CURRENT VINTAGE TASTING NOTES
Enjoy our wine tasting descriptions, compliments of Jeff’s Corner.
WHITE WINES
Brand new and making its first appearance in our growing Invention Vineyards portfolio, our 2023 Texas High Plains Captivating is predominately Sauvignon Blanc blended with Viognier for added complexity. A lovely pale straw with a touch of yellow, Captivating features a very food-friendly, accessible ABV of 12.6%.
Delicate aromas of lemon zest, pineapple, and grapefruit are highlighted by hints of kiwi and Honeydew melon. The palate is very well-balanced with a rich texture and mouthfeel that finishes soft and clean. A serving temp of about 45* would be perfect.
Invention Vineyards’ unique proprietary blend of Viognier and Pinot Grigio is a medium straw in color with crisp, clean aromas of grapefruit, lemon zest, pineapple, and white peach.
The complex, layered textures of the Viognier provide a great contrast with the crisp, clean tropical fruit of the Pinot Grigio and lead to a lingering, medium-bodied finish. With an ABV of 12.7%, this would pair terrifically with a rich, lemony shrimp scampi with a recommended serving temp of 45*.
One of the superstars of Invention Vineyards, our 2023 Texas High Plains Imaginada is an appealing pale straw in color with a summer-friendly ABV of 12.4%. An interesting blend of predominately Albariño with a kiss of Viognier, tantalizing aromas of Mandarin orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and nectarine dominate the nose.
Incredibly easy to drink, the straight-forward palate is well-balanced with a brisk, clean finish that beckons for another sip. Let’s serve this delightfully approachable wine well-chilled, about 45*.
This richly layered, full-bodied Viognier is a lovely, very pale straw hue with a hint of chartreuse. Enticing aromas of grapefruit, peach, apricot, and mandarin orange are highlighted by an intriguing backdrop of lemon grass.
The palate shows a complex, luxuriously textured mouthfeel with a well-balanced finish that continues to linger and linger. A great wine with rich seafood dishes such as crab au gratin, and a serving temperature around 50* would be ideal. The ABV is a reasonable 13.5%.
A finicky grape to grow in much of the world, Viognier (originally from the Rhone Valley in southeastern France) has found a second home in Texas. Our 2023 Texas High Plains Viognier is a classic example of a delicate, yet complex grape at its best.
Charming aromas of tangerine, apricot, pear, honeysuckle, and white rose petals give way to a medium, beautifully balanced palate with a creamy mouth-feel and a subdued, yet crisp finish. A sensible ABV of 11.9% makes this lovely wine a perfect accompaniment for a wide variety of food, especially shellfish.
This charming Riesling is an off-dry wine lover’s dream. The residual sugar is 3.3%, the equivalent of 33 grams of sugar per liter of wine. This comes to about 6 grams in a traditional 6oz glass of wine. The ABV is 12.4%.
The color is a translucent straw/yellow, with dynamic fruit aromas of green apple, Meyer lemon, and pineapple flirting with floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, with crisp acidity in a delicate balance with the sweetness. Perfect with a pre-dinner snack of prosciutto, havarti, and honey dew melon, let’s serve this beauty between 40 and 45*.
ROSÈ WINES
This Mourvèdre Rosé is an alluring and translucent pale pink. Delicate floral aromas of pink and white carnations flirt with fresh strawberry, bright raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate.
A wonderful picnic wine and perfect for late-afternoon or early evenings on the porch, the palate is surprisingly complex with a long, crisp finish. Let’s try this lovely wine with a chicken salad croissant sandwich and fresh fruit or perhaps a Waldorf salad with a serving temperature of 45*.
Our 2023 Texas High Plains Invention Vineyards Mourvèdre Rosé is a stunning pale salmon in color with a picnic-perfect 13.2% ABV. Playful fruit aromas of strawberry, cherry, cranberry, and raspberry dance with floral notes of pink carnation and hibiscus.
A very flirtatious palate is lively and fresh with fruit and acid showing delightful harmony. Walking a perfect tightrope between new and old-world style rosé, this incredibly quaffable wine will pair wonderfully with most lighter summer foods and have us reaching for a second bottle in record time. Serve well-chilled, around 45*.
RED WINES
Our 2021 Sangiovese is a pale garnet, with a textbook (for Sangiovese) brick rim. Beckoning aromas of sour cherry, red licorice, cinnamon, leather, and red plum dominate the nose.
100% Sangiovese, this coyingly light-bodied wine is extremely fruit forward with subtle hints of oak and soft tannins. Classic for this grape, the high acid finish is brisk and clean, making it a great match with a rich, cheesy lasagna. The ABV is 13.9% and cool serving temp between 55 and 60* would work well.
Named after the famed Right Bank of the Gironde Estuary in Bordeaux, which is planted primarily with Merlot, this Merlot dominate Bordeaux-style blend is Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The ABV is a sensible 13.6%.
