This was the first bottle tried from the Texas Wine Club subscription that I got myself for Valentine’s Day. Learn more about the club that delivers amazing Texas wine from small batches and small wineries here (link).
This Cinsault (pronounced sin-so) is from La Pradera Vineyards in the Texas High Plains.
The notes from the Texas Wine Club say:
Harvested September 17th, 2021 and pressed shortly after, creating a beautiful medium salmon color. On the nose, this wine presents with fresh strawberry, citrus peel, mango, and cranberry. On the palate you will find red fruits with a finish of minerality.
There are only 116 cases of this wine produced. It was bottled in May 2021 (according to the website – but I think they mean May 2022 – since I know of no wine that can be bottled before harvest.) It was fermented and aged in stainless steel after a direct press. It has 12.5% ABV.
My Notes
This has a sweet/spicy smell that I can’t place beyond a rosé, which I realize is a bit of an insult. But maybe it’s just my nose and allergies but outside of a light strawberry I couldn’t pick up any other scents. I found it a bit acidic. My drinking companion compared it to cranberries. Personally, I thought it was more like cherry jello that has been resting up against lime jello.
It’s not super full bodied, but as my dining companion put it – I can’t stop drinking it.
The salmon, which the card said would pair well, brought out the berry of the wine and cut the acidity. The asparagus made the wine “herby” and “muddies the flavors of both.”
Surprisingly, it went really well with the candy conversation hearts on the cake. The frosting was a little sweet for the wine, but the plain white cake paired well.
Final Thoughts
I’d not heard of Lavaca Bluffs Vineyard and Winery – but after tasting this bottle – which I never would have picked on my own – I want to visit them. Located near the Gulf Coast in Lolita, Texas, I’ve added them to my road trip list.
I put this as a Wednesday wine – because I’m going to reward myself for making it halfway through the week. But calling it a Wednesday is actually a bit of an insult since this is really a Friday or Date Night wine. However, I can see it going equally as well on a Sunday afternoon in spring – just lazing on the porch in the sunshine with a book and watching the world go by…
