At Texas-based C.L. Butaud, vintners Randy and Brooke Hester preserve the identical aim as these inside extra well-known wine areas: to create high-quality wine that proudly makes use of 100% locally-grown grapes. Now in its seventh classic, and with many awards to its identify, C.L. Butaud is proof that Texas will be thought-about wine nation.

Houston-born Randy all the time knew he needed to create wine after working within the Fantastic Wines division of a serious distributor. With spouse Brooke (former CFO of Patz & Corridor vineyard and at the moment director of finance at Garrison Brothers Distillery) he created a ten-year plan to construct a high-end Texas wine model. In 2006, the duo moved to Napa Valley the place Randy started his winemaking profession as a 36-year-old intern, studying the winemaking course of on the highest stage. Working alongside acclaimed winemakers resembling Andy Erickson, Michel Rolland, Mike Hirby, and Helen Keplinger at varied distinguished producers together with Colgin, Caldwell, Realm, and Marciano, Randy skilled each side of the wine enterprise earlier than creating his personal label of Grenache-based wines. 

C.L. Butaud Founder & Winemaker Randy Hester

After working a number of harvests in Texas whereas sustaining their label Lightning Wines, the Hesters moved again to Texas in 2017 to determine C.L. Butaud (named in homage to Randy’s nice grandfather Clet Louis Butaud, also referred to as Frenchy) the place Randy makes use of a minimalist and experimental strategy whereas backing up his inventive intuition with the empirical information of fermentation science. Whereas Randy continues to increase the portfolio every harvest with bottlings resembling Pinot Gris, Ramato, Mourvedre, a Stop & Desist mix, a Blanc de Noir, Carbonic Counoise, and Carbonic Sangiovese, the label’s high-end, flagship bottling continues to be a concentrated, wealthy, and sophisticated Tempranillo, a spread that Randy believes is ideally fitted to rising in Texas. A extra price-friendly label, Pa Pa Frenchy, presents constant desk wines accessible in white, pink, and rose´ with a label designed by famend artist DeerDana. At current, C.L. Butaud produces 13 totally different wines from seven totally different winery websites. 

C.L. Butaud’s wines have been acknowledged for his or her high quality by Texas Month-to-month, Austin Month-to-month, Decanter, Austin American-Statesman, VinePair and extra. The 2017 Tempranillo acquired a 91-point rating by Decanter and the 2019 Desert Willow Mourvedre was named one among VinePair’s Prime 50 Wines of 2021. 

The C.L. Butaud Associates & Household Wine Membership membership is without doubt one of the state’s hottest, providing unique wines and perks. The membership contains 4 shipments per 12 months (with complimentary floor transport) with the flexibility to customise wine preferences. Clients are in a position to decide on both 3, 6, or 12 bottles of present launch wines to be delivered upon launch. Membership features a complimentary glass or tasting of selection when visiting the C.L. Butaud Tasting Room in Austin, 20% off flights for every further visitor, invites to unique occasions and membership pick-up events, and entry to library wines which might be in any other case offered out to most of the people. 

Randy and Brooke Hester

C.L. Butaud sells on to customers via its web site and is distributed via Republic Nationwide Distributing Firm throughout Texas. All places that carry C.L. Butaud wine will be discovered on the web site below “Discover CLB.”

Photographs courtesy of C.L. Butaud