It’s a rare thing to find a winery producing purely natural wines. But to Lewis Dickson of La Cruz de Comal Wines in Startzville (near Canyon Lake), there’s really no other way to do it. Dickson, with the help of notable California winemaker Tony Coturri, uses small batch harvests of Hill Country grapes and ferments them with all natural native yeast strains to let the wine develop naturally. The result is really something special. In the next few months I’ll discuss one of Dickson’s red table wine, “En Parejas,” but today, I’m featuring a selection from June Rodil, the wine and beverage director for Congress Restaurant and 2nd Bar and Kitchen in Austin. Rodil has also managed the wine and beverage lists of the Driskill Hotel, Uchi and Uchiko. She is the 2009 winner of the Best Texas Sommelier awarded by the Texas Sommelier Conference and recently received a spot as one of the Best New Sommeliers for 2011 by Wine and Spirits magazine.

In addition to having an amazingly sensitive palate and a keen awareness for wines all over the world, Rodil is also pretty eloquent. So this month, I’m going to let her reveal her selection for Texas Wine of the Month in her own words:

JUNE RODIL: The Dickson winery is close to my heart; it was on the first wine list I ever worked with at the Driskill Grill and currently has made it’s way to the Congress menu.

Having had the pleasure to taste the Petard Blanc from vintage to vintage, I can say that it’s ever improving. This project honors the state of Texas as a young wine growing region by finding a grape that works well with it’s natural climate and gives opportunity to create a unique wine identity rather than forcing the formula of other successful wine regions. Blanc du bois, the only varietal in this wine, is a special white grape that can withstand the sometimes unbearable Texas heat and still maintain fresh, clean minerality, and high-toned citrus and stone fruits; and, in a quite charming way, makes for a great, refreshing quaffer against said heat.

I love that winery owner, Lewis Dickson, in collaboration with Tony Coturri, didn’t force (in fact nothing is forced: natural yeast, estate grown grapes, unfined/unfiltered, etc.) a commercialized international varietal like cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay that just doesn’t quite work with the seasons here. I believe the grape first came from Florida and somehow developed from the muscadine grape.

My tasting notes: medium straw color, fresh pear and stone fruits, a dollop of orange sherbrt, salty zest, a touch of fresh grass, and a clean, fresh finish.

There’s something jazzy in this wine, which is suiting considering “petard” means “firecracker” in French. Dare I say, perhaps an element of what could be Texas Terroir? There’s a fun and interesting play between forward fruit and savory tones. The slight plushness, or weightiness stands well with shellfish, bold sushi preparations, and pastas.

It’s definitely not an everyday bottle of wine. Because of it’s extremely natural sensibilities, there’s generally a good amount of sediment, so I recommend standing the bottle upright until in falls to the bottom and then decanting. Also, it’s at a higher pricing tier than what I would consider your “daily juice.”  (I guess that’s why it’s a wine of the month, no?) If you’re in the mood to eat in rather than dining out, you can find it in Austin at The Austin Wine Merchant for approximately $38.

Got a sweet tooth? Try the Apres (“after” in French) which is the dessert wine version from the same grape. It’s a close second for me as wine of the month. It tastes like pineapple-upside-down cake—delicious! (Approximately $35 retail.)

Winery: La Cruz de Comal Wines

Retail Price: ~$38

Availability: Select retail outlets and restaurants throughout the state. See winery website for a list.