Enchanté: A Tribute to Texas Terroir
What began as an acquaintance between two winemakers in Texas Hill Country became a collaboration between William ‘Bill’ Blackmon and Chris Brundrett; one that was based on a shared winemaking philosophy and a vision of that which the Texas wine industry is capable. In 2008, William Chris Vineyards was born in Hye, Texas. Utilising old world winemaking techniques, Chris and William sought to create a collection of wines with a genuine expression of Texas' distinctive grape-growing regions and vineyards.
Honoring the Land: A Winemaking Philosophy
Their approach is founded on the idea that great wines are not made, but grown, and so each new vintage seeks to provide a level of quality wine that represents the very best of Texas terroir. Since the beginning they have focused on low-intervention, 100% Texas-grown wines made with intention. Enchanté was the first wine that Bill and Chris ever made together, using Bordeaux varieties from the Texas Hill Country AVA that Bill had planted in a granite field in 1996.
The wine was named according to the true intention of the wine; to express the deep gratitude they have to share a piece of their our world with ours. Each year, Enchanté is an ode to Texas Hill Country terroir, and to their passion for old-world wine styles. In 2020 vintage they sourced fruit for Enchanté from a collection of small growers with vineyards planted within the Llano Uplift formation within the Texas Hill Country AVA. The ancient granite here was formed in the Precambrian era and has been eroded away to form a large dome that appears 'uplifted' to the surrounding areas.
Advocating for Authenticity: Supporting Truth in Labelling
Currently, the Llano Uplift is under petition to become its own AVA, with the support of the William Chris wine-growers. When it comes to wine, location matters. William and Chris joined with 23 of the leading wine regions of the world to support Truth in Labelling as a part of the global Wine Origins initiative; supporting global efforts to uphold the integrity of each wine-growing region and their place names. In 2021, they aided in achieving new legislation around labelling laws in the state of Texas so that wine consumers know what makes a Texas wine, truly Texan. The label on the 2020 Enchanté bottle is in celebration of this new legislation, proudly stating the Texas Hill Country AVA, and the full constituents of the assemblage.
Today in Texas, stating a county, AVA or single-vineyard on a label will means the wine is made from 100% Texas fruit. In the cellar, each wine to comes into its own with as little intervention as possible. After the fruit is harvested, de-stemmed and crushed the winemakers use the pre-industrial method of open-air fermentation. Once each wine has been barrelled to age, there is minimal handling. The wines are racked with the goal of minimum air contact over a 12–18 month period. As a result, most of these wines take on increasing complexity and depth for years to come.
