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Gus Clemens on Wine, 2702 Nasworthy Drive, San Angelo, TX (2026)

10/10/2026

Why did 6 and 7 break up?

Because together they were an unlucky pair.

W**e time.

10/10/2026

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France 2023 is delicious, very food-friendly, and an exceptional value from a legendary Alsatian biodynamic white w**e maker. Blend of Auxerrois Blanc and Pinot Blanc grapes. $30-35.

This understated, sophisticated Alsatian pour emphasizes balance, texture, and delicacy over aromatic intensity. It juxtaposes being exceptionally dry with a soft, velvety feel in the mouth. You think “I got this” in the initial attack, and then recalibrate “no, not really” as it saunters through the mid-palate and finish. There is no aggressive sharpness. Surprisingly persistent finish with some smoke and minerality teasing you to fill your mouth again to see if you really understand what is going on here.

This blend is made from two grapes related to Pinot Noir. Pinot Blanc is a somatic mutation of Pinot Noir, not a cross with a second grape. Pinot Blanc has vineyard acreage in Alsace, Burgundy, and Alto Adige and Friuli in northeastern Italy (where it is known as Pinot Bianco). Also in Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weißburgunder. There also are plantings in Oregon, California, and Canada’s Okanagan Valley. It produces dry, crisp, medium-bodied w**es with bright acidity and mineral undertones.

Auxerrois Blanc is an early-ripening white grape that is a natural cross between Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir (it shares parentage with Chardonnay). Auxerrois Blanc thrives in cool-climate regions such as Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg, and Germany. Small plantings exist in England, Canada, and parts of the United States such as Oregon and Michigan. It produces medium-bodied w**es with gentle acidity, supple texture, and aromatic notes.

The Humbrechts have been grape growers in Gueberschwihr since about 1620. On the Zind side, Emile Zind started bottling and selling his own w**e from Wintzenheim in 1947 instead of selling to négociants, the family’s traditional niche in the Alsatian w**e world. When Léonard Humbrecht married Geneviève Zind, they combined two small family estates into Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. They built a new cellar and founded the w**ery we know today in 1959. The estate started with about 12 acres in the early 1960s. From the 1970s through 1987, Léonard bought steep hillside sites others were abandoning. He also helped create the Alsace Grand Cru system.

The estate says Léonard was the first grower in Alsace to put temperature control in large oak casks in 1981 and to press whole bunches in 1986. In a generational handover in 1989, Olivier—who qualified as a Master of W**e that year—took over with his wife, Margaret. The w**ery moved to a new facility in 1992. They also stopped fining and chaptalization in 1992-1993. They began Ecocert organic certification and biodynamic by Biodyvin in 1998. Olivier became president of Biodyvin in 2002. Today’s operation includes almost 104 acres, including six Grand Cru sites. Beginning in 2023—this vintage—the next generation started to assume greater control. This was the first year to include fruit from just below Clos Windsbuhl, on limestone covered by a thin layer of sandstone, a combination that delivers smoke and minerality. The rest comes from Herrenweg de Turckheim gravels. Pierre-Emile is named as the w**emaker for this vintage.

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France 2023: Pale yellow-gold color; peach, pear, apple, mandarin orange, lemon zest, touch of salinity-minerality and almonds, white flowers on the nose and palate.

Dry (less than 0.5 g/L RS); no tannins; excellent acidity without being sharp (3.3 pH; 4.8 g/L TA). Medium body; pleasant, velvety mouthfeel. Impressive finish where the salinity and almonds appear. Unusually rich and complex for a basic Pinot Blanc. Blend of 50% Auxerrois, 50% Pinot Blanc, all certified biodynamic. Indigenous yeast fermentation, extended time on the lees with limited bâtonnage. 12% ABV

Pairing—Quiche Lorraine, classic regional pairing; choucroute garnie (sauerkraut with sausages and pork); trout meunière, pan-seared walleye, pike, or other flaky white freshwater fish; steamed mussels with leeks and herbs, seared scallops, grilled shrimp, crab cakes; roast chicken with tarragon and mushrooms; Wiener schnitzel; pork tenderloin with apples; white asparagus with sauce mousseline; mushroom and fontina risotto; potato rösti with crème fraîche; mushroom ravioli. Cheese—Young Munster, Comté (aged 6-12 months), Morbier, Brie, Camembert, Gruyère, young Gouda.

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht website https://www.zindhumbrecht.fr/en/

Photos: Domaine Zind-Humbrecht; Domaine Zind-Humbrecht village and vineyard; Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Heimbourg of Turckheim vineyard; Domaine Zind-Clos Jebsal vineyard; Domaine Zind-Clos Rotenberg of Wintzenheim vineyard; Domaine Zind-Humbrecht working soil; Domaine Zind-Humbrecht region

10/08/2026

I am reading a book about sandpaper.
It is a work of friction.
W**e time.

10/08/2026

Sequoia Grove Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2023 is a well-made Napa Chardonnay that deploys restrained oak and full malolactic conversion to deliver a polished pour that avoids the sharp edges of an unoaked Chard and the excessive melodrama of too much wood and butter some Napa makers produced in the past. $38-40

Around half the grapes were sourced from Haire Vineyards in Carneros. Vines are about 30-year-old Wente and Robert Young clones, hand-picked in the cool morning hours. The remaining fruit came from the southern Napa Valley. Production in 2023 was a drought-breaking “w**emaker’s vintage” and one of the coolest growing seasons in decades. There were no pesky heat spikes during harvest. W**emaker Jesse Fox says it was the coolest vintage Napa has seen in 30 years.

This w**e reflects the cool vintage with its good acidity and salinity/minerality. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented with native yeast. The w**e aged 11 months sur lie in 33% new French oak with twice-monthly bâtonnage. There was 100% malolactic conversion, so the w**e has richness and butter, but not the gratuitous excess of the late 20th century. The w**e won Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show at the 2026 Rodeo Uncorked! International W**e Competition and sold at auction for a Rodeo record $285,000 in the Reserve Grand Champion category. A nice effort by Fox and Sequoia Grove.

Jim and Barbara Allen purchased the vineyard in 1978. The 24-acre property originally was part of the 1836 Rancho Caymus land grant. W**e production began inside a renovated, old barn surrounded by coastal sequoias (coast redwood) planted in the early 1900s. Jim’s brother, Steve, joined the team in 1979 and served as the longtime vineyard manager. Sequoia Grove is certified Napa Green.

The Kopf family, owners of Kobrand Corporation (Kobrand W**e & Spirits), initially served as Sequoia Grove’s national sales and marketing partner an gained an equity stake beginning in 1985. Three Kopf sisters purchased the w**ery outright in 2002, when Jim Allen retired. Sequoia Grove operates under the Kopf family’s w**ery production portfolio—French American Vintners—that includes St. Francis W**ery & Vineyards in Sonoma County, a partnership with Taittinger in Domaine Carneros, and Maison Louis Jadot in Burgundy.

Sequoia Grove Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2023: Pale gold-straw color; white peach, poached apple, pear, lemon-lime, pineapple, hint of vanilla, almonds, subtle saline/minerality on the nose and palate.

Dry; no significant tannins; enough acidity to work nicely with food. Rich fruit, malolactic conversion, and the oak regimen give this an illusion of sweetness, although it certainly is dry from a residual sugar (RS) perspective. Medium-plus body. Creamy. Although built on a classic Napa Chardonnay template—vivid fruit, malo conversion, time in oak—this deftly avoids butter-bomb excesses thanks to fresh acidity and the mineral/saline notes on the finish. 14.1% ABV

Pairing—Lobster roll, shrimp in butter sauce, crab cakes, scallops with brown butter and corn purée, halibut/sea bass with light cream or beurre blanc sauce; roast chicken, pork tenderloin with apple or stone-fruit sauces, creamy risotto; salads with creamy dressing. Cheese—Brie de Meaux is classic; Camembert, Gruyère, Comté (aged 12-18 months), young Gouda, Havarti; mild cheddar.

Sequoia Grove website https://sequoiagrove.com/

Photos: Sequoia Grove vineyard; Sequoia Grove harvest; Sequoia Grove team; Sequoia Grove trees

10/05/2026

Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

W**e time.

10/05/2026

P+S Prats & Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia, Douro, Portugal 2023 is a svelte, sophisticated, red-w**e blend fashioned by a partnership between top Portuguese and French w**emaking families. Together, they create another example of the impressive value available in Portuguese w**e beyond the country’s long domination of Porto (port w**e). $28-35

Post Scriptum de Chryseia calls upon a parade of Portuguese grapes: 50% Touriga Nacional, 25% Touriga Franca, 5% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca, and 15% other varieties. Notoriously low-yielding, Touriga Nacional often is regarded as Portugal’s prestige red grape and is used in quality red blends such as this, as well as in Porto. Because of its heat tolerance, Touriga Nacional also finds a limited way into vineyards in Bordeaux, California, and Texas as a response to warmer temperatures.

Touriga Franca has been called the Cabernet Franc of Portugal, which is why this example drinks very roughly like a Bordeaux blend. Touriga Franca formerly was known as Touriga Francesa. DNA testing indicates Touriga Nacional is a parent grape of Touriga Franca along with Marufo. Quality grapes apparently don’t fall far from the vine.

