Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2014 Godelia Mencia ($19)

In a recent Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week I reviewed Godelia's White blend of Godello & Doña Blanco. I had to admit that I needed to do some research on these grape varieties. Here again, I need to do some homework.

The Mencia (men-thee-ah) grape is native to the northwest of Spain, with probably origins in Portugal. While in the past it has been only associated with table wines, the Mencia grape is becoming more widely known as a varietal.

The Godelia Mencia is cold-soaked and then begins to ferment as the tanks warm. The wine continues to soak on the skins for another six day. It spends 12 months on 90% French oak and 10% American oak, one-third of it being new oak.

This wine is very light on the nose, but exhibits good acidity and tannin, medium-bodied flavors of sour cherry and black licorice and finishes with a bit of characteristic acidity.

This was another fascinating introduction to a grape varietal. Godelia Mencia is definitely worth checking out. As a medium-bodied wine it pairs well with meat and cheese platters, a bold Spaghetti sauce or a nice grilled steak.

If you aren't familiar with Mencia, I strongly suggest given this one from Godelia a try! Cheers!

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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 Godelia Godello-Doña Blanca White Blend ($17)

I must admit, I had to do a little research on this one. The Godello and Doña Blanca grapes were ones that I wasn't familiar with, but am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn something new.

The Godello grape is grown in both Spain and Portugal. And, it's one that was on its way to extinction in the 1970s. But efforts were made to rescue this grape that now has a solid foot-hold in Galicia. These grapes produce intensely bright, acidic wines with citrus flavors and noticeable minerality. This leads to a long finish, ending with hints of saline. 

To counter the bold Godello, the Doña Blanca grape, also from Spain and Portugal, is often used. This grape is aromatic, but light and delicate. In the past, it was used to produce white port, but now seems to be most often blended with other grapes, as is done with this wine.

This Godelia Godello-Doña Blanca white blend is produced from hand-picked grapes that are chilled for 24-48 hours to 23 degrees F. This process causes the grapes to split and begin maceration on the skins. The grapes are then pressed while simi-frozen and fermented in stainless steel tanks, thus preserving their bright fruit flavors.

This white blend was a real pleasant surprise. Not only did I get to learn about a couple of grape varieties, but I got to enjoy a really nice, bright and flavorful wine.  If you are able to find this one,  pick it up! This was a real eye-opener for me and one that I'd go back to often!

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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 Hess Select Monterey County Chardonnay ($9)

Several wines from the Hess Collection of wines have been featured in my reviews, and this Chardonnay from Monterey County shows the consistency of their wines.  With just a bit of a chill on this one, it exhibits wonderful flavors of baked apple with just a hint of citrus flavors of lemon and lime.

This 100% Chardonnay saw just 25% new French oak that contributes to the baked apple flavor while the remaining 75% was kept in stainless steel to protect those tropical fruit and citrus flavors.

At just 0.2 gms Residual Sugar, this is a dry wine that lets its fruit shine though.

As always in the Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week features, this is a really nice wine at a great value that you should be able to find in your favorite wine store.  A good one!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Cloudline Pinot Noir ($15)

Oregon's Willamette has become quite well known for its Pinot Noir and this one from Cloudline is a fine example.

The Cloudline wine was created in 2002 by Dreyfus Ashby who have been

This Pinot is part of the Droughin Family wines

Cloudline Cellars, created in 2002, represents a first for Dreyfus, Ashby who have been purveyor so fine wine and spirits since 1946 — their own wine.

Given their love for Pinot Noir and their long history developing  Domaine Drouhin Oregon, it’s not surprising that they choose Oregon’s Willamette Valley as the home for their own project. And, this wine is vinified by winemaker Véronique Drouhin.

This Pinot is medium-light in body, with delicate red fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry. And, at this price, it's well qualified as a Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week  for its great value.

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Josh Cellars Rosé by Joseph Carr ($10)

We're quickly coming up on Valentine's Day, and what better wine to have in your glass than a rosé.

This "Josh" rosé from Joseph Carr is a nice one. At 12.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), it's a dry wine but the bright, crisp fruit flavors and acidity give a bit of a sweet sensation on the palate with 5 g/L of residual sugar.

According to their data sheet, this rosé is a blend of 89% Barbera and 11% Muscat that provides hints of strawberries and peach while finishing with a mouthwatering citrus flavor.

So, if you're looking to raise a nice glass of pink wine for Valentine's Day, check this one out. Cheers!