Behind the Cork™ - Vilarnau Cava

Vilarnau Cava

These two wonderful Cavas are from Vilarnau in Spain. And now, they are 100% organic!

The winery is a small, artisanal, hand crafted Cava house located outside of Barcelona that dates back to 1949. Made in the traditional méthode champenoise, the Vilarnau bottles honor their Catalan roots with wrapping that reflects the beautiful avant-­garde imagery of Antoni Gaudí.

• Vilarnau Brut Reserva NV ($14.99) This Brut Cava is made from three varietals: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel.lo. They are each made separately. The first fermentation for each varietal takes place over 30 days before being blended. The second fermentation occurs the traditional way, in the bottle, where the yeast turns the wines in to Cava with its characteristic bubbles. It is classified as a "Reserva" because it was aged for more than 15 months in the bottle.

• Vilarnau Brut Reserva Rosé NV ($15.99) This rosé Cava is produced from 85% Garnacha and 15% Pinot Noir. They are fermented separately in stainless steel tanks for 30 days. They are then blended and bottled to start the second fermentation which takes about six weeks. It then stays in contact with the yeast for at least 15 months in the bottle during the aging process which qualifies this Cava as a “Reserva.” It has delicate flavors of ripe strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. It’s smooth, creamy and refreshing. This bottle is always a strong favorite when served!

Vilarnau cavas are imported by González Byass USA and are distributed nationally, including being available on Wine.com. 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 González Byass via Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Volver Tempranillo

2018 Volver Tempranillo ($16)

Bodegas Volver creates wines in regions of Spain such as Alicante, La Mancha, Jumilla, Rueda, Valencia and soon Rías Baixas. It is differentiated by its modern approach of working with indigenous varieties.

The winery was founded in 2004 by Rafael Cañizares, enologist through studies and viticulturist through his family tradition of four generations bound to the vine and wine.

The pillars of the bodega are based on the repositioning of quality Spanish wines and recovering old indigenous vineyards which, either through low production or lack of generational succession, had been lost.

This 2018 Volver Tempranillo is from the La Mancha region and produced from 100% Tempranillo that is dry and organically farmed. The grapes are picked by hand and transported in small crates to prevent damage to the fruit. After primary fermentation, it undergoes Malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels. It is then aged for 15 months in new French oak before bottling without filtration.

This wine is medium purple in color, with dark fruit aromas and just a hint of tobacco. On the palate it is full-bodied with the characteristic flavor of dark cherry, medium tannin and moderate acidity that yields an easy, long finish.

At this price, this Volver Tempranillo is a great example of a quality wine that’s affordable and attainable. Keep on the lookout for this one! 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.

Imported by Winebow Imports

Sample Provided by Jarvis Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Vilarnau Cava

Vilarnau Cava

These two wonderful Cavas are from Vilarnau in Spain. The winery is a small, artisanal, hand crafted Cava house located outside of Barcelona that dates back to 1949. Made in the traditional méthode champenoise, the Vilarnau bottles honor their Catalan roots with wrapping that reflects the beautiful avant-­garde imagery of Antoni Gaudí.

• Vilarnau Brut Reserva NV ($14.99) This Brut Cava is made from three varietals: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel.lo. They are each made separately. The first fermentation for each varietal takes place over 30 days before being blended. The second fermentation occurs the traditional way, in the bottle, where the yeast turns the wines in to Cava with its characteristic bubbles. It is classified as a "Reserva" because it was aged for more than 15 months in the bottle.

• Vilarnau Brut Reserva Rosé NV ($15.99) This rosé Cava is produced from 85% Garnacha and 15% Pinot Noir. They are fermented separately in stainless steel tanks for 30 days. They are then blended and bottled to start the second fermentation which takes about six weeks. It then stays in contact with the yeast for at least 15 month in the bottle during the aging process which qualifies this Cava as a “Reserva.” It has delicate flavors of ripe strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. It’s smooth, creamy and refreshing. This bottle is always a strong favorite when served!

While Vilarnau Cava itself has been organic for quite some time, the organic seal has been approved for the Brut and soon the bottles in the U.S. market will showcase the organic label with the Rosé soon to follow.

Vilarnau cavas are imported by González Byass USA and are distributed nationally, including being available on Wine.com. 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 Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - LAN Rioja Reserva

2012 LAN Rioja Reserva

Recently I featured LAN Rioja Crianza as the Behind the Cork™ wine of the week. Now we step it up to the LAN Rioja Reserva.

This Rioja is from vineyards in the Rioja Alta and Alavesa subzones with an average age of vines
being more than 25 years.

This LAN Rioja is produced from 92% Tempranillo and 8% Mazuelo grapes. It is fermented in stainless steel tanks, and undergoes three weeks of maceration with frequent pumping-over to ensure a good color extraction. It is then aged for 18 months in hybrid barrels of French and American oak. LAN Reserva then remains another 20 months in the bottle to complete its rounding off.

The LAN Rioja Reserva is a medium ruby red in color with black cherry, black berry and raisin on the nose. It’s big on the front end with bright fruit flavors, jammy cherry, low acid and a hint of chocolate on the delicate finish.

Chill this LAN Rioja Reserva to 63 - 66 degrees F and enjoy with bold cheeses, grilled meats or just by the glass. 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 Stefanie Schwalb, Gregory+Vine

Behind the Cork™ - Vilarnau Brut Reserva & Brut Reserva Rosé Cava

Vilarnau Brut Reserva & Brut Reserva Rosé Cava ($14.99 each)

Cava is the sparkling wine of Spain and perfect for the holidays!

The Vilarnau Brut Reserva is made from the three base wines used to make Cava - Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. These wines are always made separately. The first fermentation takes place over 30 days followed by the blending. It then undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle.

The vilarnau Brut Reserva Rosé is made from Garnacha and Pinot Noir. These are also fermented separately, blended and undergo a second fermentation in the bottle.

Both of these delicious Cavas should be well chilled and go with most any foods. 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, Donna White Communications