Behind the Cork™ - Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre

2014 Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre ($40)

Vines on the Marycrest is located on 26 acres of steep hills in the Adelaida district of westside Paso Robles in California. Originally their land was an almond orchard with some old Zinfandel vines. It is now planted with Zinfandel, Tempranillo, and Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Viognier. All these do extremely well in the Paso Robles area.

The westside of Paso Robles experiences hot, summer days with cool nights due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. This large temperature difference, called a diurnal shift, along with the rocky, limestone soils is perfect for growing wine grapes.

This Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre is produced from 100% Mourvèdre grapes. On the nose you get nice aromas of cherry and plum with a bit of earthiness. On the palate you get a wonderfully smooth wine with candied cherry, raspberry, dried fig and fresh violets. It has bright acidity and an easy finish.

Check out the wines of Vines on the Marycrest on https://vinesonthemarycrest.com/ or visit them in Paso Robles. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio

2019 Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio ($12)

This Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio is from the Valle del Belice in south-western Sicily, Italy.

It is produced from 100% Pinot Grigio that is fermented for 15 days at 13-15°C. Maturation is conducted in stainless steel tanks to preserve its bright fruit flavors for two months prior to bottling.

This Barone Montalto Pinot Grigio is straw yellow in color. The bouquet is full of citrus fruits, pear and green apple. On the palate it is bright and refreshing with medium acidity that yields a long, easy finish.

This is yet another fine example of an affordable and attainable wine that’s perfect to be featured as a Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

For more information on this and other wines from Barone Montalto visit https://www.baronemontalto.wine

---

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

Sample Provided by Donna White, Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Beronia Rioja Reserva

2015 Beronia Rioja Reserva ($19.99)

Here’s yet another returning star to Behind the Cork™ - the Beronia Rioja Reserva.

As we learned in last week’s post, “Reserva” means that a Rioja wine must undergo a minimum of three years of aging with at least one year in barrels and six months in the bottle. This one from Beronia spent 19 months in French and American oak barrels and completed its aging in the bottle for a minimum of 17 months prior to be released.

Produced from 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano and 1% Mazuelo, this Beronia Rioja Reserva is deep ruby in color and has aromas of dark fruits and spices. It is easy on the palate with light tannin, good flavors of fresh dark fruits such as black cherry, balanced acidity and has a nice long finish.

This Beronia Rioja Reserva fits right in with the Behind the Cork™ theme of being an affordable and attainable wine that you will enjoy. Cheers!

---

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva

2012 LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva ($19.99)

The grapes used in the production of this Rioja Reserva come from a selection of vines of more than 30 years of age located in LAN’s Viña Lanciano estate. It is produced from 90% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano and 2% Mazuelo.

It is fermented in small stainless steel tanks with long macerations and continuous pumping-over of the must to achieve better color extraction. It then undergoes Malolactic conversion in French oak barrels sourced from the Tronçaise forests.

For a Rioja wine to be categorized as a Reserva, it must undergo a minimum of three years of aging with at least one year in barrels and six months in the bottle. This Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva spent 14 months in Tronçaise French oak barrels and eight months in Russian oak barrels from the Caucasus. That was followed by 20 months in the bottle.

This Viña Lanciano is a bright garnet color. It has aromas of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant) and vanilla. On the palate it is big on the front-end with ripe tannins, good acidity and a long finish that emphasizes the vanilla flavors from the oak aging.

This wonderful LAN Viña Lanciano Rioja Reserva is recommended with stews, smoked and spicy dishes, meat carpaccio and mature cheeses. Enjoy this one between 62 and 64º F. Cheers!

---

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

Sample Provided by Stefanie Schwalb, Gregory+Vine

Behind the Cork™ - Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel

2019 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel ($14.99)

Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most important grape variety. And this one is from the famous Wachau Valley noted for its steep terraced vineyards.

The word Federspiel in this wine’s name identifies it as one of three categories of wines from the Wachau Valley. Federspiel wines have a maximum alcohol content of 12.5% and Chaptalisation (The process of adding sugar to fermenting grapes to increase the final alcohol level) is strictly forbidden. The word Federspiel is derived from falconry which was a very popular leisure time activity among the nobility in Medieval times.

This wine is produced from 100% Grüner Veltliner grapes that are fermented in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the fresh fruit flavors of the wine.

It is a bright yellow-green in color. On the nose it has vibrant aromas of green apple, citrus and cut grass. On the palate it is light and refreshing with crisp acidity and a long finish with hints of citrus.

Chill this one to 48 degrees F and enjoy with lighter fare such as fish, seafood and poultry or with the traditional Austrian cuisine of ‘Wiener Schnitzel.’ Cheers!

---

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

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Donna White Communications