Behind the Cork™ - McPrice Myers 'Beautiful Earth' Red Blend

2013 McPrice Myers ‘Beautiful Earth’ Red Blend ($42)

When I was looking for a good wine to accompany a recent meal, I noticed this Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre (GSM) from Paso Robles and grabbed it.

Upon pouring it, I immediately noticed that this GSM was a very deep purple color. I was expecting it to be a bit lighter, more like a medium ruby red. Then I took my first sip and again was surprised. It was full-bodied with lots of bold fruit flavors.

Once I turned the bottle around to the back label I realized why the color and taste did not match my expectations for a GSM. It turns out, this is a SGM (79% Syrah, 13% Grenache and 8% Mourvedre). Ah ha! It actually could be labeled as a Syrah!

This turned out to be a super bottle of wine! And, while it was a bit bolder than I would have paired with the meal, it was wonderful to drink. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Secastilla Granacha

2014 Secastilla Granacha ($39.99)

The vineyards in the Secastilla Valley lie in the far north-eastern part of Spain, near the border with France. This region provides a Mediterranean micro-climate for growing grapes.

Secastilla is a hidden valley which boasts hundred-year-old Garnacha vines. The name of the valley, Secastilla, refers to the seven castles (Septum Castella) which overlook the valley.

This Secastilla 100% Granacha is produced from very old Granacha vines on a stony hillside more than 2300 feet above sea level.

This Secastilla Granacha’s production included pre-fermentation maceration, lasting three day, then alcoholic fermentation was done slowly and then malolactic fermentation began spontaneously as soon as the wine was run off from the tanks. After another 10 days it was racked off again into new French oak barrels where it spent another 10 months.

This Granacha is ruby red in color with the distinct aroma of cherries. On the palette it is very delicate, low in tannin, some minerality and has nice acidity on the finish.

This Granacha, imported by González Byass USA was a real treat. It is a limited production wine but well worth looking for. 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 Rebekah Polster for González Byass

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2013 Wild Horse GSM ($12)

This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM) from Wild Horse is medium-light in body with a soft mouthfeel, candied red fruit flavors, and light tannins. When served slightly chilled, at cellar temperatures, it's a very easy-drinking wine that goes well with light fare. This is a great value for such a nice wine.

While this is a Wild Horse flagship wine, look for more wines from Wild Horse in my up-coming reviews of some of their reserve wines. They're really nice and surprisingly affordable. Cheers!

Behind the Cork ™ - Wine of the Week

2013 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles Rhône Style Blend ($6)

This Rhône style blend is a perfect fit for Behind the Cork ™ - Wine of the Week. It's affordable, it's attainable and it's a nice wine to enjoy any day of the week.  Being a Rhône blend, it is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre (GSM). It's medium-bodied with flavors of blackberries, black currants and just a hint of pepper. Being aged in a bit of oak also add to the character of this easy drinking wine.