The 2023 vintage was good at Quinta de Roriz and Quinta da Perdiz, the two P+S Douro estates that supply most of the grapes for the Chryseia brand, although rain somewhat affected the last-picked grapes of the harvest. The w**e aged 12 months in 400-liter (106 gallons) French oak barrels, all previously used, so the oak influence is subtle. The w**emakers are Bruno Prats and Charles Symington, assisted by Pedro Correia and Miguel Bessa.

The brand is a joint venture of the Prats family of Bordeaux and the Symington family of Portugal. Post Scriptum de Chryseia is the second w**e of Prats & Symington’s highly acclaimed Chryseia brand (“Chryseia” means “golden” in ancient Greek). Post Scriptum (“Post scriptum” means “written after”) is made from the second selection of w**e used in the premier Chryseia bottling. The fruit comes from the same vineyards as Chryseia. Post Scriptum sells for a third to half the price of Chryseia and is designed to be enjoyed at a younger age.

The Symington family is a major force in both Porto and the Douro—the Symingtons own the Porto houses of Dow, Graham, Warre, and others. The Prats are former owners of Château Cos d’Estournel, a Second Growth estate in Bordeaux’s Médoc peninsula, directly across the Jalle du Breuil stream from Château Lafite Rothschild. Facing inheritance tax complexities, the Prats sold their interests in 1998 and applied their funds to a partnership with the Symingtons in 1999 to make non-fortified w**e. They began making Post Scriptum in 2002 to use grapes that did not achieve Chryseia’s very demanding standards. The resulting w**e still was excellent. Post Scriptum has been part of the Chryseia operation ever since.

P+S Prats & Symington Post Scriptum de Chryseia, Douro, Portugal 2023: Deep ruby-purple color; black plum, blackcurrant, black olive, chocolate, lavender, rosemary, black pepper, restrained cedar and oak spice on the nose and palate. 14% ABV

Dry (

09/28/2026

What do you call a broken can opener? A can’t opener.
W**e time.

09/28/2026

Duckhorn Vineyards North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2025 delivers the polished, richer, even creamy side of SB, thanks to a fusion of 13% Sémillon and five months on the lees (sur lie). Duckhorn has made this w**e since 1982. $28–32

Enchanting texture and flavorsome fruit are this w**e’s calling cards. The key is 13% Sémillon—a classic Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon assemblage also found in Bordeaux Blanc. Duckhorn’s effort differs from Bordeaux Blanc, which is often barrel-fermented. This is fermented and aged in 94% stainless steel and 6% new French oak. Many Bordeaux Blancs and this Duckhorn bottling spend time on the lees. Margaret River in Western Australia and w**eries in Washington State and Napa also use Sémillon as part of the blend. The Sémillon, oak, and time on the lees set it apart from the sharper style, epitomized by Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. This blend underscores Sauvignon Blanc’s versatility and signature ability to pair with a panoply of foods no matter the cellar decisions.

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976. They focused on Merlot in the beginning. Today, the seven estate vineyards are located in the Napa Valley, including the slopes of Howell Mountain, and the company produces a number of varieties in addition to the original Merlot core.

Duckhorn is undergoing change. Dan and Margaret divorced in 2000. Dan was named W**emaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005. GI Partners, a private equity firm, purchased a controlling interest in the Duckhorn W**e Company in 2007. In 2016, TSG Consumer Partners bought the brand and its w**eries for a price in the range of $600 million and took the company public in 2021. Even amid ownership churn, Margaret Duckhorn remained passionate about the company until her passing in 2022. Dan Duckhorn died in 2026 at age 87.

In December 2024, Butterfly Equity, a private equity firm, acquired The Duckhorn Portfolio for $1.95 billion in an all-cash transaction. The company is now engaged in a repositioning, phasing out four brands—Canvasback, Migration, Paraduxx, and Postmark—to concentrate on the seven core brands. The Duckhorn Vineyards brand represents one-third of sales, followed by Decoy (21%), Sonoma-Cutrer (15%), and Kosta Browne (13%).

Duckhorn Vineyards North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2025: Pale straw color; grapefruit, lemon meringue, pineapple, dragon fruit, beeswax, spice on the nose and palate. 14.1% ABV.

Dry; polished acidity (3.45 pH, 5.6 g/L TA)—this is not a tongue slasher. Medium body, richer and rounder than more severe SBs. Blend of 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Sémillon. The Sémillon and aging on the lees for five months impart their softening influence. That is what establishes this Duckhorn pour’s identity. This is not a New Zealand acidity assault—instead, think white Bordeaux caress. Duckhorn prefers you think North Coast.

