Becker Vineyards Chardonnay 2013: Value-focused chard; rich, plenty of oak and buttery softness on the palate, balanced with acidity; oranges, lemon-lime; whiff of thyme or lavender herbaceousness on the nose; easy drinker, simple, full flavored if somewhat one-dimensional. Becker makes this at its beautiful winery-tasting room-shop in Stonewall; the venue is a must-visit on the Texas Wine Trail in the Hill Country. It almost certainly is made with out-of-state grapes; the “For Sale in Texas Only” on the label is the tell; in one of the quirks of our country’s ridiculous mess of wine/alcohol laws and rules, you don’t have to tell consumers the source of your grapes if you don’t sell outside your state. If this had been made with Texas-grown grapes, Becker would brag about it. Likely, this juice comes from California’s Central Valley, but that’s just informed guess. The pleasant pour is at least made in Texas (the juice got here as quick as it could). $9
