Behind the Cork™ - González Byass Viña AB Sherry

González Byass Viña AB Sherry ($24.99)

This Sherry is from Jerez de la Frontera in south-western Spain. It is a city of long-standing wine traditions. All true Sherry fortified wine comes from the vineyards around Jerez de la Frontera and the neighboring towns of Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Together these three form the three points known as the 'Sherry Triangle.’

The Spanish Viña means vineyard and AB refers to Andrés Botaina, the original owner of the vineyard that supplied the grapes.

The Palomino grapes destined for Viña AB begin life as Tío Pepe. Following fermentation to between 11% and 12% alcohol the wine is fortified to 15.5% alcohol and then enters the Solera. The unique temperature and humidity in the Jerez cellars, the 15.5% alcohol and an empty space of 100 liters left in the cask create the perfect conditions to form a layer of yeast known as the ́flor ́ on the surface of the wine. This flor is the most important influence on the Fino wine as it protects it from the oxygen and gives it its unique aroma and character.

The wine remains for a minimum of 4 years following the traditional Solera system under the flor. After this time the wine is moved to the Viña AB Solera where it remains for another 8 years.

This Viña AB Sherry is amber in color, with nut and vanilla aromas. On the palate it’s got a big initial flavor that quickly moves to an easy finish with just a bit of saltiness and bitterness.

Serve this one well chilled with most any light fare. Cheers!

---

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 on behalf of González Byass

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!

---

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

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!

---

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™ - Two Hands Angel's Share Shiraz

2018 Two Hands Angel’s Share Shiraz ($33)

Angels' Share refers to the small amount of wine that evaporates from oak barrels during maturation. Medieval winemakers assumed that angels watched over the wines, and that they took their share.

Selected from parcels of exceptional McLaren Vale fruit, this wine is made in a true Australian style and will appeal to both angels and mortals alike.

The grapes were crushed into and fermented in five, seven and 10 ton open fermenters. During the peak of fermentation the batches received regular pump overs three times daily to extract color, flavor and tannin. The average time on skins was 16 days.

Once the parcels were dry, the fermenters were drained off and the skins pressed, with the pressings combined with the free run. After 24 hours the individual batches were racked to barrel where malolactic fermentation proceeded. The final blend was unfined and unfiltered prior to bottling.

This Two Hands Angle’s Share Shiraz is amazing! With herbal aromas of mint and pepper, there’s also some earthiness. On the palette, it’s got rich dark fruit flavors including plum, nice chocolate flavor from the oak aging, moderate tannin and a finish that just doesn’t quit.

This is another super Shiraz from Two Hands. I’m getting more of this one! Cheers!

---

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

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder? What's the Difference Between Sherry and Port Wine?

I was recently asked about the differences between Sherry and Port. And while they may at first seem similar, they are actually quite different.

Both Sherry and Port are fortified wines meaning that distilled spirits, like brandy, are added to the wine. But that’s where the similarities end. Sherry and Port come from different places, are made with different grapes and are made in different ways.

Sherry comes from the Jerez region of Spain, where the primary grape is Palomino - a white grape. Fortification takes place at the end of fermentation. Most Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product. Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry to syrupy sweet. Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Port is produced in the Douro Valley region of northern Portugal, hence the name Port. The primary grapes used in the production of Port are red grapes and include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), but more than 80 varieties are permitted. With Port, fortification takes place midway through fermentation. This kills the yeast which ends fermentation. Being that fermentation was not complete, a bunch of residual sugar, not yet consumed by the yeast, remains in the wine, making it sweet. Styles of Port can be broken down into Ruby or Tawny. Ruby Ports are younger and tend to have more syrupy sweet profiles. Tawny Ports undergo extensive barrel aging which lightens their color and imparts more nutty, caramel, and spice flavors.

So, while both Sherry and Port are fortified wines, they are quite different. Cheers!