Becker Vineyard Iconoclast Merlot 2013: Light scarlet color; cherry, vanilla nose; black cherry, strawberry
on the palate. Simple, very smooth, easy drinker; medium-light body; dry, very reserved tannin and oak; a nice red wine for beginners; will not offend, will not wow. Label announces the wine is only for sale in Texas, which means grapes/juice likely came from California for this entry-level wine from Becker, a leading Texas winery. The Iconoclast brand honors Becker friend Tony Bell; the label is a self-portrait of the late artist. This is Becker’s supermarket, lower-shelf label, and it competes nicely with other wines—even non-Texas wines—for consistent value-for-price. Becker, located near a lavender field in Stonewall, Texas, is a Texas winery that strives to run with the big dogs—they are the largest buyer of French and American oak in Texas and produce 100,000-plus cases a year. Not bad for a San Antonio couple who started out aspiring for a Hill Country getaway in the early 1990s. $9