Cornelious RESERVE 2017

Texas is widely regarded as the preferred home for producing America’s finest versions of Spain’s famed Tempranillo wines. Inwood produces blended Tempranillo in the classic tradition of the northern Spanish river valleys, as well as the newer modern varietal Tempranillos.  Our Cornelious wines are made in the modern single-varietal style, using only Tempranillo grapes grown in the Texas High Plains along the Texas-New Mexico border. On occasion, richly tannic Tempranillo allows us to produce a Cornelious Reserve.  

 

The 2017 represents the fourth Reserve in our history, following the lead of its 2008, 2012, and 2015 predecessors. Using a 1.5 tons per acre production rate, these special vintages display a distinctly darker character than our usual 3-ton Tempranillos, and also typically feature higher brix levels, resulting in higher alcohols. But the primary delimiting characteristic of a Tempranillo Reserve is the distinctly massive tannins, not aggressive, but grippy and powdery in the finish, presenting a densely complex, chewy texture suitable for long term cellaring.  Our Reserves are always muscular wines, displaying strength and solid ageability. As these wines age, impressions of deep, dark black cherry emerge in sharp contrast to the brighter red fruit style of our regular Tempranillos. Extended cellaring to date has helped the wine already achieve an excellent first impression, but expect peak drinkability between 2026-2031.