Behind the Cork™ - Hess Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon

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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!

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™ - Left Coast Truffle Hill Chardonnay

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2018 Left Coast Truffle Hill Chardonnay ($24)

This Chardonnay is from Oregon’s Left Coast “Truffle Hill” vineyard that contains four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks.

This 100% Chardonnay is fermented in 80% Neutral French Oak and 20% New French before being aged for 9 months.

Left Coast winemaker Joe Wright’s tasting notes state “Palo Santo, elder flowers, white pepper and toffee, with fruitier aromas of lemon peel, peaches and pears. This age-worthy Chardonnay offers up bright acidity, ripe kiwi fruit, a nectary mid- palate and spiced poached pears.” [My Note: Palo Santo in Spanish literally means “Holy Wood”. It is part of the citrus family and has sweet notes of pine, mint and lemon.]

I found this Truffle Hill Chardonnay to be terrific. It was rich and complex with a creamy finish and lingering acidity.

This is a really good one that deserves your attention. Look for it! 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 Left Coast Estate winery


Pair Your Thanksgiving Wine with the Side Dishes, Not the Turkey

We are just days away now from the big Thanksgiving feast. And one of the most common questions is "What wine pairs best with the Thanksgiving meal?" 

As previous stated, the trick is to pair your wine with the type of sides you are serving, not the turkey itself. Typically, along with the turkey, you are going to have stuffing and mashed potatoes and cover them all in a rich gravy.  And then you throw in the yams, cranberry sauce, a couple more casseroles and the vegetables and you end up with some big, rich favors on your plate. This means that a red wine will certainly pair wonderfully with your Thanksgiving meal.

But, if you insist on a white wine, try a dry Riesling (look for 'Trocken' on the label) or a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But I say "Give a red wine a try."

Some of my favorites for Thanksgiving are:

  • Beaujolais - Light, dry and fresh with fruity flavors. And you can serve it chilled.

  • Pinot Noir - A light bodied red with flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. In the French wine section at your store, this is called a red Burgundy. And this too can be served slightly chilled.

  • Rhône Blends - Rhône wines focus on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (GSM) grapes, producing medium-bodied blends.

  • Zinfandel - This medium bodied red wine can really work with a Thanksgiving meal. It has characteristics that include plummy, jammy flavors with spicy or peppery notes.

And the timing is also perfect for trying a Beaujolais Nouveau that was just released this past Thursday.

Regardless, don't stress over the wine. Enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio

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2018 Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio ($16)

This 100% Pinot Grigio is from the Dolomiti region of Italy. Located in the far northern reaches of alpine Italy, it experiences warm Mediterranean influences as well as cool Alpine breezes.

The Lageder family firmly believes that organic and biodynamic cultivation benefits the wine, but also the whole surrounding area and have fully converted all of their estate vineyards in Alto Adige.

This 100% Pinot Grigio starts with aromas of bright tropical fruit, as you might expect. But there’s also a rich, almost buttery aroma that’s included.

On the palate, this Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio has subdued tropical flavors, some dusty minerality and a lingering acidic finish.

Once I checked out the tech sheet on this Pinot Grigio I learned that it undergoes Malolactic conversion, which would explain the buttery aroma and the softened tropical fruit flavors. But, the four months on lees and the aging in stainless steel tanks contributes to the retention of the fruit flavors and the nice acidity.

This was an unexpected treat from Terra Alpina. If you haven’t tried a Pinot Grigio, but enjoy Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, you need to try 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 Anika Crone, Jarvis Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Bela Ribera del Duero

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2017 Bela Ribera del Duero ($19)

This beautiful wine is from Ribera del Duero, located in the village of Villalba del Duero, in the province of Burgos, Spain. The 182-acre estate vineyard was planted in 2002 mostly with Tempranillo.

The three stars on the label represent the three children of the co-founder, Eusebio Real de Asua: Sofia, Aurea and Ramon. Sofia was known as Bela.

Bela is produced from 100% Tempranillo grapes manually harvested from their vineyards. Vinification is in stainless steel tanks, followed by six months in American and French new and one-year old oak barrels.

On the nose there are aromas of dark fruit, such as black cherry and plum, along with some earthly, smoky wood aromas from the barrel aging. On the palate there is black cherry, distinct acidity, light tannin and an easy finish.

This is a medium-bodied wine that can be enjoyed by itself, but is best paired with most foods. 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, Donna White Communications