Another selection from the Texas Wine Club (more). This wine is a blend of Viognier (35%), Marsanne (33%) and Roussanne (32%) “showcasing the incredible quality of Rhone varietals grown in West Texas, by Reddy Vineyards” (more). It won Silver Medals at the 37th Annual Lone Star International Wine Competition and 2021 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Wine Competition. Plus Forbes featured it in 2020.
According to Reddy “it displays flavors of crisp Fuji apple, citrus and stone fruit. Medium-bodied on the palate, pair this wine with chicken or white fish.”
I thought it had a light floral scent with maybe some lemon zest. It tastes buttery but tart. It says to me “Hi, I want to be a California Chardonnay.”
Paired with some spicy salmon, roasted/pickled vegetables and rice it was what I would call a “background wine.” A wine that you know is there and you’re drinking, but is somewhat forgettable, until it pairs with something unexpected. That was the cilantro in the sauce on the salmon, it brought down the kick of the overall sauce but really brought out the cilantro. The veggies were overwhelmed by the wine, not the other way around. The sort of pickled/roasted vegetables were smoothed out by the wine. (Personally, I thought the veggies too tangy and a bit vinegary, so won’t be buying those again.)
I made no notes on the rice. So I suspect that they both faded into the background. Personally, if I could go back I’d change my pairing to something like a shrimp scampi or lobster ravioli in cream sauce. It would be excellent with a chicken piccata. Probably the lemon in all of those is what is driving my pairing thoughts, which makes me wonder how it would go with a lemon chiffon pie.
Final Thoughts
The wine is very drinkable and would make an excellent choice for a party – it will go with lots of different flavors and foods. Plus, those that believe Texas cannot produce good wine will be surprised to find out its NOT a California Chardonnay.
Not familiar with my philosophy on wines or ranking system. Check them out here.
