Approachable, full-throttle red blend of unlikely bottle mates—petit verdot and petite sirah. Take note, there is nothing “petite” about wines made with either of these grapes. Petit verdot usually shows up in Bordeaux blends. Petite sirah rides alongside California zinfandel. The intriguing Texas pairing delivers a tasty, surprisingly well-integrated marriage of grapes known for their deep color, firm tannins, and power. Yee-Haw, Texas! $55-60
Invention Vineyards sits on land steeped in Texas Hill Country history. The property on Highway 16 started as a grist mill built by Carl Hilmar Guenther in 1851. That evolved into Pioneer Flour Mills, a major player in the industry. Dabs and John Hollimon acquired the property and planted a vineyard in 2013. Wanting to retire, the Hollimons sold the property to the Randy Jones family, who already owned La Bon Vie Ranch, a wedding and event center. In a nod to history, the Joneses changed the name to Slate Mill Wine Collective. They also renovated the old Torre di Pietra winery on Highway 290 and opened the Slate Theory Winery in 2021. The next year, the Jones family decided to focus on Slate Theory and sold their Highway 16 property to Heath Family Wines. Whew!
And now the story turns even more decidedly to Texas “Yee-Haw!” Texas wine is a second-career pivot for Brian Heath. Although trained as an engineer, Brian proved exceptional in financial services, rising to the presidency of the U.S. Advisory Group at Ameriprise Financial. Meanwhile, his wife, Jennifer, spent 16 years at American Express Financial Advisors at C-level positions before it became Ameriprise. At such lofty heights, they saw the potential of Texas wine. And they possessed the smarts, experience, and resources to make it happen. In 2006, they purchased Grape Creek Vineyards, then essentially an Angus cattle farm on Highway 290 (the equivalent of Napa’s Hwy 29).
When you turn high achievers with “what-the-hell” resources loose in the burgeoning Texas wine world some 20 years ago, you get Heath Family Brands, and a portfolio of good wine. Grape Creek Vineyards on Hwy 290 is their flagship and a must-go destination in the Texas Hill Country AVA. Other brands include Heath Sparkling Wines (first all sparkling winery in Texas), K Estate (formerly Kuhlman Cellars), Jenblossom Cellars (uses premium Napa fruit), Heath Vineyards (focuses on vineyards on Texas High Plains and Paso Robles in California).
And Invention Vineyards—this wine. It was made at an enchanting 35-acre Texas estate and winery Heath gained in their acquisitions. After the purchase, Heath Family expanded from 2,000 cases a year at Grape Creek to more than 63,000. The winery now has a 25,000-square-foot production facility with more than 50 stainless-steel tanks and a 2,000-barrel cellar. The winery not only conjured up this monster, but also produces Heath’s sparkling. Sort of the alpha-omega of winemaking. Yee-Haw, Texas!
This Invention Vineyards P2 2022 effort occurred during the Heath acquisition of Slate Theory, so the wine is a transitional wine of Slate Theory preliminary vineyard management and Heath Family follow-on. The majority of the fruit came from the Lahey Vineyards on the Texas High Plains. The Heath family managed this effort once the fruit arrived at the winery. Winemaker Jason Englert produced a smooth, delicious, dark fruit winner that doesn’t torment your cheeks with tannins and has admirable acidity to sidle up for food pairing. Nice work.
Invention Vineyards P2, Fredericksburg, Texas 2022: Deep ruby-garnet color; blackberry, black cherry, plum, blackcurrant, mocha, licorice, clove, nutmeg, violet, vanilla, oak on the nose and palate. Dry (0.51 g/L); chewy but not obstreperous tannins; reserved acidity (3.61 pH, 6.95 g/L TA). Full body. Plush mouthfeel. Blend of 53% petit verdot, 47% petite sirah—not a standard blend, but one that certainly works here. Ripe fruit from the Texas High Plains creates the illusion of sweetness that is not propped up by high alcohol. This comes in—for a big red blend—at a demure 13.4% ABV. Impressively long finish where the vanilla and the illusion of sweetness take center stage.
Pairing—Grilled or pepper-crusted ribeye, porterhouse, New York strip; braised short ribs, oxtail, beef bourguignon-style stews; lamb chops, slow-roasted led of lamb with rosemary and garlic; Texas-style smoked brisket, beef ribs; heartyburgers with aged cheddar or blue cheese; duck breast with blueberry or blackberry reduction. Hearty mushroom dishes, mushroom ragù over polenta, mushroom lasagna. Cheese—Aged cheddar, aged gouda, manchego, parmigiano-reggiano, grana padano; blue cheese, gorgonzola piccante, stilton-style. Avoid mild, fresh cheese, fresh mozzarella, young brie, simple goat cheeses.
Health Family Brands Invention Vineyards website
