A Morning in Houston with Drops of Golden Dew: Dotson-Cervantes Gotas de Oro
It was 9:30 on a weekday morning when the door bell rang. I expected this as, the evening before, I received a call from Alphonse Dotson. He said that he and his wife Martha were going to be in Houston visiting his Mother. They were on the verge of releasing their first wine and wanted to stop by to visit with my wife Delia and me.
Alphonse and Martha arrived at our home in central Houston on a sunny, dew-laden morning. We leisurely sat in our living room as we tasted their new wine, the first under the Wines of Dotson-Cervantes label with the fascinating name “Gotas de Oro”. The name was a contribution by Martha which translates to “Drops of Gold” from her native Spanish.
As we relaxed and talked about friends, family and common acquaintances, I poured the wine that was well described by its name. The silky yellow liquid poured from the bottle with the color of golden drops of morning dew. The initial taste was pure tropical expression with sweet, very ripe pineapple with a follow-on of apricot and nectarine. Perfumed jasmine aromatics arose from the glass. The finish included a hint of musk. This was really one complex wine; quite an accomplishment for the couple’s first commercial release.
The mouth feel was silky soft filling every nook, cranny and crevice with pure sweet fruit nectar of Muscat Canelli. In juxtaposition, the wine finished crisp and clean which made the wine’s level of residual sweetness less apparent. The finish prompted the question….Whatelse was in the mix? To this Alphonse simply said, “Yes, the wine was a blend with another varietal from our vineyard…a ‘secret ingredient’ that brought a completely different quality to this wine that was most apparent in the finish”. The wine started sweet, but finished dry leaving my palate fresh and ready for more.
Not bad at all for a 9:30 am start to my wine day….
For more….See: The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine, a new book on the Texas wine experience by Russ Kane. More information and follow the progress to publication in Q1 2012, go to:
Fascinating story from an avid Green Bay Packer fan and a great lover of fine wine and the arts. Would love to meet Alphonse some day. And, hope some Gotas de Oro will eventually make its way to NJ!
Texas Vineyards & Beyond, the premier tasting room and Texas wine shop in Fredericksburg is pleased to announce that they have the Dotson & Cervantes Gotas de Oro Muscat Canelli, in addition to wines from over 50 Texas wineries. They are conveniently located at 329 East Main St. in the Fredericksburg historic district, across from the (Nimitz) National Museum of the Pacific War. Contact is texasvineyards@austin.rr.com or (830)990-9199
I bought my first 2 bottles the first day Gotas de Oro went on the shelves at Spec’s in downtown Houston. Six bottles later I still marvel at the quality of this Texas wine. The taste is truely euphoric, from the first drop of gold to the last. I look forward to sharing this discovery with friends during the holidays, for it is a fabulous complement to happy times.
Great story. I can not wait to get my hands on a case or two. Sounds like the perfect libation to serve at the company holiday parties.
I have known Martha and Alphonse since the mid 1980’s. Alphonse told me one afternoon that he had a dream. He told me about his Grandfather’s vines. Well, I am happy to see that Alphonse and Martha have followed “the dream” and look forward to tasting this new wine.
I look forward to tasting it! My late father-in-law spoke fondly of Alphonse…he lived just down the road @ Peters Praire Vineyard. What a wonderful story!
I recently attended a wine tasting for Ujima Magazine in Austin, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Dotson were there. I am not a big wine sipper, I was there more to support Ujima..However, since I have tasted this wine, I AM NOW a wine fan!!! I love this wine!!! I have recommended it several times to known wine drinkers!!
We were giving the opportunity to formally meet mr and mrs ALphonse Dotson at the wildseed farm in frederickburgs.we tasted hiv wine and and we both agrees that it is a very special blend. the most important thing was the meeting.that was priceless.Friends for life.
Alphonse and Martha are down-to-Earth nice people that I respect very much.
I have one of these bottles which is autographed by Dotson and Cervantes. I’d love to drink the wine but am afraid it will lose its value. I know red wine is fine for years in storage but what about white wines like this. How long can I really store it without it going bad?
Sweet muscats can age a long time in the bottle without loosing much. In some ways they gain complexity with aged characteristics of creme brulee, hazelnuts and more mixing with the aromatic fruit character of the wine. But, you must be a fan of such wines to really appreciate it. If not, drink it young, I did. Then, I kept the bottle autographed by Alphonse Dotson and his wife Martha Cervantes. The signed bottle will hold its value for a long time to come.
I was fortunate to meet Al and his wife at the Wildseed Farm. They are awesome people-very personable and down to earth. The wine is awesome also. Meeting them and their wine was one of the highlights this summer. God Bless their venture!
I have know Alphonse and Martha for years. I met them at the Wildseed Farm with Helen. they are so much fun to listen to, and watch!. I want see Martha ride through her vineyard…and teach me just how it is done!
My wife, Rosetta and I happened to meet Alfonso Dotson while at the William Chris Vineyards. Had the pleasure of sampling his Gotas de Oro during a tasting session. Enjoyed his “nectar” and bought a bottle which he autographed for my wife. We are grateful for meeting such a gentleman and wine maker. His Gotas de Oro is now on our list.
My husband, Dan and I recently had the pleasure of meeting Alfonso and his sweet wife, Martha while visiting the Salt Lick in Driftwood. We enjoyed the Muscat Canelli so much, we left the shop with a bottle. Of course, now I’m on a wild goose chase to find more.
This wine is at several stores. If you are near to a Spec’s they should have it – either with the other Texas wines or with the dessert wines. The 2010 version is now out.
See: https://vintagetexas.com/?p=5581
Russ
Puedo encontrar en algún estado de México el vino Gotas de Oro? gracias. me urge el dato
Yo no sé. Mande un correo electrónico por favor:
winesofdotsoncervantes@gmail.com
website: http://dotsoncervanteswines.com
Gracias por su interés y lectores; beba Tejas
Russ