Big Dog Reds Rock at the THCWFF
The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival stormed into the town this weekend and for the first time in my memory, I did not attend the Stars Across Texas event. That is the walk, sip and graze fest where local and regional Texas chefs prepare finger foods for your pleasure. Part of the reason was that you can only do an event like this so many times (without even looking at the program I could have told you what chefs were going to make what dishes) and to be perfectly frank, the festival was kind of tight with its media comps this year. So I would have had to pay to attend and frankly, it wasn’t worth it to me.
But an event that was well worth it, and one that has become a perennial favorite, was the Big Dog Reds wine tasting held at III Forks. My only problem was getting to the damned thing. Cesar Chavez was completely blocked off just after the Lamar bridge. And of course, the city traffic engineers in their usual infinite wisdom, put up a sign that said only “right lane closed.” So there I was, less than a 1/4 mile from III Forks, my senses keenly anticipating that first glass of somebody’s cabernet sauvignon, when I had to turn around, fight my way over the lake, and work through almost total gridlock to get back to III Forks. By the time I got over the Congress bridge, I was half an hour late and really starting to get irritated. Then I noticed a slew of Elizabethan-style tents at the end of Lavaca: apparently for some Texas art festival. Ah ha, the reason why Cesar Chavez was closed! I finally had to work my way around to one of the local rip-off parking garages, pay $10 to descend into the bowels of the earth, and finally walk the remaining three blocks to III Forks. Note to THCWFF organizers: don’t schedule an event like this directly adjacent to a giant arts festival!
But thanks to the Gods, they were still pouring when I dragged my substantially diminished ass into the restaurant. I met some fun women from Houston who had already made the rounds and pointed me to what they felt were promising tables. My first taste was an Argentinian Malbec that was quite good (Malbecs are the wine of the moment) but in my haste I neglected to get the name. I will remedy this shortly. Then I had a sip of the always reliable Rodney Strong ’07 cab. This is a lovely wine: rich and full-bodied with minimal tannins that should age nicely. I already have a couple of bottles of the ’05 in my wine fridge. And then to Joseph Phelps and their smashing ’07 Insignia. I first discovered this wine at the Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour event in Las Vegas about five years ago and I was blown away. This is a beautifully crafted cab with lovely fruits and a killer finish. Pricey at $225 but worth the splurge.
The Col Solare ’07 from Washington State was another keeper. This wine is a collaboration between the esteemed Chateau St. Michelle vineyards and Tuscan winemaker Marchesi Antinori. This is a young vineyard (first offering 1995) but they have produced an exceptional big dog cab with the unmistakable hint of blackberries and a tantalizing suggestion of espresso and vanilla in the nose. I bought two bottle of this at Twin Liquors for my fridge immediately after the tasting. very fairly priced priced for the quality at $75.
The venerable Robert Mondavi was on hand with a nice ’07 cab for about $25. For a winemaker that absolutely ruled Napa Valley 20 years ago, the RM brand has slipped a bit but they produce a highly drinkable if not particularly distinguished cab. And what’s not to like about Treanna? The beauty of their wines is their complexity and the availability of distinct micro-climates within close proximity of their estate. The ’07 cab will still take an inordinately long time to open but it’s worth the wait. A good deal at $60, but I can remember not so long ago when their cab blend was about $33 at Twin and World Market. I guess that’s the price of fame.
Went wine-shopping after the inspirational afternoon and then settled in with my wife to watch NCAA basketball. We did manage to kill the Col Solare while UCONN was sticking it to Kentucky. All in all though, logistics notwithstanding, it was a great session. Wish they could all be that good at the THCWFF.
