Flat Creek Estate Super Texan 2010 (photo courtesy Flat Creek Estate)

Any time you put the word “Super” in front of a name, it has to be good, right? At least that’s the approach the Italians took in the 1980s when they branded a new version of red wine that took the average Chianti, made primarily with the Sangiovese grape, to a blend of Sangiovese with other Bordeaux varietals such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for a bigger wine with a little more backbone. (Really it was a way to re-market Chianti, which was suffering in sales at the time.) These new blends quickly became branded as “Super Tuscans” and Americans went wild for them. Today, the wines still capture a fair share of both the Italian domestic and foreign markets with names like Piero Antinori’s “Tignanello” serving as one of the original kings of the red blend.

This month we celebrate the king of a Texas take on this blend, and the winery that shrewdly nabbed the rights to market this big Texas red wine. This month’s Texas Wine of the Month is the Flat Creek Estate “Super Texan,” 2010.

It’s a top pick by Jason Harrelson, chef and general manager at the Double Horn Brewing Company  in Marble Falls who loves pairing this wine with of the bold Texas-style dishes that come from his kitchen. “This wine is perfect for classic Italian dishes, wild game and steaks,” says Harrelson who helped to open the restaurant in 2011 with owner Dusty Knight and head brewer Eric Casey. “It’s full-bodied and rich with a light spice on the end and vanilla notes tickle the nose. It’s a great stepping stone for Texas

Unlike many new restaurants throughout the state, the Double Horn originally opened with a Texas-only wine list in an effort to stay authentic to its primarily locally-sourced menu. Today, you’ll find a more diverse selection with wines from around the world, but you’ll still find picks from wineries near Marble Falls including Perissos Vineyards and, of course, the Super Texan from Flat Creek Estate.

The Super Texan first made its debut with the 2003 vintage, which soared to national attention when it won a Double Gold from the heralded San Francisco International Wine Competition in 2005. The blend has been the winery’s flagship wine every since.

Jason Harrelson of Double Horn Brewing Company

Each year, the specific blend changes for this wine. In 2003, it was a blend Sangiovese and Primitivo (another term for Zinfandel). This 2010 vintage is about 75 percent Sangiovese, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Petite Syrah.

“It’s always Sangiovese-based,” says winemaker Tim Drake. “But the rest of the blend is variable from vintage to vintage. The goal is to always have a food-friendly ‘Super Tuscan’ style of wine.”

Just like the Double Horn, Drake is a newcomer to the Hill Country. Originally from Washington with winemaking experience at Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest, his first vintage with Flat Creek Estate was 2011. Among one of the top priorities for Drake when taking on the wine program was to make wine that was from Texas grapes. About 50 percent of the grapes Flat Creek uses comes from the Hill Country. The remainder primarily comes from the High Plains from growers including the Bingham Family Vineyards and Newsom Vineyards.

Drake’s first blend was the 2010 Super Texan. “I want this wine to have some subtlety and earthiness; something that evolves as you drink through the bottle and will give you something new with every taste you have. It shouldn’t be over-the-top with jammy fruit like a lot of ‘new world’ wines, but I also don’t want it to taste like barnyard like you get with some ‘old world’ wines. The 2010 has a nice smokey flavor to it with a few herbal components. You can pick up a little sage, maybe green peppercorn. It has strawberry and cherry but also some of the darker fruits like plumb and blueberry.”

The great news is, you can find this wine for about $20 at Whole Foods Market, Central Market, and Spec’s among other specialty wine stores.

Winery: Flat Creek Estate

Price: ~$20

Availability: Whole Foods Market, Central Market, Spec’s

Tagged: Double Horn Brewing Company, Flat Creek Estate, Jason Harrelson, Jessica Dupuy, Super Texan 2010, Tim Drake