Bending Branch Winery wins five Medals at TEXSOM

COMFORT, Texas – Bending Branch Winery 2012 Estate Tannat was awarded a gold medal and Best in Show at the 31st TEXSOM International Wine Awards. The competition drew more than 3,600 entries, which were judged by 68 master sommeliers, masters of wine, winemakers and wine journalists.

The 2012 Bending Branch Winery Estate Tannat is the second vintage produced. The 2011 vintage won Class Champion and Double Gold at the 2014 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition in Houston. Both were fermented using the winery’s innovative cryomaceration (CM) process.

“A Best in Show award from the prestigious TEXSOM competition is a great follow-up to the Top Texas Wine award from the Houston Rodeo International Wine Competition. Both awards are a tribute to the potential of Tannat to be a standard for big Texas reds,” Bending Branch Winery founder Robert W. Young, M.D. said.

In all, Bending Branch Winery received five medals:

BEST IN SHOW/GOLD

• 2012 Bending Branch Winery Estate Tannat, Texas Hill Country, $60

SILVER

• 2011 Bending Branch Winery Old Vine Petite Sirah, Paso Robles – Shell Creek Vineyard, $40
• 2012 Bending Branch Winery Texas Tannat®, Texas High Plains, $30
• NV Bending Branch Winery Thinkers Red, American, $24

BRONZE

• 2012 Bending Branch Winery Tempranillo, Texas High Plains­ – Newsom Vineyards, $30

Although Tannat originates in Southwestern France, Bending Branch Winery has found that its signature red grape thrives in Texas terroir. Comments from the judges validate its promise.

“If it’s possible to smell velvet, then it’s in this wine. It’s silky and opulent with tart red cherry, raspberry and strawberry, and a hint of confectioner sugar. Typically, Tannat is most known for its bold tannic structure, and while this wine certainly has a bit of grip, its rich concentration of fruit and balanced use of oak for aging brings a refreshing texture to this wine that is both robust and elegant,” wrote Jessica Dupuy, who was a TIWA judge and is the wine contributor for Texas Monthly.

Another judge and sommelier June Rodil, beverage director for Austin-based McGuire Moorman Hospitality Group, said, “I love the complexity of this wine. Its nose is so alluring with its fruit, coconut and smoky undertones, and it has this beautiful unexpected structure.”

Bending Branch Winery’s Estate Tannat also recently was recognized by Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor at Food & Wine magazine. Isle said in his “Pull the Cork” video series, “In the past 10 years, there’s been some remarkable progress in terms of making really top-notch wines coming out of Texas. One example is this Reserve Tannat from Bending Branch Winery. … These guys are doing top quality, can go head to head with any major wine region wines here.”