heat, we were all set to have a good time.

And that is the thing: the heat. It was a bad Saturday afternoon. Temperatures soared into the 90s quickly, which might not have been as bad, but humidity went with it (we saw incredibly fierce thunderstorms about ten hours later that left several inches of rain throughout the area). The heat was oppressive, which left me with only one option: white wine. As a primarily red drinker, I am always a bit leery about drinking a lot of white, but things turned out well.

First was a bottle of Picpoul Blanc -- also covered at Wine and Savages with a picture of my hat. The "lip-stinger," as they refer to it at Bending Branch, was a good way to start. This dryish white was refreshing. It had enough fruitiness to make typical white wine drinkers happy -- the notes of ripe peaches and other softer stone fruits (like apricots). Of course, it also hints at apples -- especially the golden delicious and other lighter green varieties -- and pears. There is a subtle sugary taste that is very fruit forward. This flavor goes well with summer. In fact, early peaches are already coming up in the areas around Bending Branch -- many of Fredericksburg's and Stonewall's farms had fresh peaches for sale at roadside stands this weekend. But it isn't only fruit forward. This wine has a hint of acid -- hence the "lip-stinger" title -- that lessens the sugary tasting punch. The drinker is left with a more even flavor, one that doesn't just sit in the mouth (like sweeter whites do) or just slip by (like a dry white). A gentle, refreshing aftertaste is left. And in summer, this is much appreciated. The only problem, even with some cold help (the folks at Bending Branch provided cold packs for the whites), the wine warmed quickly. Luckily, this did not hurt the flavor; it became softer, which was refreshing in its own way.

Next was the Mint Juleps. No hard liquor here; this wine-based variety was light and airy. The single barrel Blanc used was subtle and soft. With crushed mint and ice added, the drink became even lighter. This is something a person could easily drink all day. The concoction was simple and light. It only hinted at sweetness; I feel the mint and ice diluted the sugar and made the drink more palatable for red drinkers. However, the mint added a zing not found in whites, something with a hint of complexity. The drinker had a bit more weight thanks to the mint, but not so much that it didn't go well on a summers day.

And yes, as a red drinker, I finished the day with the 2009 Tannat RF, 1840. This wine is smooth and silky. I would hate to say this, but it is a sexy red. The fruit is smooth and subtle, same as the rich tannins. One would think a wine named for tannins would be very heavy, but for some reason, these folks have a smooth wine. I had a feeling the smooth nature of the red would be okay for such a hot day, and I was right. The spicier Souzao would have been a bit problematic, but the Tannat was just right. Now I did consider the Texas Tannat -- Bending Branch uses California grapes for the Tannat I was drinking -- but it is not as smooth; it is rough like the landscape. And the landscape out there is a mess of hills -- up and down, and all around. But despite the un-eveness of everything, it is beautiful. The oncoming drought hasn't quite torched the area: soft green rolls dotted with the Spring's last wildflowers break up large canopied trees. It still feels lush, and that matches the Texas Tannat.

The winners. I lost to the lady on the far right.

Some of the crowd watching the Derby.

The day wound down with a hat contest -- I lost to the most incredible and over-the-top wine themed hat (mine was just too restrained and elegant) -- and the Kentucky Derby. Despite my loss, I am pleased with my hat, and so I have decided to make it my wine going hat. So, if you see the hat at a Texas winery, than you have found me (so come say hello). My husband Sean's hat was a fanciful creation -- he was the only adult male to participate. His hat was a tribute to the race and used generic My Little Pony cut outs -- see "My Stupid Hat". It was crazy and fun. Of course, we later found out that his strut was more popular -- while out on Sunday, he was congratulated for the walk. And the race, well it was fun. I do have to admit that they needed a large TV and more space; it was just too packed. Though I didn't win the big prize (there was a prize for the person[s] who called first, second, and third), I did choose I'll Have Another for the win; whom else should a wine blogger choose?

The Derby party at Bending Branch ended up being a good time -- people were slow to warm up to strangers (we felt a bit lost at first because we really didn't know anyone), but things got better as we got closer to race time. The wine worked well on a hot summer day, which, out here, is a big win. Now, I'll just have to wait till next year for the 3rd annual Derby Party.