Continuing my California wine month trip, next up was Adega Vinho (website). Now, I’d been introduced to this winery via the Texas Wine Club, so I was looking forward to visiting.
2022 Viognier Reserve
Their Notes: Veesat Vineyards, Texas High Plains AVA, Terroir: Sandy Clay Loam; Hand Harvested, whole cluster pressed, 1/2 fermented in new French Oak barrels and 1/2 stainless steel, aged 8 months in 100% new French Oak. Floral – Dense – Powerful
My Notes: More complex than expected with a buttery/tart scent – like green apples. It’s fruiter than it smells and has a light caramel taste. My tasting partner got pear scent. We agreed this was perfect for porch sipping.
2022 Estate Rosé
Their Notes: Mourvedre and Tempranillo; 100% Estate grown – Bilger Family Vineyards, Texas High Plains AVA; Hand Harvested, whole cluster pressed, barrel fermented, full MLF and aged via a proprietary barrel program suited for our Estate Rosé. Strawberry – Citrus – Bright Acidity
My Notes: I got a strawberry and rose scent, with a good tart flavor. I’d call it Tempranillo on Ice. My tasting companion called it a gateway red. It is NOT a sweet rosé. When sipping it, it almost has the strawberry vanilla finish of melted Neapolitan ice cream. It’s a nice Monday/Tuesday wine or good for the porch. Just not sure I’d pair this with my favorite Thai dishes like I do a lot of rosé wines.
2019 Tempranillo
Their Notes: Vineyard: Parr Vineyards, Texas Hill Country AVA, Mason County; Hand Harvested, fermented and aged in French and American oak ~10 months. Cherry – Peppercorn – Classic Texas Tempranillo
My Notes: I love the smell of this wine. It had a raspberry and leather scent, with an earthy taste and good spice flavor. It almost finished like it had some allspice. My tasting partner liked the smell over the taste and I’d call it a light Tempranillo – since I consider a Classic Texas Tempranillo as having been grown on the High Plains. But still a good Wednesday wine. I reviewed the 2018 Tempranillo Reserve, which was rated as a Friday night wine. See more here.
2020 Pordosol Estate
Their Notes: Grape Varieties: 60% Mourvedre, and 40% Tempranillo blend; 100% Bilger Family Vineyards, Texas High Plains AVA; Hand Harvested, fermented and and aged pr our proprietary Estate program. Black Cherry – Spice – Our first ever “Estate Version” of our Signature blend.
My Notes: This had a good fruit flavor and scent. We decided to pair it with Montreal seasoned pork on a Wednesday night. I reviewed either the 2018 or 2019 Pordosol which was a 50/50 blend of Mouvedre/Tempranillo (here) and gave it a Thursday rating. So, the 50/50 blend was more to my personal taste, but the 2020 is a good blend.
2020 Pordosol
Their Notes: 60% Tempranillo, 30% Grenache, 10% Touriga Nacional; Dutton Vineyards, Texas High Plains AVA; Pellenc harvested, fermented and aged in French and American oak for ~11 months; Blackberry – Leather – Our Signature Blend
My Notes: This had a very different scent than the Estate Pordosol. Much bolder with more raisin and leather to the scent and taste, with some current and peppercorn. My tasting partner likened it to being similar to port in flavor. A bottle came home with me, so I can try pairing it with some more of my best friend’s son’s burnt ends, or another good fall dish like roasted butternut squash.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a really nice visit to the tasting room. The space is set up comfortably for people to sit, talk and enjoy – which makes for a relaxed atmosphere. I would say I preferred the reds to the whites from Adega Vinho, but its worth keeping an eye on the whites to see how they progress Some pictures from the tasting are below.
