Behind the Cork™ - Ridge Three Valleys Red Blend

2018 Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County ($30)

Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1959 when four Stanford Research Institute engineers—David Bennion, Charles Rosen, Hewitt Crane, and Howard Zeidler—purchased a mountainside property on the Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

While winemaking on the site dated back to 1885, the partners produced their first small vintage of "Estate" Cabernet in 1959 and officially re-bonded the winery for the 1962 vintage.

Ridge Three Valleys red blend is produced from 70% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 12% Carignane and 4% Mataro (a.k.a. Mourvedre).

The “Three Valleys” name comes from the fact that the grapes came from vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley.

Each lot of grapes was fermented for nine days on their skins followed by aging for 10 months in oak.

This 2018 Ridge Three Valleys red blend is medium ruby in color with aromas of dark fruit and dried herbs. On the palate, this medium-full bodied wine has rich black and red fruit flavors including black berry, black plum, raspberry and a hint of strawberry and red cherry. Although a 2018, it still had good tannin and medium acidity. It was a bit jammy with soft, smooth sweet-fruit flavor (not sweet, but invoking sweet fruit flavors).

Ridge is a dependably great winery and this 2018 Ridge Three Valleys red blend lives up to the Ridge reputation. A wonderful fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Faustino Rivero Ulecia Reserva

2019 Faustino Rivero Ulecia Reserva ($10.99)

Bodegas Faustino Rivero Ulecia is part of a five-generation winemaking family that started back in 1899.

The winery was founded in 1899 by Olegario Rivero. It operated locally for decades selling bulk wine. Then, in the 1940s, the winery, known as Bodega Rivero, was passed to the third generation: brothers Amador and Faustino Rivero. Faustino and his brother had the intuition that bottled, branded wine was the future. When the family finally purchased their first bottling machine and officially launched their signature label in the late 1960s, they named the winery in honor of Faustino. The name follows the traditional Iberian naming structure, combining paternal and maternal surnames to preserve family lineage: Faustino - The given first name of the pivotal third-generation winemaker. Rivero - The paternal family surname, and Ulecia - The maternal surname introduced into the family line.

To produce this wine, the estate relies on their "soul winemaker," Rodrigo Espinosa. Espinosa used a unique regional blend of 75% Bobal and 25% Tempranillo for this red blend. To achieve the "Reserva" status, he aged the wine for 24 months in medium-toasted French and American oak barrels, followed by bottle aging for a total of 36 months before shipping.

This Faustino Rivero Ulecia Reserva is medium ruby in color with aromas of red fruit. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has flavors of cherry, black cherry and plum. Its tannins and acidity are medium-high, but the oak aging does not add heavy flavors. While good right from the bottle, it could use 30 to 60 minutes in a decanter.

This 2019 Faustino Rivero Ulecia Reserva from Spain is a tremendous value that makes it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Mountain Cuvee

2019 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Mountain Cuvée ($18)

For six generations and over 160 years, the Bundschu family has farmed the Rhinefarm estate vineyard at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations.

Mountain Cuvée honors the Bordeaux blends of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gundlach Bundschu sources it grapes from vineyards up against the Mayacamas Mountain range.

For the Merlot, they seek grapes that ripen well and have an expressive personality and consistency. Then they look for the Cabernet Sauvignon to provide a darkness to the wine. They source the fruit from only two growers within 2 miles of their estate to create the Cuvée, or blend.

During the winemaking process, they blend vineyard blocks together, evaluate and then create an appropriate oak-aging program, averaging 14 months in duration, primarily in French oak.

This Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvée is deep purple in color with soft aromas of deep black fruit, herbal hints and a touch of caramel from the oak aging. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is rich with black fruit flavors, including plum, with coco and coffee notes from the oak. It finishes balanced, soft and smooth.

This is yet again a wine that I wish I’d picked up more than one! It’s a delicious blend that’s affordable and attainable. That make’s it a perfect fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Parallelle 45 Red Blend

2023 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle 45 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge ($15.99)

Parallèle 45 is named after the earth’s 45th parallel, a famous circle of latitude that marks the midpoint between the equator and the North Pole. It also passes over the cellars of Paul Jaboulet Aîné in France.

Founded in 1834 on the hill of l’Hermitage in Tain l’Hermitage, the Paul Jaboulet Aîné house oversees an exceptional heritage that brings together the most famous terroirs of the northern Rhone valley and produces quintessential great wines.

While Côtes-du-Rhône in France is renowned for their Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre (GSM) blend, Parallèle 45 puts their twist on this by producing their sustainably grown blend of 53% Grenache, 41% Syrah, 3% Marselan and 3% Carignan.

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle 45 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge is deep garnet in color with delicate aromas of raspberry and red cherry. On the palate, this is a medium-full bodied wine with red fruit flavors, medium tannin, medium-high acidity. It finishes light with just a hint of sweetness.

This Parallèle 45 is a delightful red blend that that can be enjoyed with light fare. It’s a great wine at a great price making it a super fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

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

Media Sample Provided by Parallèle 45 via Kobrand Wine and Spirits

Behind the Cork™ - J Dusi Model M Red Blend

2020 J Dusi Model M Red Blend ($17.99)

On a recent visit to Paso Robles, I had the pleasure of spending some time in the tasting room at J Dusi with Janell Dusi, the “J” in J Dusi and a fourth-generation winemaker in the Dusi family.

Janell was born and raised on the Dusi Vineyard where her grandfather Dante taught her the old world Italian style of winemaking. The Dusi family’s heritage and history in Paso Robles Wine Country dates back to the early 1920’s, where grape growing has been a craft that has deep roots in the Dusi family. The sustainable farming practices that were implemented by Janell’s great-grandparents ninety years ago are still the standard followed today.

This red wine blend is named for their 1939 Model M tractor that has been a workhorse for the Dusi family in Paso Robles for three generations.

This 2020 J Dusi Model M wine is a red blend with equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Syrah. It is a medium ruby red in color with wonderful aromas of red and black fruit. On the plate, this medium-full bodied wine has great fruit flavors of red and black plum, black cherry and cassis. It has balanced tannin and acidity and finishes with jammy fruit and some spiciness.

Model M red blend from J Dusi is a wonderful wine at a great price. It’s also widely available. This makes Model M the perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!