Behind the Cork™ - Ron Rubin Wines

Ron Rubin Wines

Late in 2011, in fulfillment of a 40-year dream that began in his student days at UC Davis studying viticulture and enology in the early 1970’s, he purchased River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. Rubin was sold on the area, in the Green Valley AVA, a sub-zone of Russian River Valley, because it is cool and foggy, thanks to the Petaluma Gap, and has distinctive low-fertility and well-drained sandy loam Goldridge soils.

A vintner and self-styled “beverage guy,” Ron Rubin’s intent is to make affordable and accessible wines (a perfect fit for Behind the Cork™!), all-round “beautiful experiences” (a favorite expression of his), i.e. Sonoma wines to be consumed and enjoyed. The prospect of making high-priced, super-limited-production, hard-to-find wines is not what makes Rubin tick. For you and me, that translates into beautiful wines you can feel good about buying.

Ron Rubin Russian River Pinot Noir ($25)

Before I get started on this one, I must confess that Russian River Pinot Noir is a favorite of mine. This one is a beautiful pale ruby in color, with the classic aroma of red fruits (cherry, cranberry, raspberry). It was cold-soaked for 5-days. It was then fermented, pressed and aged in 100% French Oak barrels, 20% new, for a total of 10 months. The result is true to Russian River Pinot’s with that wonderful cherry, raspberry and cranberry flavor, easy tannins and a wonderful finish with hints of vanilla.

Pam’s Un-Oaked Chardonnay ($14)

Made for Ron Rubin’s wife, Pam, who admits she doesn’t like most Chardonnays. Per her preference, this Chardonnay is crisp, light, with a touch of sweetness and easy to enjoy. It’s golden in color with aromas of ripe apple and hints of tropical fruit. It is very smooth and light, with flavor of ripe pear.

The Ron Rubin Winery is SIP-certified (Sustainability in Practice -- the gold standard for sustainable vineyard, winery and wine certification), and Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Wine growing Alliance.

These are both very enjoyable and affordable wines. Enjoy. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Creative Palate Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Scaia Garganega / Chardonnay

2019 Scaia Garganega / Chardonnay ($14)

The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. In Veneto dialect, the word “scaia” means a chip of stone, chalk, limestone. So, their name is a tribute to their soil, where a line of unique young wines is produced.

The vineyards for this wine are located in the eastern part of the Valpolicella region, near the Soave region - both of which are in the north-eastern part of Italy.

The wine is produced from 55% Garganega (gar-gah-neh-gah) and 45% Chardonnay. Garganega is best known as the white grape variety used to make Soave and Gambellara in Italy’s Veneto region.

Post-fermentation this wine received batonnage once a week under cold stabilization until it was bottled. It was aged in stainless-steel tanks to preserve it bright fruit flavors, did not undergo Malolactic conversion and spent three months in the bottle before going to market.

This Scaia Garganega/Chardonnay is pale gold in color and has aromas of bright, fresh fruits including yellow apple, tangerine and hints of green herbs. On the palate, the bright fruit flavors of the Garganega shine brightly yet are moderated by the Chardonnay. There are flavors of lemon zest, grapefruit, pineapple and good acidity on the finish with just a touch of saline.

This wine from Scaia is a great value for a tasty wine which is the perfect fit for a Behind the Cork™ wine of week. Chill this one to 50 degrees F and enjoy! Cheers!

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Disclosure of Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Katherine Jarvis, The Jarvis Communication Team

Behind the Cork™ - Tempest Bay Chardonnay

2018 Tempest Bay Chardonnay ($7.99)

The Carneros AVA in California includes an eastern half in Napa and a western half in Sonoma. It’s known for producing high-quality wines, especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And that’s why this wine caught my eye.

This Tempest Bay Chardonnay is from the Napa side of Carneros. And it’s $7.99! So, I picked up this one up during my recent visit to Trader Joe’s. I went back the next day for a box of it!

This one seems to be a Trader Joe’s only wine. The back label states that it is “Vinted and Bottled by Tempest Bay Wines, Santa Rosa, California.” An on-line search didn’t find this winery that apparently is a label owned by another winery.

This is a rich, creamy and oaky Chardonnay. And, it also has some nice pear fruit flavor, vanilla, spices and very balanced acidity. It must have undergone a secondary Malolactic conversion to have such a rich and creamy mouth-feel.

This is a new one to Trader Joe’s. And, with Trader Joe’s wines, you never know if it’ll become a regular or if it’s a one-and-done feature. I’m hoping it become a regular but betting this one won’t be around for long. If you like a rich and oaky Chardonnay, pick this one up (or a box full!). Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Pfendler Vineyards Chardonnay

2018 Pfendler Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($45)

This 100% Chardonnay comes from Pfendler Vineyards which is located in the hillsides of Sonoma Mountain in the Sonoma Coast region.

The Petaluma Gap is sub-region of the Sonoma Coast that has its own unique terroir.

This Pfendler Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, allowed to settle overnight before being racked off the heavy lees into barrels for native fermentation on its fine lees. It then undergoes light stirring while undergoing malolactic conversion. It is aged 14 months in 50% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This winemaking process leads to this Chardonnay having unique flavors of peach compote, nectarine, green apple and lime. There also seems to be hints of straw and minerality along with just a bit of acidity on the finish.

This is a very limited production Chardonnay from Pfendler (250 cases). So, look carefully for this one and enjoy. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Anika Crone, Jarvis Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Panthera Chardonnay

2017 Hess ‘Lion Head Collection’ Panthera Chardonnay ($45)

Here’s a returning star to Behind the Cork™.

This 100% Panthera Chardonnay, from the Russian River Valley, is part of the Hess ‘Lion Head Collection’ of wines.

According to the notes, “The word Panthera is believed to be of East Asian origin, meaning ‘the yellowish animal’ or golden-yellow.” This coloring is indeed striking in this vintage of Panthera.

Hess Family wines was founded by Donald Hess in 1978. Today, Tim Persson (Donald’s son in law) and his wife Sabrina are owners of Hess Family Wine Estates and are the fifth generation of the Hess family to lead the company.

Panthera is part of a collection of wines that are not Hess branded. But it certainly represents the tradition and heritage of Hess wines.

This Panthera Chardonnay has a great balance of pear with hints of pineapple along with some acidity and is rounded out with light oak. The oak comes from 15 months of aging in 35% new French oak.

If you are looking for an elegant Russian River Chardonnay to enjoy with your holiday meals, look no further. This one’s really nice. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications