Texas White Oak Wines Earn Top Awards
Bending Branch Winery is proud to share that our Texas White Oak–aged wines have recently received an impressive lineup of awards and high scores from some of the most respected wine competitions and publications in the country.
As the first winery to use Texas White Oak as part of our wine aging program, these wines represent years of research, experimentation, and commitment to expressing true Texas terroir through innovation and sustainability.
Award Highlights
2020 Petit Verdot Reserve, Narra Vineyards, Texas High Plains
- Double Gold/Reserve Class Champion/Texas Class Champion – 2026 Houston Rodeo Uncorked!
- Platinum/97 Points/Class Champion/Texas Class Champion – 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- Double Gold/Best of Show Texas Red – 2026 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
- Gold – 2025 San Francisco Chronicle
- 98 Points – 2025 Beverage Dynamics Magazine
- 93 Points – So silky, but without sacrificing the medium-grained, impressively elegant and lengthy structure. Ripe, toasty black cherries, bruised blueberries and boysenberries extend through the amaretto-tinged finish, with fenugreek, sweet tobacco and anise. Drink or hold. – 2025 James Suckling
2020 Tannat Reserve, Tallent Vineyards, Texas Hill Country
- Gold/Reserve Class Champion/Reserve Texas Class Champion – 2026 Houston Rodeo Uncorked!
- Gold/Top of Class – 2026 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
- 98 Points – 2025 Beverage Dynamics Magazine
- 94 Points – A deep, dark nose weaves together cafe mocha, chocolate torte and Amarena cherries before a broad, grippy and long palate that gushes with blackberry liqueur, plum compote and licorice. A dusting of cinnamon and toasted coconut lingers with balance and power. Drink or hold. – 2025 James Suckling
2021 Texas Cowboy Cuvée Reserve, Newsom Vineyards, Texas High Plains
- Platinum/97 Points/Class Champion/Texas Class Champion – 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
- Double Gold – 2025 San Francisco Chronicle
- 96 Points – 2025 Beverage Dynamics Magazine
- 90 Points – Sappy, with sweet fruit on the nose and palate, this shows mixed-berry cobbler, plum compote, chocolate ganache, brown-sugar caramel, almond liqueur and coconut. An embracing, structured and generous blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petite sirah and malbec. Drink or hold. – 2025 James Suckling
About the Texas White Oak Program
The program began with years of research and experimentation, using sustainably harvested white oak from East Texas that was seasoned, toasted at varying levels, and introduced into select wines through oak chains in neutral barrels.
The goal of the project is to elevate Texas terroir’s expression in Texas wine and to explore how Texas White Oak influences structure, aroma, and flavor compared to traditional French and American oak, while maintaining a more sustainable approach to aging. The result is a lineup of wines that highlight both innovation and a distinct sense of Texas.