“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard,”
claimed poet Anne Sexton.
Yes, those
who listen can hear souls. The souls of
people…the souls of animals…the souls of places. Places do have souls. The soul of a location is a reflection of its
past, a representation of its present, and an anticipation of its future.
William Blackmon and Chris
Brundrett have found the soul of Texas in the wines they produce at William Chris Vineyards. The two make wines that
represent the soul of Texas itself.
Texas is known for its
independence. The state has flown under
six different flags in its history—including being an independent republic for
a time—yet has always fought to be its own, unique place. Statements like “everything is bigger in
Texas” and “don’t mess with Texas” are still around because they truly show the
soul of the state.
This stubbornness, this strength,
this individuality are all evident in William Chris wines. The characteristics began with Bill and
Chris, both good, strong Texans living their wine dreams. They did it not in the way this dream
would be lived in France or California, but only in the way it could be lived in
Texas...a dream as unique and persistent as these two winegrowers themselves.
 |
| Chris in the tasting room. |
Bill has over thirty years grape
growing experience in Texas. His
agriculture degree at Texas Tech set the stage for him to be a Texas winemaker
from the time he graduated in the 1970s.
He grew vineyards all over the state before finally settling in Hill
Country and planting Granite Hill Vineyards, now a William Chris estate vineyard.
Chris is just as much an example of
a Texas self-made man. He went to Texas
A&M to earn his degree in horticulture and gained experience in wineries
all around Hill Country. He helped his
own family establish a quality vineyard—Brundrett Family Estate—which also
grows estate fruit for William Chris.
Though from two different
generations, the souls of these two Texans recognized similarities in each
other. They formed William Chris
Vineyards in 2008 and began the journey to make wines unique to Texas and to
Hill Country, to show the soul of the region.
They truly believe that “wine is not made, it’s grown,” and they strive
to make “wines with soul” that show Texas terroir.
Tasting barrel by barrel in the production
area quickly showed this soul of the Texas terroir that Bill and Chris strive
to display in every bottle. It starts by
growing grapes that fare well in Texas, even though these grapes may not be
what’s coming out of California.
Bill and Chris grow grapes that
thrive in Hill Country and the High Plains, like Rousanne, Orange Muscat, Blanc
du Bois, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Mourvedre, and Carignane. These vines love the Texas heat and still
withstand some of Mother Nature’s crazy antics every year. They express the headstrong character of
Texas.
William Chris also shows the soul
of Texas hospitality by inviting people to the quintessential Texas tastingroom—a 1905 farmhouse.
When renovating and adding to the farmhouse, hundreds and hundreds of
shoes were found under the floor. These
acted as old-fashioned insulation, and once again, added to the personality of
the property. The tasting space has many
cozy rooms for sipping, as well as an indoor area with a beautiful view of the
rolling Texas hills and an outdoor area for Texas-style picnics.
After experiencing this soul and
hospitality, choosing only a few wines as super stars is difficult. Every wine sipped, whether from barrel or
bottle, was unique to the terroir yet true to the grape…a goal for which excellent
winemakers strive. William Chris
produces everything from stellar blends, to single varietals, to rosès, to pet
nat (petillant natural) sparklers. There
are so many excellent examples from which to choose, but here are a few that
stood out as exceptional.
Shining
Star Wine One: 2014 Mourvedre—Bill and
Chris know that Texas can grow great Mourvedre.
Lighter bodied than one might expect, but filled complex flavors and
smells of smoke, dust, dried fruit, coffee, and spice, this is a great wine. (I am saving it for a year or two, but can’t
wait to have it with a medium-rare ribeye…what a truly Texas pairing!)
Shining
Star Wine Two: 2014 Carignane—sourced
from the High Plains of Texas, the red fruit, tart cherry, and orange pith join
the dust and talc on both the nose and the palate of this wine. That dust and talc are a sure sign of the
Texas terrior that Bill and Chris like to showcase, one that I enjoyed
identifying in many of WC’s wines.
Shining
Star Wine Three: 2014 Mary Ruth—this is a
blend of white grapes: Orange Muscat,
Blanc du Bois, and Muscat Blanc. The
nose is full-on sweet honeysuckle, yet the palate is surprisingly filled with fresh
flowers. A light yet complex wine that
would pair well with a Texas afternoon or a cheese plate, it is a worthy example
that shows Texas can produce quality whites, too.
Shining Star
Wine Four: Tatum Rosè—yes, another rosè
makes the list of shining star wines, perhaps showing my bias for the color
pink. However, this pink is the
prettiest shade of barely-there, baby pink.
This is assistant wine maker Josh’s “baby,” his special project for the
tasting room. It is even named after Josh’s baby, his daughter Tatum. It is a wonderfully dry rosè that would give
any Provence pink a run for its money.
William
Blackmon and Chris Brundrett put their ear to the ground of Texas. They listened to the land. They listened to
their vines. They listened to their
surroundings. They listened to their customers.
In doing so, they found the soul of Texas wines, the soul that shows in
each unique bottle of William Chris wine.
By putting their hearts into their home state of Texas, they found the
soul of the Texas wine industry.
