Jeff’s Corner 11-26-21

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,

Here’s hoping everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with lots of friends, family, laughter, good food, and plenty of GCV wine. Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and prepare for the frenzy of December. There’s no way to delay, Christmas gets closer every day.

We only have two more red wines to check out from the 2019 vintage, our Merlot and Invention. In mid-December we’ll take a peak at the ’19 Merlot, and today our Petit Verdot based Invention.

I want to pause for a moment, however, and comment on the overall quality of the 2019 reds. Across the board, they are truly outstanding. I haven’t tasted today’s Invention yet, but the ’19 Cabernet Trois, Prosperity, and Mosaic are especially locked in on my radar for the next several years. Stay tuned.

Invention is the newest wine in our GCV portfolio, and a wine we didn’t really plan to make. Every year we’d buy small amounts of Petit Verdot to blend into our Mosaic, but in 2015 the fruit was so darned good Brian decided to bottle 100 cases as a varietal to see how it developed. Well, it blew us all away (we drank most of it ourselves), and it became Invention with the 2017 vintage.

It’s not very often a wine is released in our tasting rooms at the same time that it’s shipped in our Wine Club, but that’s the case with our latest Invention. Pretty cool. Already on the bar at our 290 location, it’s about to be shipped out and available for pick up in the December Black Label Club allocation, which is a Christmas wish come true showcasing our ’19 Bellissimo, Mosaic, and Invention. Now, time to pull the cork.

Another stunning beauty, the 2019 Texas Invention is a rich, dark garnet in hue with an approachable ABV of 13.8%. The blend is a bit different, with 75% Petit Verdot supported by 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. I really like how the leaner Cab complements the rich fruit of the Petit Verdot.

In the nose, intensely extracted aromas of blackberry, black licorice, and cassis are richly layered with cinnamon, sage, vanilla, violet, and lilac. The wine also features “lots of lumber,” with a generous helping of sweet, toasted oak.

The palate shows lots of black fruit up front, and aggressive, angular tannins with well-integrated acidity on the back. The chalky, luxuriously textured finish lingers for what seems like an eternity. Jason and the winery team have delivered yet another blockbuster GCV red wine from the 2019 vintage.

Even though we’re in Fredericksburg, I don’t think I’ve ever paired one of our wines with German cuisine. Let’s try this beauty with Sauerbraten (a sweet/sour marinated roast beef), caraway-seeded sauerkraut, and pan-fried potatoes and diced bacon. Serving temp should be between 60 and 65*.

Cheers, and Happy Holidays to all!