Behind the Cork™ - Puerta de Plata Red Blend

2023 Puerta de Plata ($7.99)

Puerta de Plata (i.e., Silver Door) wine is produced in Spain and bottled by Terra Cellars.

It is made from 60% Tempranillo and 40% Garnacha. A bit of on-line searching seems to indicate this wine was aged for 12 months in American and French oak.

This wine is medium ruby red in color with a nice aroma of cherry, along with herbal notes and some hints of its oak aging. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has flavors of cherry (from the Tempranillo) and blackberry (from the Garacha). It has medium tannin and medium acidity that leads to a lightly spicy and slightly jammy finish.

It’s hard to beat this Puerta de Plata wine for its nice flavor and value. This makes it a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Vilarnau Cava is Perfect for Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time for sparkling wine. And, Cava is great choice.

These two wonderful Cavas are from Vilarnau in Barcelona Spain. The name comes from the old Vilarnau castle which can be found on the banks of the river Anoia and which formed part of the Subirats castle, where the vineyards can be found today. 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 ($15.99) This Brut Cava is made from three varietals: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel.lo. Each varietal is fermented separately. The first fermentation takes place over 30 days before the wines are blended. The second fermentation occurs the traditional way, in the bottle, where the yeast turns the wines into Cava with its characteristic bubbles. On the palate, this Brut Cava has flavors of apple, lemon, and white pears along with bright acidity. It is classified as a "Reserva" because it was aged for more than 15 months in the bottle.

• Vilarnau Brut Rosé Delicat Reserva NV ($16.99) 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 where they undergo 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.” This Cava has delicate flavors of ripe strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. It’s smooth, creamy and refreshing.

Vilarnau cavas are imported by González Byass USA, distributed nationally at great prices and are this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week.

Happy Valentine’s Day and “Cheers” to raising a delicious glass of Cava!

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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™ - White Wines from Spain

2021 Pazo de Lusco Albariño ($24.99)

This Albariño is from Adega Pazos de Lusco, one of the most renowned wineries of the Rías Baixas wine growing region along the northwestern coast of Spain. The winery boasts a historic 16th century complex that was in used until 2009 featuring a chapel, barn and stables typical of rural life in the Galician history. The winery is now located in new modern facilities that are just steps away from its origin.

This wine is produced from 100% Albariño grapes with native yeasts and aged on lees.

The Pazo del Lusco Albariño is pale gold in color with aromas of lemon, grapefruit and honeydew melon. On the palate it shows bright fruit flavors, some peach, refreshing acidity and finishes with just a hint of saline.

2020 La Miranda Secastilla Garnacha Blanca (14.99)

This La Miranda Garnacha Blanc is from the Secastilla Valley in Spain. The vineyards are located in the north-eastern corner of Spain and have a “Mediterranean microclimate” suitable for growing olives, grape vines and almond trees. The vineyards are set on stony slopes 2300 feet above sea level. There, La Miranda has recovered very old vineyards of Garnacha Tinta and Garnacha Blanca, the traditional varieties of the Secastilla Valley.

This wine is produced from 100% Granacha Blanca (a white grape that is a relative of the red Grenache Noir grape). After fermentation, it was transferred to oak barrels where it remained for four months with frequent batonnage.

The La Miranda Garnacha Blanca is pale gold in color with delicate fruit aromas, along with some earthiness and straw. This one is softer on the palate, with flavors of green apple and herbs, a bit of pepper and good acidity.

Both of these Spanish white wines are from the Gonzalez Byass family of wines and great fits as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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Samples Imported and Provided by Gonzalez Byass (via Donna White Communications)

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