Deep ruby color; sour cherry, black plum, raspberry, roasted tomato, vanilla on the nose and palate.
Dry; medium tannins and acidity. Medium-plus body. Good balance. Tuscany-inspired blend of 75% sangiovese, 16% montepulciano, 6% petite sirah, 3% primitivo, mostly from the estate vineyard, some fruit from the Texas High Plains AVA. Fermented in stainless steel. Roughly half of the juice aged three years in French and Hungarian oak, the remainder in neutral oak. The winery touts this wine as the “wine that made us famous.” 14.3% ABV
Located on the outskirts of Austin near the north shore of Lake Travis, Flat Creek Estate strives to be the premier wine destination in the Texas Hill Country. That is a Texas-sized ambition. A passel of other well-financed Hill Country operations strive to do the same thing. Flat Creek certainly is in the conversation.
The Texas Hill Country AVA is the second-most visited AVA in the U.S., trailing only Napa. So Flat Creek plays in the big leagues, although the Hill Country-Napa comparison is a little of an apples-to-oranges proposition. The Texas Hill Country AVA is more than 14,000 square miles and nine million acres, the third largest in the nation, and home to more than 200 wineries. The Napa Valley AVA is just 192 square miles, 122,735 acres, and home to more than 400 wineries.
According to their website, the Flat Creek Estate is “poised on an epic eighty-acre estate custom designed for one-of-a-kind experiences, Flat Creek has everything you need for a memorable visit. Join us at our Tuscan-inspired tasting room, full-service restaurant—The Bistro at Flat Creek Estate, covered outdoor pavilion, full working vineyard and winery, 18-hole disc golf course, walking trails, and so much more.”
First established by Rick and Madelyn Nabor, today Flat Creek is owned by Post Lake Capital Partners, led by Eva Horton. French-born Oliver De Certaines is the winemaker. Condé Nast named Flat Creek one of the four best day trips from Austin, calling it “a super Texas winery known for its Super Texan.” Food & Wine included Flat Creek Estate in their list of the 50 Most Amazing Wine Experiences in America.
Flat Creek Estate Super Texan Red Wine Blend 2017 is lush, plush Texas version of sangiovese with some other quality reds thrown in. The winery and the wine are exemplars of why Texas wines must be reckoned with on the wine world stage. The wines are solid, the venue superb, the principals talented, aggressive, and well financed. Flat Creek focuses on warmer weather varieties—well, duh, these are Texas vineyards. Flat Creek enjoys the patience to allow for multi-year aging in barrels and the resulting depth and complexity such patience engenders. Impressive. A winery to be figured in the wine world in general, not just a niche in Texas.
Pair with beef dishes; barbecue; cheddar cheeseburger; chili con carne; lamb; wild game—venison; duck; red pasta dishes; pizza; cured sausages; cured meats—charcuterie board. Cheese—very versatile, from mild goat’s milk and sheep’s milk cheeses; aged pecorino, toscano, aged asiago, grana padano stravecchio; avoid strong cheeses like strong blue cheeses. $48
