Hi, my name is David Bradbury. I’m the Wine Director at The Rhinory, and an Advanced (Level 3) Sommelier.

Today, I want to share a behind-the-scenes look at a project that has become deeply meaningful to me—the complete reshaping of our flagship Texas red wine, The Horn.

For years, The Horn has been a Malbec-driven blend with a healthy amount of Dolcetto and a few supporting varietals. The goal was always the same: a medium-bodied red that’s cherry-forward, approachable the moment you open it, and serious without requiring years of cellaring. It was a wine crafted for the reality that most Americans buy their wine the same day they plan to drink it.

But recently, something shifted.

Dr. Bob Young (Founder, Bending Branch) and David Bradbury (Wine Director, Rhinory) working together to perfect the new blend for ‘The Horn.’

At Rhinory, we’re not just making wine—we’re caring for a rhino named Blake, who is now seven and a half years old. One day, I was talking to our Director of Rhino Operations, Chris Bobko, and she told me something that stuck with me: rhinos reshape their horns throughout their lives. They don’t do it to sharpen them, and they don’t do it as weapons—they do it almost the way we style our hair. Their horn is a part of their identity. It’s how they tell their story.

And in that moment, I thought: If Blake reshapes his horn to express who he is… maybe it’s time for me to reshape The Horn to express who we are.

That idea immediately brought me back to a challenge Craig Stevens, our owner, gave me a few years ago. He said, “David, do everything you can to make a Texas wine that could score 100 points in a major publication.”

That’s a huge goal. To my knowledge—and I’m happy to be wrong—Texas hasn’t yet produced a wine that’s reached 98, 99, or 100 points in any major publication. We’ve scored in the low 90s with Decanter, and I know other Texas wineries have hit the mid-90s, but that true, top-tier milestone hasn’t been reached.

And that made me think: Why not try? Why not us? Why not The Horn?

Together, we are crafting a wine that doesn’t just push boundaries—it redefines them.

We are incredibly proud to announce that the newly reshaped iteration of The Horn is slated for an exclusive release in our December Club Shipments. This is more than a wine; it is a testament to our evolution, our ambition, and our unwavering commitment to excellence.

If you aren’t yet on the allocation list, now is the time to join the Conservation Circle. You won’t want to miss the next chapter of this story.

Cheers to the journey ahead,

David Bradbury
Director of Wine at Rhinory