TexaS Wine Journal Category Report Red BlendS - 2014
About Journal RatingS Journal ratings are about building awareness for Texas wines under the objective lens of a panel of professional judges. Through consensus, as opposed to the voice and opinions of a single judge, we can create a more comprehensive guide. Texas Wine Journal ratings are based on tastings by the Journal s panel; of which a five-judge quorum is required. All wines are tasted under single blind conditions and organized based on peer group (meaning that the same types of wines are tasted against each other and the producers names are not known). Price is also not a known factor when the panel meets. Each producer receives notice of his or her wine s rating prior to any rating being published. Ratings will be held in confidence if the producer chooses not to allow its publication. The rating will, however, be included as part of the population of ratings to be analyzed for trends within the category and year-to-date breakdowns. Only wines scoring 80 points or higher will be published. Wines that are considered flawed or atypical are re-tasted. All wines evaluated and rated are done so on a standardized form based on a 20-point scale. The 20-point score is converted to a 100 point score using the same conversion method as Decanter Magazine uses. In addition, a consumer rating will be provided in the form of Recommended and Highly Recommended wines. November 2014-1
Type Of Data We Track Wine Score (20-points and 100-points) Category Average Single Wine Deviation: A measure of panel consensus for a single wine Average Deviation Across Category: The average deviation between a single wine and the category average - An average calculation across each wine s individual deviation Panel Consensus: Represents how well the panel tastes as a judging body - A deviation calculation of category averages across all judges Typicity Across Category: A Measure of typicity (consistency in style) - A deviation calculation across all averaged wine scores Appellation Tracking: Breakdown of Texas AVAs Vineyard Tracking Red BlendS 2014 Category Average: 15/20 (83 Points) Texas vs. The World: A seperate category that places the top rated Texas wine from a given category in a blind tasting of world wines Year-to-Date Breakdown Average Deviation Across Category: 0.69 Typicity Across Category: 1.15 Panel Consensus: 0.69 November 2014-2
Score Breakdown 95-100 Extraordinary. Superior character and style. 90-94 Excellent. Noteworthy character and highly recommended. 85-89 Very good. Wine with special qualities and potentially a great value depending on price. 80-84 Good. Solid wine with above average character. 75-79 Average. Straightforward with little distinction beyond being soundly made. Wine Storage Wines are cellared in the bonded and air conditioned space of Vinovium Partners located at 401 Ranch Road 620 North, #C2, Lakeway Texas, 78734. November 2014-3
Category Report The Red Blends category featured 28 wines (17 producers and 9 single vineyards) that came from grapes sourced from across the state; sixteen (57%) were appellated Texas, seven (25%) from the Texas Hill Country and five (18%) from the Texas High Plains. The prices of the wines submitted ranged from $14 to $50 and included the following; 3 from the 2010 vintage, 6 from the 2011 vintage, 14 from 2012, 1 from 2013 and 4 were multivintage wines. Producers Featured In The Red Blends Category Alamosa Wine Cellars Arche Wines Brennan Vineyards Fall Creek Vineyard Hawk s Shadow Winery Kiepersol Estates Landon Winery Llano Estacado Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards Lost Oak Winery McPherson Cellars Messina Hof Winery Spicewood Vineyards Wedding Oak Winery William Chris Vineyards The Top 5 Rated WineS 1. Llano Estacado, Texas, Viviano Superiore Rosso 2010, 16.75/20-89 points, $35 2. Lost Oak Winery, Texas, Vintage Lane-Dawson Red 2010, 16.5/20-88 points, $25 3. Messina Hof Winery, Texas, GSM MV - 16.5/20-88 points, $13 4. Landon Winery, Texas, The Texan Reserve, 2011-16.25/20-87 points, $50 5. McPherson Cellars, Texas, La Herencia 2012-16.25/20-87 points, $14 Varietal Breakdown of Top 5 1. Cabernet (70%) - Sangiovese (30%) 2. Cabernet (75%) - Merlot (25%) 3. Grenache - Syrah - Mourvèdre 4. Sangiovese - Cabernet - Pinot Noir 5. Tempranillo (75%) - Syrah (9%) - Mourvèdre (6%) - Grenache and Carignan (5%) November 2014-4
After each category is tasted and rated the scores across the panel are averaged, which allows us to track the consensus across a wide range of palates and thus produces a final rating that is more objective and comprehensive; even when category and panel deviations are considered. To that point, 39% of the wines rated were defined to be Very Good wines by Journal definitions (scoring 84-89 points), 46% were rated Good wines (scoring 80-84 points), 15% were Average wines (scoring 75-79 points) and 0% were Below Average (74 points or less). RatingS Breakdown Extraordinary (95-100) - 0 total Excellent (90-94) - 0 total Very Good (85-89) - 11 total, 73% TX, 18% THC, 9% THP Good (80-84) - 13 total, 46% TX, 23% THC, 31% THP Average (75-79) - 4 total, 50% TX, 50% THC, 0% THP November 2014-5
Single VineyardS 1. Bingham Family Vineyards 2. Cedar Crest Vineyards 3. Granite Hill Vineyards 4. Hawk s Shadow Estate Vineyard 5. Lost Draw Vineyards 6. Oak Creek Vineyards 7. Salt Lick Vineyards 8. Spicewood Estate Vineyard 9. Tio Pancho Ranch Vintage Breakdown 2010-3 total (11%) - 67% Very Good, 33% Average 2011-6 total (21%) - 33% Very Good, 50% Good, 17% Average 2012-14 total (50%) - 29% Very Good, 57% Good, 14% Average 2013-1 total (100%) - 100% Good MV - 4 total (14%) - 75 Very Good, 25% Good November 2014-6
TexaS vs. The World The top rated Texas wine from a given category represents Texas in a separate category called Texas vs. The World, where wines of similar varietals, styles or blends are tasted blind and rated. The top rated Texas wine from the Red Blends category scored 89 points in the initial category tasting and scored 89 points in the Texas vs. The World category tasting. The results of the Texas vs. The World category are below: 1. Tenuta dell'ornellaia, Tuscany, 'Le Volte' 2012 - TWJ 90, JS 91 - $33 2. Llano Estacado, Texas, 'Viviano Superiore Rosso' 2010 - TWJ 89 - $35 3. Tenuta dell'ornellaia, Tuscany, 'Le Serre Nuove' 2010 - TWJ 85, RP 93, IWC 90 - $63 November 2014-7