This appealing, very approachable wine is medium garnet in hue, with pleasing aromas of blueberry, black cherry, vanilla, and cedar with subtle hints of toasted oak. Extremely well-balanced with a soft, sensual texture, this would pair wonderfully with a blackberry-glazed grilled pork tenderloin. 60* would be a great serving temp.
RB is short for Right Bank, which refers to the right bank of the Gironde Estuary in southwestern Bordeaux which is planted primarily with Merlot. Our 2022 Invention Vineyards Texas High Plains RB is 90% Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Rubired making up the balance. The color is medium garnet with a food-friendly ABV of 13.4%
Textbook Merlot aromas of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, and violet come together in this medium-bodied beauty with a soft mouthfeel and a sensual finish. Let’s serve this around 60* and pair it with a grilled pork tenderloin in a blackberry chipotle glaze.
This rustic and flavorful Tempranillo is an inviting medium garnet with a made-for-food ABV of 13.0%. Spain’s most widely planted varietal, Tempranillo has found a second home in Texas and this is the first from Invention Vineyards and Heath Family Brands.
This superbly balanced wine shows engaging aromas of sour cherry and red currant, along with earthy aromas of dried leaves, cigar box, tanned leather, and fresh-cut tobacco. Let’s serve this around 60* and pair it with an hickory or oak-grilled burger with roasted Hatch chiles, aged Provolone, and caramelized onions.
“Soleluce” translates as sunlight, and this beautiful wine is a brilliant pale garnet in hue. A blend of predominately Sangiovese and Malbec, Soleluce yields subtle aromas of bright cherry, clove, red currant, and raspberry.
The palate is soft, elegant, and well-balanced. Fruit and acid are well integrated in a soft, sensual finish that begs for another sip. Chicken Marsala would be a great match, with the sweetness of the Marsala a nice match with the red fruit flavors from the Sangiovese.
Named after the Left Bank of the Gironde Estuary in Bordeaux, which is planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, this lovely wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. The ABV is an accessible 13.5%.
An opulent medium-plus garnet in color, layered aromas of blackberry, black currant, mocha, coffee, and leather dominate the nose. The palate transitions gracefully from front to back, with well-integrated fruit, acid, oak, and tannin. Let’s go simple and pair this with a well-marbled grilled rib-eye and serve the wine between 60-65*.
Our exciting new Invention Vineyards P2 (“P-Squared”) is a rich, deep garnet with a hint of ruby on the rim. This full-bodied beauty shows voluptuous, layered aromas of black licorice, Mexican vanilla, and cedar alongside floral notes of lilac, violet, and black tea. The palate features a robust mouthfeel, leading to a luxurious finish that seems to linger and linger.
The wine is beautifully balanced even in its youth, with dark fruit and spice seamlessly entwined with acid, oak, and tannin. This is an extremely elegant wine, ready to enjoy now.
With close to equal parts Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah (petite is feminine, petit is masculine) this unique and intriguing Texas High Plains blend can only be found from Invention Vineyards. Rich, chalky tannins and dark fruit dominate an aggressive palate that is accessible now but will mellow with a few years in the bottle.
Assertive aromas of dark chocolate, black currant, and sage dominate the nose, along with floral notes of lilac and violet. A monster mouthfeel begs for a hearty beef stew or a slow-cooked venison roast. A cool serving temp around 55* and maybe an hour or so decant time might be a good idea.
New to our Invention Vineyards portfolio, our 2022 Texas High Plains Mourvèdre is a classic medium garnet with a porch-friendly ABV of 13.5%. Clean, fresh aromas of cherry, candied raspberry, and red plum are accented with ground black pepper, cinnamon, and black olive.
Medium-bodied in texture, the palate of this very quaffable red wine is bright, fresh, and excellent for warm summer evenings. A cool temperature between 55-60* would highlight the bright red fruit flavors of this charming wine.
Conflation: “a blend or fusion”. This inaugural vintage of an exciting new Invention Vineyards wine is a Rhone-style blend featuring fresh aromas of strawberry shortcake and tart cherry with a spice-driven undercurrent of vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. The crisp palate is bright, lively, and refreshing with brisk acidity that makes this a great wine for lighter, warm-weather meals.
Mourvèdre | Syrah | Rubired
A new wine in our expanding Invention Vineyards portfolio, our 2022 Texas High Plains Cabernet Sauvignon is medium-plus garnet in hue with a reasonable ABV of 13.2%. Pronounced aromas of blackberry, cedar, black currant, violet, and espresso come together in a promising, aggressive nose.
Boasting a soft and sensual mouthfeel that is becoming a hallmark of Invention wines, intriguing flavors of eucalyptus and spice and a generous helping of toasted oak lead to an elegant, well-balanced finish. A serving temp of about 60* would be optimum.