Texas, Y'all!

Name: McPherson Les Copains

Variety: White blend (45% Viognier, 35% Roussanne, 16% Grenache Blanc and 4% Marsanne)

Region: Lubbock, Texas

Country: United States

Year: 2012

Price: $16.95

Critic Review: Not much to say about the wine visually except that it is a bright canary color, has a medium depth and has moderate viscosity.

The wine is highly aromatic giving off honeyed stone fruit aromas of canned peaches and over ripe nectarines. There are also some pleasant non-fruit aromas of thai basil, lemongrass and assorted white flowers. The big, ripe and honeyed aromas are typical of the varietals and of the climate.

The primary structural component that jumps out on the palate is this borderline unctuous mouth feel that is not overly round or oily but lengthens the entire in mouth profile. The glycerol levels are perfectly matched with the full flavor of the wine and the moderate to high alcohol. The palate is more exotic in the way of Indian spices but also more savory with a Dijon mustard quality leading to a slightly briny finish. There are similar fruit flavors on the palate as on the nose with added citrus notes of Meyer lemon. The wine is medium-full in body, round, balanced and has medium plus alcohol levels.

The wine needs food and is more like a red wine disguised as a white wine in terms of its body and full flavor. The mouthfeel is something of note, which contributes to a long finish. The wine is highly aromatic with savory and tropical qualities. It is a lot of wine for the price making it a really great value and an everyday drinker if you like to have a glass of wine with your meals. ~Daniel Kelada, Texas Wine and Trail Magazine
~http://www.texaswineandtrail.com/texas-wine-review-mcpherson-cellars-texas-les-copains-viognierroussannegrenache-blanc-2012/

My Review: The deep golden color stood out and beckoned me, especially in comparison to the very pale Pinot Grigio I tried last week. I knew from the first fruity sniff of peachy-pineapple that this Texan was going to be a pleasure to drink. This is the type of wine you can drink too much of without noticing if you don't pay attention, because it is just sweet enough but has enough acid to be drinkable alone. Even better was how it paired with a sharp Welsh Cheddar cheese. After tasting it alone, I tried it with my go-to cheese, Fontina, but that cheese wasn't strong enough to hold up to this blend. The sharp cheddar, on the other hand, complemented it almost perfectly.

I feel like I'm slowly improving at this. I try not to read the critic review before trying the wine and writing my notes. I don't often get all the same aromas and flavors as the critics but I almost always get an "oh yeah, I got that, too, but couldn't place it" vibe after reading them.