YTD RatingS Breakdown (across all categories) Hours Panel Spent Judging Wines To Date 39 Extraordinary (95-100) Excellent (90-94) Very Good (85-89) Good (80-84) Average (75-79) Below Average (<75) Hours Panel Spent Judging Wines This Year 39 Wines Evaluated and Rated To Date 64 Number of Producers Submitting Wines 47 Number of Categories Rated To Date 3 Wines Evaluated and Rated This Year 64 Average Submissions Per Producer 3 Number of Categories Rated This Year 3 9 of November 2014-8
In ConcluSion In conclusion, the Red Blends category faired well, achieving an average score of 83 points across the category. Both the panel consensus and the consistency of the red blend style are both within statistical norms when it comes to deviations and variations amongst the population size. The data is then considered to be statistically accurate and therefore allows us to proceed with making observations and asking questions of the overall category. The biggest observations and questions we come away with are the following: * The Journal Recommends 22 wines or 76% and Highly Recommends two wines or 7% * The top three-rated wines consisted of two wines from the 2010 vintage and one from multiple vintages. Does this suggest that blends with moderate age fair better than their more youthful counterparts? * Cabernet Sauvignon is included in the blends three separate times in the Top 5 and is the informing grape in both the first and second highest rated wines. * The consistency in the style of wine represented has a very low deviation, which begs the question, What is consistent? Is it the type of varietals used? Is it production technique? Is it terroir? All of the above? Future tastings hold the key. * Texas-appellated wines produced 100% of the top 5 rated wines. Why? Is this a case study in the differences between the Texas High Plains and the Texas Hill Country? When fruit from the two appellations are combined, do you have a higher probability of producing more balance and cohesion between the parts and the whole of the wine? * Four, multi-vintage wines (or 15%) were submitted, and not a single one rated below 84 points. Future tastings will reveal more about this, but this suggests that a multi-vintage wine can produce a better wine more often times than not. In a region where a harvest is lost several times a decade, doesn t a multi-vintage wine make sense if consistency is the key to brand building? November 2014-9
Our CollaboratorS The Texas Wine Consortium (the Consortium) is a nonprofit launched in April 2012 with the mission to inform, educate and promote Texas Wines to the trade, consumer and prospective industry partners. The Consortium aims to be the go-to source for data and information about the industry, a leader in the development of quality standards as well as cellaring the largest library of Texas wines with which to use for educational and awareness purposes; of which the Texas Wine Journal is included. By industry professionals, for industry professionals, the new SOMM Journal serves as an educational tool for on- and off-premise hospitality professionals as well as those looking to further their understanding of wine and spirits. Under the guidance of Meridith May, Publisher and Editorial Director for the nation s most-red beverage industry publication, the The Tasting Panel Magazine, Somm Journal s team of top-shelf contributors includes internationally renowned wine writers, sommeliers and authorities. The SOMM Journal is a bi-monthly publication that has a distribution list of 50,000 beverage professionals throughout the United States and an ever growing international audience. Vinovium Partners was organized in 2012 and permitted in 2013 as a Bonded Wine Cellar / Wine Blender (TTB) and a G permit winery in Texas (TABC). Our business model is a négociant model, where through the power of consolidation we are able to provide one-stop-shop capabilities for a varying degree of end customers. Our goal is to become the premier seller and marketer in Texas of fine wines packaged in recyclable commercial kegs and in recyclable consumer-oriented, aseptic packages. Vinovium Partners inventories and cellars all wines for the Texas Wine Journal. The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is a membership nonprofit using their passion for wine and food to better the health and well-being of our community by hosting public wine and food events, educational opportunities and the finest wine auction in the Southwest funding culinary scholarships, educational grants and other deserving causes. The Foundation provides the Texas Wine Journal a home each month to conduct panel tastings. November 2014-10
Our CollaboratorS Continued Texas Hill Country Wineries is a not-for-profit community organization that preserves and promotes the healthy and value added lifestyle of Texas Wines. THCW contributes to the quality of life in and around the Texas Hill Country s nationally recognized wine trails and events. They represent 32 unique and independent wineries committed tpromoting industry advancement and consumer awareness through event and agricultural programs. The mission of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Inc. is to promote the production and appreciation of premium grapes and fine wines from Texas, and to represent a unified state industry with common marketing, governmental and educational goals. Texas Wine & Trail Magazine is a multifaceted magazine that offers ACCESS TO THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WINE VOICES IN THE STATE. The publication is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of Texas wine culture and growing the success of the Texas wine industry. May 2014-3
A PartnerShip At Work November 2014-12
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