Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 The Hess Collection Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay ($22)

This week's feature is The Hess Collection's 2015 Napa Valley Chardonnay. This wonderful 100% Chardonnay features flavors of apple, white pear and a slight touch of tropical fruits and a very slight hint of oak.

The hint of oak is due to 70% of the blend seeing fermentation in Stainless Steel to retain the fresh yellow stone fruit, citrus and pear flavors. The remaining 30% of the blend gets just a light touch of oak, and only 30% of the overall blend is allowed to undergo secondary fermentation. The wine is then aged for 9 months in barrels with lees stirred weekly for 4 months.

The resulting wine is a nice balance that features the crisp fruit flavors with a bit of baked apple, vanilla and caramel.

The Hess Collection wines are family owned, sustainably farmed and dedicated to reflecting a true sense of place.

This Chardonnay is well worth the price and one that you should definitely try. It was a great pairing with pork loin, but would work well with poultry or fish.  But, for that matter, it was great all by itself.

Look for 2015 The Hess Collection Estate Chardonnay. You won't be disappointed!

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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 Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Cline Family Cellars Lodi Zinfandel ($6)

Excellent Zinfandels come from Lodi. And, at $6 for this one is a steal. Along with being a great value, this Cline Zinfandel has real nice spice and pepper notes with nice fruit that isn't jammy.

Wines at this price point can sometimes by iffy, but don't skip this one because of the low price. Pick it because it's a Zinfandel from Lodi.

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2014 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ($13)

After starting Joseph Carr Wines in 2005, Joseph went on to launch Josh Cellars in 2007. The 'Josh' label is named for his father, Joseph, who's friends called him Josh.

This Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles is bold and rich with distinctive flavors from oak ageing.  Probably could have used some time in the decanter. But, a nice everyday wine that paired well with a steak and mushrooms.

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2013 Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel ($14)

Tobin James is one of the larger producers in Paso Robles. Located on the east side of Highway 101, this winery has a salon-style tasting room and a fun atmosphere.

The Ballistic Zinfandel is one of their flagship wines. Paso Robles is known for their Zinfandel, and this is a good example. Using grapes from the noteworthy Dusi Vineyard, this Zinfandel starts with rich and jammy dark fruit flavors and finishes with classic peppery notes.

This Ballistic Zinfandel from Tobin James fits right in with the "Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week" theme of good wines at a great price. Enjoy!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2014 Manzanita Creek Cloud Buster Zinfandel ($10)

Another good one from Sonoma's Manzanita Creek. 

This Cloud Buster is labeled as a Zinfandel varietal as it should be since it is produced with at least 75% Zinfandel (80% to be precise).  But, as is typical, winemakers then blend in other grapes to get their wine just where they want it.  With this one, the winemaker threw everyone in the pool.  The blend includes 6% Merlot, 3.5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petite Sirah and the remaining 7% is comprised of Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Syrah, Barbera, Petite Verdot, Carignan and Alicante. Whew! Apparently the Zinfandel needed just a bit of help!

As usual here in the "Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week" feature, this is a nice wine from Sonoma County at a great price point.