Pairing—Sole meunière; seared sea scallops with lemon-herb butter; grilled white fish; oysters/shellfish; roast chicken with tarragon cream; pan-roasted chicken breast with capers and lemon; English peas and pistachios with burrata; asparagus and spring pea risotto; pasta primavera with fresh basil. Cheese—Goat’s milk cheese is classic: aged Crottin de Chavignol, Humboldt Fog, fresh chèvre rolled in herbs; semi-firm and Alpine-style cheeses; young Gruyère, Comté; Manchego; double-crème Brie; Camembert; burrata, fresh mozzarella, Havarti. Avoid hard, aged cheddars and heavy blue cheeses.

Duckhorn Vineyards website https://www.duckhorn.com/

Photos: Duckhorn W**ery and vineyard; Duckhorn w**emaker Renée Ary; Duckhorn Vineyards Estate House tasting facility; Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain vineyard; Harvest at Duckhorn in late 1970s; Dan and Margaret Duckhorn

09/24/2026

The kid who used to bully me at school still takes my lunch money.

He makes great Subway sandwiches, though.

W**e time.

09/24/2026

Stoller Family Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2024 is a superb expression of Oregon fruit made in a white Burgundian style with emphasis on purity and depth. It is not Chardonnay slathered with oak and butter. Instead, the palate progression is an inviting parade of complexity, reflecting time spent on the lees. $45-50

Bill Stoller (1951-2025) founded and led The Stoller W**e Group, and served as vice-chairman and CEO of several successful employment-service companies. He began Stoller Family Estate in 1993 on what had been a turkey farm run by his father and his uncle. At the same time, Stoller also took partial ownership in Oregon’s Chehalem W**ery (eventually gaining full control). The turkey farm was one of Oregon’s largest, with nearly 700,000 free-range turkeys at its peak. After closing the turkey operation, Bill Stoller planted grapes in 1995 and made the first vintage of Stoller w**es in 2001. Stoller’s early vintages were made in the Chehalem w**ery.

Stoller opened its own w**emaking facility in 2006 as one of Oregon’s first gravity-flow operations with solar power. Its commitment to sustainability earned it recognition as the world’s first LEED Gold-certified w**ery. Stoller brands now include Stoller Family Estate, Chehalem, Chemistry, Elouan, Stoller Swing, Canned Oregon, and History.

The 2024 vintage was a time of transition at Stoller. Melissa Burr joined Stoller in 2003 and was head w**emaker, then VP of w**emaking (2018-2023). She became “Founding W**emaker” and public face of the company in 2024. She is responsible for trade and consumer relations and house-style stewardship. Ben Howe, who joined Stoller in 2015, became VP of w**emaking and took over day-to-day production with this vintage. Stoller basically doubled its annual production to 300,000 cases in 2025 when it acquired Elouan from Joe Wagner’s Copper Cane W**es.

The Dundee Hills are located southwest of Portland, west and northwest of the Willamette River. Stoller has the largest contiguous vineyard in the Dundee Hills, and the fruit for their Stoller Family Estate w**es are 100% estate-grown. Lovely country, ecologically responsible w**emaking, Stoller is a dependable, easy choice for quality across their range of bottlings.

Stoller Family Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2024: Light gold color; Meyer lemon, lime, pear, melon, Granny Smith apple, honeysuckle, white flowers, oak, wet-stone minerality on the nose and palate.

Dry; bright acidity (3.14 pH). The production statistics I cite in this review are projections from the 2023 Reserve numbers because Stoller has not published the 2024 Reserve details as of this writing; however, Stoller programs tend to be consistent year after year. Light-medium texture with impressive complexity. Some restrained malolactic conversion. Think Burgundy, not the Central Valley of California. Sleek with compelling depth in the mid-palate, followed by an extended finish. Made with a variety of Chardonnay clones (76, 95, 96, 548) planted in the mid-1990s on Jory volcanic soils. Fermented in French oak barrels of varying sizes, 25% new. Aged in barrel on the lees for 11 months, then another five months in stainless steel to refine and integrate the texture. 12.8% ABV

Pairing—Pan-seared sea scallops in lemon-chive brown butter; Dungeness crab cakes with Meyer lemon aioli; grilled shrimp; salmon, halibut; shellfish risotto; herb-roasted chicken with thyme and roasted shallots; roasted wild mushrooms over creamy polenta; roasted pork tenderloin. Cheese—Buttery, semi-hard Alpine-style, Comté, young Gruyère; Brie de Meaux, Camembert, Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam; fresh chèvre. Avoid salty or strong-flavored cheeses.

Stoller Family Estate website https://www.stollerfamilyestate.com/

Stoller W**e Group website https://stollerw**egroup.com

Photos with credits: Stoller w**ery and tasting room (Mike Haverkate); Stoller w**emakers Melissa Burr, Ben Howe; Stoller vineyard from tasting room (Mike Haverkate); Stoller tasting room and solar panels (Mike Haverkate); Bill Stoller (Andrea Johnson)

Gus Clemens on Wine

10/10/2026

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