Post #195: Tasting Unknown Grapes From The Lone Star State ...

Anyone who has read my articles before probably knows that I like to cover some “under the radar” material. I’m also a fan of drawing attention to lesser known wine regions, so today’s post is going to be especially fun.

Today we’re covering two wines, one white and one red, from a producer in Texas that I’ve found to be among some of the most reliable in the state. Dry Comal Creek Winery, located between San Antonio and Austin, specializes in varietals that are both well known and obscure. Along a solidly made line-up of Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the like, are also unique oddities like French Colombard and Black Spanish. Not surprisingly, those last two are the wines that we are about to be having a closer look at.

Wine #1: Dry Comal Creek 2008 “Bone Dry” French Colombard

French Colombard is a grape that is widely planted and used in enormous amounts of production, and yet, its name remains fairly unknown. That’s because Colombard, a mildly flavored grape that is capable of producing a large amount of fruit, is often blended with other varietals to create cheap table and jug wines, and is also the grape behind the wine that is distilled to make the famous brandies of France’s Cognac and Armagnac. Despite being widely used for these purposes, Colombard is rarely seen bottled varietally, but Dry Comal Creek releases two of them, an off dry version and a bone dry version, the one that we’re covering in this post is the bone dry one, meaning the final blend is finished with absolutely no residual sugar.

This wine has a very interesting combination of aromatics, showing a rich core of fruit, with a subtle creaminess and a light mineral streak. Honeyed peaches, golden apples, and quince mix with a faint hint of melon, crushed stone, and a vague minty quality open with some exploration.

Honeyed and fruity on the palate, this wine shows a smooth, round, mouthfeel, a faintly bitter minerality, and a balanced acidity. Lots of peach and quince in nectar show initially, giving way to a floral tone, and an orange zest finish. Nicely round, smooth, and balanced, this is a solid representation of an unknown varietal.

Worth Trying. 88 points.

Wine #2: Dry Comal Creek 2008 Texas Hill Country “The Original” Black Spanish Reserve

If someone asked you to name a wine grape, or two, or five, or ten, or even more, odds are every one of them would be native to Europe. Vitis Vinifera grapes, those originating in Europe, absolutely dominate our wine industry and everything from the big names like Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir to even the lesser known oddities like Gewurztraminer, Blaufrankisch, and Roditis are all part of this family.

However, in America we have our own native families of grapes, most of which have historically been used only occasionally for home made wines, but were generally accepted to be not actually fit for table or fine wine production. The only possible exception would have been a few select grape varietals in the Vitis Aestivalis family, Norton and Black Spanish. While Norton plantings in Missouri have gained recognition for being able to create some very unique and well made wines, Black Spanish from Texas is beginning to emerge as a second truly American viticultural success story.

Both Norton and Black Spanish, also called Lenoir, have aroma and flavor characteristics entirely different from those found in Vitis Vinifera wines. American grape varietals are commonly described as tasting more “grapey”, also sometimes described as “foxy”, named after the American Fox grape. Both Norton and Black Spanish are capable of expressing terroir, developing with bottle age and extensive decanting, and building layers of complexity just like Vitis Vinifera grapes, but they do so on top of a different background of core aromas and flavors that are totally unique to American vines. The difference is almost like two masterpieces being painted by equally talented artists except using two entirely different mediums, like watercolor versus acrylic.

The uniqueness of these wines have led many winemakers historically to try to soften them with more familiar flavors by blending them with Vitis Vinifera grapes, often in the form of sweet or dessert wines. However, Dry Comal Creek’s Black Spanish gives a rare look at the varietal completely on its own. Additionally, it comes from the Texas Hill Country appellation, where the grape is slowly beginning to develop a bit of a stronghold.

Blueberry and tons of kitchen spice notes burst from the glass aromatically. Cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger show immediately afterward, giving way to wild clover honey and earthy tones of chocolate, suede and smoke. Very complex and extremely unique on the nose, this is a very inviting wine.

The palate is defined by a bright acidity initially with a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Refined and delicate with lots of kitchen spice, soft tones of molasses, wild clover honey, and plenty of plush red fruit show at the core. Interesting notes of chocolate, caramel, and tobacco also make an appearance, just before a honeyed, pleasantly bitter, and lasting finish. Truly something different, this is also a very well made wine and one that every true wine lover should try to seek out.

Worth Trying. 92 points.

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