Behind the Cork™ - Levendi Sweetwater Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Levendi Sweetwater Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)

According to Lavendi Winery, “The Mediterranean cultures know how to celebrate. A good meal and a good wine seem reason enough to call together the people that matter most. And that's how the Levendi legacy began—around the family table with laughter and a wish to produce something special and unique. We think that spirit is reflected throughout the vineyards, winery and within each bottle—a testament to our family and founders.”

This Sweetwater Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color with very delicate dark fruit aromas. This wine is full-bodied with rich dark fruit flavors, medium oak flavors, firm tannin and a rich finish that is long-lasting.

Levendi states “We live in the vineyards. We know our vines. We hand-harvest our grapes. And we're committed to producing intriguing wines from using primarily French oak barrels.”

This Levendi Sweetwater Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is a great find. It’s available directly from Levendi Winery and can also be found at Total Wine. At this price for a Napa Cab, it’s a super fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Levendi Winery

Ever Wonder - Are the Wines Really Difference Between Napa and Sonoma Valley?

The wines of Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are some of the best in California, the United States and the world. They are both in northern California and located right next to each other. So, you might ask “Is there really a difference between these two wine regions?” In a word, yes.

Napa is world famous for its wines and excels in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot just to name a few. Napa is the smaller of the two valleys, is typically more expensive and gets more traffic and congestion. Napa is located more inland than Sonoma so they don’t get the same cool ocean breezes. Some of the major AVAs in Napa Valley include, Oak Knoll District, Rutherford, St. Helena, Stags Leap District and Yountville.

Sonoma is certainly more expansive being nearly double the size of Napa. So, it’s more spread out, has more small and family-owned wineries and seems to have a more casual feeling. In general, you’ll find more reasonably priced wines in Sonoma. Sonoma grows so many grapes it’s hard to list them all, but they excel in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Sparkling Wines. What Sonoma has that Napa does not is the ocean. The western part of Sonoma sits right along the Pacific coast which means that they get cooler ocean breezes that help in the growing of certain grapes, such as Pinot Noir. Some of the major AVAs in Sonoma are Alexander Valley, Russian River, Dry Creek, and the Sonoma Coast.

It’s really hard to compare and contrast these two amazing wine districts and their incredible wines in a couple of paragraphs. So my advice it try them both! Cheers!

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™ - Hess Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Hess Collection Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)

This Hess Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon is from Napa Valley. It a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Sirah and 8% Malbec. It’s aged in 33% New French and American oak barrels for 20 months.

The name Lion Tamer has become their nickname for Malbec because they use this grape as a blending variety to tame powerful tannins. They say “This Cabernet Sauvignon brings all the roar of Napa Valley and when blended with a touch of Malbec, produces a big, lush wine that finishes with smooth and tamed round tannins.”

Winemaker Dave Guffy states “Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon is plush in texture with heady aromas of blackberries, black cherries and notes of freshly ground coffee. We add a touch of Malbec to the blend to develop a softness in the tannins, making this a wonderfully smooth and seamless wine. These mouthwatering tannins surround the palate, framing layered elements of bright blueberry, toasty oak and deliciously rich mocha. I find this vintage of Lion Tamer Cabernet is perfectly balanced, with well-integrated vanilla oak notes presenting on the lengthy, elegant finish.”

I found this Lion Tamer Cab to have a big, full-bodied profile with great chocolate and vanilla notes from the oak aging. The tannins were firm but not over-powering and finished smooth with lingering flavor.

This is an exceptional Cab from Napa. If you are looking for a special wine for a special occasion, this one’s for you! 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

Behind the Cork™ - Hess Napa Valley Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Hess Napa Valley “Allomi” Cabernet Sauvignon ($32)

This is a repeat to Behind the Cork ™ but one that’s well worth a ‘revisit.’

This 2017 Hess Napa Valley Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Pope Valley in the north-eastern part of Napa. It’s named in honor of the original Spanish land grant in Napa County which the native Patwin people lent their name - Rancho Locoallomia.

On the nose, this Allomi Cabernet Sauvignon yields big fruit aromas of blackberry and boysenberry along with herbal and spice notes. And on the palette, oh my, this one’s amazing! Rich dark fruit flavors of black cherry and black plum, nice tannin, chocolate and a wonderful lingering finish.

This Hess Napa Valley ‘Allomi’ Cabernet Sauvignon is hard to set down. It drinks so smooth and rich. And, at this price for a Napa Cab, it’s an excellent choice! 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 of Donna White Communications