A New Perspective: Inwood Estates, Palomino-Chardonnay, 2008

Several weeks ago, I received emails from two people directly related to the wine industry in Texas in response to my post on Texas Wine. Seeing as how I can be a bit obsessive, I have been on a binge of drinking a new bottle of local wine on a regular basis. After a bit of correspondence they both had me convinced there was one Texas winery to which I needed to pay closer attention.

In my previous post, I specifically pointed out that I felt like much of our State’s wine lacked a certain quality and focus when compared to other already-established producing regions around the world. Having tasted what I consider to be a good amount of our regional wine, I felt like I had a good idea of what was out there—that is until the e-mail correspondences mentioned above. On their prodding, I went searching for a bottle of Inwood Estates Palomino-Chardonnay, 2005. Once I got over the initial sticker shock of $44, I happily made my way to the register in anticipation of the evening ahead.

After reading about the winery’s history, it should come as no surprise that they are producing fantastic wine. In order to see what suited the crazy Texas climate the best, Dan Gatlin began growing 22 different vinifera in Denton County, Texas in 1981. During this time he developed a deep understanding for what generally makes Texas wine drinkable, but for the most part uninteresting. He took into consideration the respiration time that grapes need to maximize their wine-making potential. Realizing that grapes such as Tempranillo require nightly temperatures to reach below 65 degrees for at least 8 hours to respire, Gatlin searched for an environment in Texas that suited these needs.

He settled on a plot of land in the far western portion of the Texas Panhandle, Yoakum County, Texas—over 400 miles west of the Inwood Estates Winery in Dallas. The proximity to their winery presents a problem during harvest. One major concern had to be overcome: Harvesting and transporting grapes over 400 miles of hot Texas highway obviously compromises their quality. So how does one combat this? Mr. Gatlin used his experience and existing relationships in the California wine industry, of course. The West Texas grapes are harvested and field crushed within minutes of leaving the vine. Mr. Gatlin says, “This captures 100% of the flavors instantly as harvesting takes place at night in the cold desert air around 58-60 degrees. The must can then be transported while on cold soak with zero degradation.” According to their website, Inwood Estates is the only winery in Texas which field-crushes their grapes.

Their success with the Palomino grape was also a significant breakthrough. I did not know what to expect from my bottle of Palomino-Chardonnay, but two separate, knowledgeable individuals recommended it. I had never knowingly tasted a wine where the Palomino grape was the star and had to do some quick searching to find out exactly what it was traditionally used for. Apparently, the Palomino varietal is widely grown in Spain and is predominantly used to make sherry. Because it is an extremely low-yielding grape, it is economically tough to produce, but Mr. Gatlin saw a lot of potential in its unique, nectar-like quality.

Inwood Estate’s Palomino-Chardonnay is one of the most memorable wines that I have had in the last few years and I am particularly proud that it is from Texas. When my wife and I poured it last week and took our first smell, the intense Sauterne-like nose was wonderful although the taste had no residual sugar. The complexity of flavor was phenomenal as was the extremely long finish that seemed to keep evolving with time. It tasted of mineral and vanilla, but also dark, rich honey. We could not quite figure out what one of the most interesting flavors was though. After speaking to Mr. Gatlin he informed me that several upper-level and master sommeliers have pinpointed a culmination of tropical fruits such as coconut, cantaloupe, and banana, with slight hints of citrus. Not having a palate that is quite developed to that level of expertise, I am left to assume that the flavor which we loved, but puzzled us, was that combination of tropical fruits. All in all what matters is that it is a wonderful and extremely interesting wine that is a pleasure to drink.

What I like most about Inwood Estates outlines what I wrote in the previous post on Texas wine. They are committed to making wine that is best suited for Texas in all aspects and do not cut corners in the process. They grow the grapes that work best in our climate. Most importantly, they do not try to make their Texas wine fit preconceived California or French expectations. Careful attention is paid to the grapes while they are in the vineyard, understanding that the quality of the finished product has as much to do with the way the process is handled before harvest as it does after.

I wish more wineries throughout our state would follow suit. If there are any that I am not aware of, please let me know about them. I would love to help get the word out. Cheers Inwood Estates. Keep up the noble pursuit. Your wine is fantastic.