LightCatcher 2002 Merlot
Newsom Vineyard
Texas High Plains

TEXAS GRAND CHAMPION
SAVEUR/Texas' Best, Austin
BEST IN SHOW - Reds
Texas' Best Competition 2004
GOLD MEDAL, Merlot $16>
Texas' Best Competition 2004
GOLD MEDAL - Best Single Vineyard Designated Wine
Texas' Best Competition 2004

     We caught lighting in a bottle this year, the first year we made wine from Neal Newsom's fruit.

LightCatcher 2004 Merlot
Newsom Vineyard • Texas High Plains Appellation
Bronze medal
Bronze medal

Aromas of mint, cherry and chocolate lead to flavors of black cherry, blackberry, toasted spices and cassis. Aromatic and elegant.

We do tastings of this vintage from time to time, and as of 2010 we have to say, without doubt, that this is the best wine we have ever made, and is also one of the best wines we have ever consumed in our wine careers.

LightCatcher 2002, 2004, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Newsom Vineyard
Texas High Plains

The first glimpse of what this vineyard would produce in a cabsav - elegant black raspberry and plum flavors, moderate tannins and delicious undertones of chocolate and coffee.

LightCatcher 2005 Syrah
Newsom Vineyard • Texas High Plains Appellation
Bronze medal

A product of five clonal types of Syrah planted on the High Plains, this first harvest from those vines is a huge, "meaty", complex wine. Aged in American Oak for two years, it came out spicy, deep and very well suited to foods that are Mediterranean in style - tomatoes, olives, peppers.
A wine writer commented upon first taste, "This is a $100 bottle of wine!"

LightCatcher 2004 Orange Muscat (dry)

We harvested the 2004 Orange Muscat with the intention of making only a dessert wine, so the sugars were very high. When we tasted the wine post filtering, but prior to a sugar addition (we had fermented it dry and it made a high alcohol wine, almost a white port), we thought WOW - this is amazing! On a hunch others might appreciate it, we bottled 50 cases as a bone dry OM... unusual and very intriguing. With the high alcohol, we really had to find foods to pair it with, and cheddar cheeses and cream sauced foods fit the bill.

LightCatcher 2004 'Majik'

      A semi-sweet blend of Pinot Grigio and Orange Muscat, this wine was spicy, with honeysuckle in the nose, flavors of lemon peel, pear and apple, and a long honey finish.
     We named it 'Majik' because we thought the blend was magic in the glass - it was one of those things that was unexpected and wonderful.

LightCatcher 2006, 2007 Chardonnay
Canada Vineyard • Texas High Plains Appellation

     This is our premier release of this wine. It is an unoaked, classic Burgundian-styled chardonnay - flavors of pear and apple, with a floral nose. Very rich creaminess was achieved by aging this wine on the lees. No malolactic was done, and the wine was handled exclusively in stainless steel to accentuate its dry fruitiness and its naturally expressive character.

LightCatcher 2004 'Dulce de Amore'
Orange Muscat Dessert Wine
Silver medal
Bronze medal

Dulce de Amore - The Sweetness of Love - if that can be expressed in a wine, it was here. The heady sweetness of delicious papaya, apricot, orange and pineapple mingled with spicy notes of cinnamon and white pepper.

2006 LightCatcher Dulce d'Amore
Newsom Vineyard • Texas High Plains Appellation
Bronze Medal
Silver Medal

     This is a new sweet white that is spectacularly blessed with flavors of papaya, apricot and citrus. Very similar to a Sauterne, it pairs with tangy blue cheeses and patés, or take it the other direction and pair with dessert, or use AS a dessert. Very long finish, clean fruit flavors.

2006 LightCatcher Etain's Rose
Texas High Plains Appellation
Texas Reserve Grand Champion - Houston LSR 2008
Bronze medal

A DRY rosé that is suited to more delicate foods, with bright notes of strawberry and kiwi. Pairs with more subtle dishes such as filet of sole, simple roast chicken and white cheeses. It's named after Etain, the Celtic Goddess of Light - we imagine this is her favorite wine.

2003, 2005, 2007
Texas Roads
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris

Bright flavors of pear, apple and honey with balanced acidity made this a huge favorite. Very fruity and a little sweet. Terrific all purpose white wine - good by itself, and good with food, especially white cheeses, curries and seafood.

2001, 2002, 2003 Texas Roads Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Texas Roads Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

2001, 2002, 2003 Texas Roads Merlot

2003 Texas Roads Syrah

2002 Strawberry Kiss

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Texas Kiss Merlot Rosé
Silver medal
Silver medal
Silver medal
Bronze medal

     Originally called 'Strawberry Kiss' because the strawberry flavors were so distinct, this wine has proved to be an ongoing favorite. We were told we couldn't use 'Strawberry' in the name again since it didn't and doesn't have strawberries in it (it is a 100% grape wine), so we renamed it Texas Kiss... a little bit sweet, crisp and fruity, with Texas-sized 'kisses' of flavors - cherry, apple, cranberry and strawberry.