For the second consecutive year, Ron Yates has been awarded with a prestigious Double Gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC). This year the 2017 Ron Yates Friesen Red Blend was awarded a Double Gold, and the winery was recognized with a total of nine medals for its wines including a Gold medal for the 2017 Ron Yates Lost Draw Vineyards Tempranillo.
Scoring an impressive 95 points, the 2017 Ron Yates Friesen Vineyards is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot grapes all grown in the Texas High Plains American Viticultural Area, and aged for 18 months in 40% new French oak barrels. The Friesen blend brings the best bright cherry, plum, and black tea flavors from Tempranillo, combined with lush blackberry and boysenberry and flavors layered with herbs, cocoa, and white pepper from the Cabernet and Merlot, for an expressive, elegant and complex wine. The silky tannins and vibrant acidity ensure that this is an age-worthy wine.
“Many people think that Bordeaux varieties don’t grow well in Texas, and I was in that camp until recently,” says Ron Yates, owner and president of Ron Yates. “I was convinced to give Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot a try after we met John Friesen and saw the quality of the grapes in his immaculate 11-acre vineyard in Loop, Texas. Last year we won a Double Gold with our 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from Friesen Vineyards, and now a Double Gold with a wine made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo. It just goes to show that the right location, climate, soils, growing techniques can produce incredible grapes that can be made into world class wine in the hands of the right winemaker, like Todd Crowell.”
In its 40th year, the San Francisco International Wine Competition is one of the world’s longest-running international wine competitions and is easily one of the most influential competitions in the world. The SFIWC is one of the largest international wine competitions in the United States with more than 3,000 wines from 31 countries from around the world evaluated by a panel of established wine-industry experts. These distinguished and discerning judges select medal winners through a rigorous judging process held over two and half weeks. The wines are evaluated by multiple panels of judges in precise blind tastings. The three-judge panel tasting a particular set of wines must come to a consensus on each wine tasted for a wine to receive a medal. For a wine to be awarded a Double Gold, it had to receive a Gold score from all three judges.
The 2017 Ron Yates Friesen Red Blend is available only at the winery for $50 per bottle. Because only a small amount of this wine was produced, customers are limited to one bottle purchase per visit, and the wine is not available for tastings. The Gold medal winning 2017 Ron Yates Lost Draw Vineyards Tempranillo will be released to Wine Club members at the November pick-up party.
About Ron Yates
Established in 2016 with a mission to create the finest wines in Texas, Ron Yates builds on the award-winning experience of its sister winery, Spicewood Vineyards. The family-owned and operated winery employs a seasoned team of winemaking experts, using start-of-the-art equipment to craft Spanish, Italian, Rhone-style wines with estate-grown and sourced grapes. Ron Yates Winery is located in Hye, Texas in the center of the Texas wine country. Connect with Ron Yates on Facebook, Instagram, and our website.
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