When your passion for traditional style champagne methods is just itching at you, one can’t help but seek the opportunity to pursue those dreams and make them a reality. The Hill Country, as well as Texas, has been blessed with this unique winery’s focus on making quality sparkling wines. This new venture by owners Elisa and Chris Jones started with 2020 wine vintages (Merlot and Aglianico) and about nine tons of fruit. Since then, they have acquired property near Johnson City in 2022, and it has been full steam ahead since. The current location sits on 43 acres with a current “tiny” tasting room opened in the Summer of 2022. Using French specialized champagne equipment, Elisa honors the traditions of méthode champenoise in every bottle. Although they are a boutique winery, they have set up an impressive full-scale production for producing Texas sparkling wine. There are plans for future expansion and a vineyard too, for estate sparkling wines. About 12 acres are planned and you can look forward to Chardonnay being grown there for a future bubbly to savor. The soil does need some rehab, so they have planted some ryegrass and clovers, helping to bring those nutrients back to the site.
Currently, grapes for their sparkling and still wines are sourced from Texas Hill Country AVA, Texas High Plains AVA, and the highly sought after vineyards near Dell City. The winery has been under the incubator care of John Rivenburgh which has been an added blessing for this new startup locale. Two main flights are on the list for tasting, “Only the Reds” and “I Like It All”. Let’s just dive right into the good stuff for starters. Being initially treated to the 2023 Sparkling Trebbiano will wet your appetite for what was to follow. It’s fruity, refreshing, and tingles all the way to your toes. This was equally complimented by the 2023 bubbly Grenache. A stunning introduction to their passion for sparkling wine proved that their wines were spot on. Their still wines were equally well crafted. The 2023 Vermentino was a great follow up to the sparkling wines showcasing bright, crisp, and refreshing citrus and floral honeysuckle notes. And who doesn’t like a good Texas Mourvèdre Rosé wine? Their 2023 vintage was left on the skins longer and is incredibly refreshing with lovely strawberry notes and good acidity. Moving on to the reds was the 2022 Sangiovese. Aged for 18 months in a neutral oak, juicy cherries will dance across your palate coupled with a soft touch of smoke for tease. Following the Sangiovese was the 2022 Mourvèdre. Those plum and berry notes reigned supremely paired with a medium acidity. Next in the tasting lineup was their 2023 Amelia. Oh my! This version of a Bordeaux style red wine blend was simply fabulous. With a blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Malbec, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, its prominent notes of plum and cherry, plus that soft feel will be quite soothing for red wine lovers. Malbec lovers should be equally pleased with their 2021 vintage. Black pepper, plum, and some smoke will delight your palate, leaving you longing for a big juicy burger to pair with it in your future. The Tannat was also impressive with a deep, big and bold full body feel. The 2022 Segno II was the final wine sipped. This Tuscan style blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon was very balanced with medium acidity, and a lovely finish that will put a big smile on your wine face.
Having already made their mark on the Texas wine industry in such a short period of time is quite impressive. Their pioneer effort in producing top quality sparkling wines in Texas is showing all the signs for a successful future ahead. This is a small, hands-on, friendly family run operation, and you should plan to chat and sip while you are there as the owners are happy to share their story and passion for this endeavor with you when you visit. Being further off the HWY 290 traffic does bring a bit of serenity and quite nature Zen to the tasting experience, which you will find to be a bonus. Can’t wait to visit again to sample future vintages. Santé!
