Duchman Vermentino 2010 the “best wine I’ve ever made”—Dave Reilly, winemaker

“The 2010 Vermentino is the best wine I’ve ever made,” said Duchman Family Winery winemaker Dave Reilly when we caught up with him the other day at the winery.

That’s a bold statement for a winemaker whose wines have been served by-the-glass at the Four Seasons Hotel and Spa in Austin and whose 2009 Vermentino made Texas wine history when it became the first Texas wine to be served “on tap” by Whole Foods Market. (Click here to read leading Texas wine writer Russ Kane’s post on this ground-breaking “first” for the Texas wine industry.)

But when we consider that 2010 Texas harvest was one of the best vintages in recent memory — a true bumper crop — with moderate heat during the Texas summer and no major spring freezes, it’s not such a stretch to believe.

Dave has been making wine for the Duchman Family Winery since its first vintage (2004). When he first started out, the winemaking was still made by Texas Hill Country wine legend Mark Penna. But today, after more than 5 vintages, Dave oversees the entire operation. Now considered one of the top winemakers in Texas, Dave has consistently delivered award-winning wines that have helped to put Texas on the fine winemaking map. His 2010 Vermentino may likely be one of the best wines to come out of this excellent vintage.

And he works closely with Bingham Family Vineyards in the Texas High Plains AVA, considered by many to be the best fine wine grape growers in Texas today.

“One of the things that I love about the Bingham family,” said Dave, “is that they really want to be the best when it comes to growing wine grapes. There are other good growers out there but for the Bingham family, [fine wine] grapes are the number-one crop and it shows in the high quality of the fruit we received from them.”

Released just in time for the holiday season and with a new and stylish label, the Duchman Family Winery 2010 Vermentino is the winery’s first vineyard-designated bottling. The bright, gold- and straw-colored wine sings with acidity and delivers fresh, clean citrus notes on the nose and in the mouth, with a flourish of tangy grapefruit in the finish.

Click here to order or to find out more about the Duchman Family Winery 2010 Vermentino.

Click here to download a higher resolution version of the label.