Southold Farm + Cellar Love Habit 2015

A few of weeks ago Kye came home absolutely raving about a wine one of his reps had brought by the restaurant. Not to imply he hasn’t gotten excited about other wines before, but there was something different in his excitement about this one. It was a sparkling Lagrein from Southold Farm and Cellar, their 2016 Horseshoes and Hand grenades to be exact. I think the part of what had him so excited was that this producer had recently moved from Long Island to Texas and their tasting room was located less than two hours away outside of Fredericksburg. Since I hadn’t seen Kye that excited about a producer in a while I was intrigued and we made plans (that inevitably got postponed) to go up there as soon as we both had a day off together. We finally made it up there this previous Sunday and though we’d thought about hitting other wineries nearby we wound up just spending most of our time there. Their tasting room sat at the top of a hill that gives you an amazing 360 view and as soon as I tasted the first wine (their 2015 Chashing Moonlight Sparkling Lagrein) I could understand why Kye had been so excited about their wines.

Everything they let us taste was just really cool and unique (yes, I know those are terrible descriptors, but it’s the best I could come up with right now and it’s true). Regan Meador obviously has his own way of doing things and that way works very well for the wines he produces. His dad, Rusty, was manning the bar of the tasting room and he was incredibly nice and informative. The Southold winery was originally established in North Fork Long Island and most of the wines they’re pouring right now are from that area. Kye had apparently heard about them before they moved their operation to Texas because their wines had such a good reputation. We don’t get many New York wines down here so I was thrilled to get to try so many from a part of the country I was mostly unfamiliar with.

That being said, I’m also really excited to see what Regan does with Texas wines. I think my favorite part about talking with him was his down-to-earth approach he was planning to take with the wines he produced down here. He didn’t wax on about how he was going to produce the greatest wines ever here, it seems more like he just wants to produce wines that really highlight the best out of Texas grapes. I really liked how practical he was about that, especially coming from someone who already had a reputation for producing some incredible wines up north.  

We bought several wines from them after the tasting and tonight we opened their 2015 Love Habit Cabernet Franc:

This wine is just lovely, that’s really the best way to put it. It’s on the lighter end of medium-bodied and a bright and refreshing example of this varietal. It’s practically bursting with notes of red cherry, raspberry and strawberry with hints of vanilla, allspice and a slight smokiness. The finish is clean with nicely balanced acidity and smooth tannins. It’s definitely a wine that can be enjoyed with or without food (though to be fair I don’t honestly believe there’s a wine that can’t be enjoyed without food).

Brutocao Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

I am not a huge fan of California Cabernet Sauvignon, I tend to think that they have a tendency to be a bit unbalanced and a bit overpriced at times (*cough* Caymus *cough*). At the same time I can't fault California, especially Napa Valley, for making Cabernet their own and every now and then I come across a bottle that I really enjoy and adore, like Heitz (one of the best producers out there as far as quality and price are concerned) or, more recently, Brutocao Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendocino County.

Cabernet Sauvignon came into being due to a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world and though California has embraced it, it was originally well known for being one of the six red grapes allowed in France's Bordeaux wines. It's also fascinating how differently this varietal can taste depending on where it was grown and produced. In France (usually blended with other varietals, like Merlot and Cabernet Franc) it exhibits more earth and tobacco notes, Australia and Chile tend to highlight it's herbal (especially eucalyptus) flavors and California focuses on the jammy fruit notes (and high alcohol) it can display.

Brutocao Cabernet was different from what I'd come to expect from Cali Cabernet. While it still accentuated the fruitiness, it didn't overdo it, like other wines of its ilk. It was medium-plus bodied with notes jammy fruit on the nose accompanied by a hint of clove. Black cherry, cranberry and raspberry came through first on the palate but were quickly followed by dusty, herbal earthiness. This single vineyard Cabernet finished with pleasantly smooth tannins and a touch of acidity.

This wine went a long way in changing my mind about buying California Cabernet and it definitely helped that it was under $20.

Canadian wine

My parents recently returned from a trip to Canada. Before they left I'd made them watch a video produced by the Guild of Sommeliers about Canadian wine and made them promise to bring me back a couple of bottles since icewine is really all you can find down here. I also insisted that they branch out and drink Canadian wine rather than sticking with more familiar labels from California or other places. Despite this causing some issues with their traveling companions they mostly stuck to my orders and were very happy to have done so.

The Canadian wine industry suffered thanks to prohibition in the early 20th Century and it's taken them a bit longer to get back on their feet. It wasn't until almost the 1990s that it really started to flourish again. Ontario and British Columbia are the main wine-producing regions in the country and though Ontario is the larger producer, most of the wines my parents drank (and the two they brought back for me) were both from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, which is one of the world's most northerly wine regions.

My parents wound up bringing me back a Riesling and a Cabernet Franc. The Gehringer Brothers Private Reserve Dry Riesling 2016 was the bigger hit with both Kye and me. It started out bursting with notes of green apple, golden pear, kiwi and white peach. As it opened up the acidity became much more prevalent along with a honeyed richness we both really enjoyed. I really love wines that change and open up with each glass and this riesling was definitely one of those. 

The Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2014 was also lovely, but definitely needed to be decanted (meaning I got to feel super fancy busting out our decanter). It spent 21 months in French oak barrels and was further aged in bottle for 18 months. It had notes of baked blackberry, raspberry and red currant accompanied by hints of cedar and baking spices. Firm tannins and medium acidity left a lingering finish after each sip.

Both the wines were wonderful and it made me hope that more Canadian wines will make their way into the Texas market soon.