Wines from Texas: C.L. Butaud New Releases

Born in Texas, Randy Hester learned winemaking in Napa Valley before returning home to start a winery in Austin, Texas, named after his grandfather.  He purchases fruit from Texas’ prime vineyards and then crafts some very good wines.  The techniques include cold soaks, some whole clusters, fermenting with native yeast and extended aging in French oak. We’re especially impressed with the Tempranillo single varietal wine.

C.L. Butaud 2022 Blanc de Noir Texas ($48) 91 This is a bone-dry Blanc de Noir with the palest of blushes. Reticent floral and cherry skin aromas give way to a crisply textured, mineral driven palate. There’s enough assertive acidity that I would prefer to have this wine with food (fried fish, calamari, even fried chicken). An excellent, clean and crisp Blanc de Noir. 100% Mourvèdre sourced from Desert Willow Vineyards in Seminole, Texas, gently whole cluster pressed and fermented using native yeast and aged 5 months in stainless steel barrels. pH 3.36, 12.9% alc.

C.L. Butaud 2021 Cease & Desist Texas High Plains ($48) 91 Medium ruby red. Opens with spicy, dark red fruit aromas. Fresh and rich on the palate with a firm backbone, ripe, toasty oak inflected dark berry flavors, and chalky tannins with a medium long finish. The perfect wine for grilled meats (and vegetables). A blend of 73% Tempranillo, 20% Mourvèdre, and 7% Grenache, cold soaked for 3+ days, partially fermented whole cluster with native yeasts and aged 16 months in 60% new French oak. 14.2% alc.

C.L. Butaud 2021 Mourvèdre Desert Willow Vineyard Seminole Texas ($48) 91  Medium red core. This Mourvèdre is especially notable for its purity, silky mouth feel and rich breadth of texture. A melange of red and black fruit is accompanied by appealing suggestions of baking spice. Easy drinking with fine grained tannins that lend just enough spine. All Mourvèdre harvested on Sept. 16, given 5 days prefermentation cold soak and fermented 30% whole cluster with native yeast in steel tank then pressed to 83% new French oak for 15 months with monthly lees stirring followed by 11 months in bottle before release. 14.5% alc.

C.L. Butaud 2021 Tempranillo Farmhouse Vineyards High Plains AVA ($54) 92  Semi opaque dark carmen. This is a very respectable, New World Tempranillo showing seductively sweet dark cherry fruit with mineral and spice notes. Silky mouth feel with a core of sweet fruit and a long gently tannic finish leaving behind notes of dark fruit preserves and spice cake. Hand harvested Sept 20 at 25.5 Brix, hand sorted with 3-day cold soak and fermented 15% whole cluster with native yeast in steel tank; pressed to 60% new French oak and 40% stainless steel barrels for 17 months with an additional 8 months bottle aging. 14.5% alc.