Review of Hye Meadow Winery Tempranillo 2012

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

If you’re a “Hye Rollin'” wine drinker in Texas than you have probably visited Hye Meadow Winery in Hye, Texas. Peaceful woods and a nice seating area behind the tasting room are a welcome sight for most first timers, and the staff are very welcoming right when you walk in the door. Regardless of how you feel about wine names and labeling, one thing for certain about this winery is they take their wines serious, but they also like to have some fun. Names like Chica, Junkyard Red, and the Full Monte encompass the mindset behind each handcrafted wine. Some of the wines are New Mexico and Washington appellated, but lately more and more wines from the program are becoming Texas appellation. When you drive up to the winery present day, you can observe the newly planted vineyard northeast of the tasting room and winery, and it is easily seen while zooming down famed Wine Road 290.

This story is all about their 2012 Tempranillo, which became very well-known after scoring high at the Battle of the Texas Tempranillos back in November, 2014. I procured a bottle for review recently and this is my take on it. The wine name on the label is one of the more basic you will see from the Hye Meadow group, merely paying homage to the grape, labeled simply Tempranillo. The cork is of high quality as it should be, yet many wines in Texas are still closed with sub-par corks. Really? Hint, hint folks! This gal pours into the stemware a light ruby with a garnet rim. The nose is very fruit forward offering notes of red cherries, stewed tomato, and a nuance of mocha. The palate confirms the nose, with quite a bit of oak present on the back end. The barrels are somewhat dominant to my palate on the finish and will hopefully integrate more in the coming months as this wine continues to evolve.

Specifications:

• Hye Meadow Winery Tempranillo, 2012 vintage
• Winemaker: Jeff Ivy
• Appellation: Texas High Plains AVA, Bayer Family Vineyard
• Grape Varieties: Tempranillo
• Barrels: 12 months in 60% neutral French oak and 40% new American oak.
• Clarity/brightness: Clear/bright with no detectable flaws and no evidence of gas or sediment
• Tannins: Medium plus
• Acidity: Medium
• Alcohol: Medium minus
• Finish: Medium
• Alcohol by volume: 11.5%
• Retail price (at time of review): $36.00
• Cases produced: 300
• Glass: Luigi Bormioli Symphony, Italy

All in all I feel this is a nice everyday Temp. By no means is it a full bodied steak pairing wine, but more of a medium bodied wine to enjoy while relaxing with friends on the back porch. I find it to be balanced overall with the exception of a bit of oak still dominating the finish, which might still integrate more with time in the cellar.

Sip, savor, and enjoy my fellow aficionados.