Deep ruby color; black cherry, strawberry, plum, blueberry, red-fruit aromatic on the nose and palate.
Dry; amiable tannins and acidity. Bold and fruity, but by no means obnoxious. Medium body. Smooth. Gains a little attitude late in the mid-palate and extended finish, but the supple tannins are at play there, too, so this is an enjoyable start-to-finish experience. Not exactly fruity delicious, but will work as a solo sipper. This is more red GSM blend correct, which means it is ideally paired with food, where it will complement a fair range of fare. Blend of 57% grenache, 29% shiraz, 14% mourvèdre. 13.5% ABV
Stone House Vineyards is a Texas-based winery that has an Australian company in the Barossa Valley of Australia. Triumvirate is made with grapes grown in Australia, then produced in Australia and shipped bottled to Texas. Distribution primarily is through their Spicewood, Texas tasting room and direct-to-consumer. Angela Moench is the co-owner and winemaker.
Angela Moench is from the Barossa Valley. For many years she organized international loan art exhibitions. That profession introduced her to the American West and to Texas. She has been making wine in Texas since 2002. In an online interview with Texas Wine Lover, she noted: “The wine and grape industry in Texas has come a long way in the years I’ve been involved and I feel a sense of privilege to be a part of it.”
Angela is the widow of Dr. Howard Moench (1936-2015), a radiation oncologist. In Texas, they focused on norton grapes because of norton’s relative tolerance of Pierce’s Disease, a plague of Texas vineyards, spread by sap-sucking insects, particularly glassy-winged sharpshooters and spittlebugs. The winery is located in Spicewood near the Colorado River, on the shores of Lake Travis northwest of Austin and southeast of Marble Falls. The winery features 2,000-pound limestone blocks—thus the brand name. The winery reflects Dr. Moench’s architectural flair; he was the leader in the design.
The couple planted a seven-acre vineyard in 1996. Success with the vineyard led to the launch of their winery in 2005. They also own Stone House Vintners in Australia, so their wine line features efforts from both locations. Dr. Moench sadly died in 2015, leaving Angela to soldier on. Their flagship wine, Enargeia, is a tribute to Angela’s late husband. The enterprise now has a wine list of 23 wines made with grapes from Texas, Australia, and California.
Stone House Vintners Triumvirate, Barossa Valley 2018 is a very nice effort with character and drinkability. It serves especially nicely as a food wine. Smooth easy drinking Australian GSM. It comes from a Texas winery that also owns operations in Australia, native home of the owner-winemaker, Angela Moench. Interesting venture using grapes from Texas, Australia, and California. The winery base is a beautiful Texas Hill Country facility northwest of Austin. Pair with beef—ribeye, porterhouse, top sirloin; pork—baby-back ribs; lamb; pasta dishes with tomato sauce; venison. Cheese—versatile, but goat cheese is standard with grenache and grenache-based blends; emmental, colby jack, camembert, gruyere, gouda, cheddar, stilton. Will do very well with a charcuterie board. $45
