Texas Special Report: A Declaration of Wine Independence

However, that’s not necessarily true for the main white grape of Burgundy, chardonnay. Robert Clay winery, a tiny operation run by the father-son team of Dan McLaughlin and Blake McLaughlin just off the town square in Mason, Texas, makes mineral-rich, singular chardonnays in tiny quantities. A long-aged red wine from their cellar, the Robert Clay Merlot Texas Hill Country 2015, is supple, intricate and layered, sold only direct to consumer in tiny quantities.