Behind the Cork™ - Trivento Malbec

2021 Trivento Malbec ($11)

On April 17, wine lovers around the world will celebrate Malbec World Day, an international tribute to Argentinian Malbec. At Bodega Trivento, this day honors the rich history of Mendoza as well as looks forward to pioneering the future of sustainable winemaking.

 Trivento is the largest B Corp certified company in the Argentinian agricultural sector and Argentina’s #1 wine brand worldwide.

One of only five certified B Corp wineries in Argentina, Trivento adheres to rigorous business, social and environmental standards within its operations, supply chain and community—a triple-impact model that is a rarity and triumph for a brand operating at this scale. The winery’s commitment to the people and land of Mendoza makes it a shining example of what the region has to offer.

This Trivento wine is produced from 100% Malbec. Half of the grapes come from the Uco Valley while the other half are from Luján and Maipú, Mendoza. It spends 20 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks and 4 days of post-fermentation maceration. It then undergoes natural malolactic fermentation followed by aging for 6 months in French and American oak barrels. It is medium-purple in color with aromas of dark red fruit and plum with some herbal hints. On the palate, this full-bodied Malbec has flavors of red fruit (raspberry and cherry) along with black fruit flavor of plum and blackberry.

This Vegan-certified Trivento Reserve Malbec is perfect for celebrating Malbec World Day on April 17th and a great value that fits right in 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.

Sample Provided by Bodega Trivento via Jarvis Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Vitis Ridge Viognier

2021 Vitis Ridge Viognier ($22)

Vitis Ridge is currently owned and operated by Chris & Sharon Deckelmann.  What started as a hobby in their garage over 20 years ago has evolved into one of the North Willamette Valley's most popular wineries. Vitis Ridge is part of the Cascade Foothills Winegrowers, a consortium of wineries on the East side of the Willamette Valley.

Established in 2005, Vitis Ridge is a boutique Oregon winery producing about 3,000 cases annually. They focus on unique wines and specialty blends and are currently offering 30 varietals.

Their Estate vineyards are comprised of nearly 150 acres and include Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Muscat.  They also bring in grapes from vineyards throughout the Northwest to provide a broader range of offerings and interesting terrior differences.

This Vitis Ridge Viognier is sourced from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA in Yakima Valley Washington. It was processed entirely in stainless steel tanks. It is medium gold in color with bright citrus aromas. On the palate it has the classic “oily” mouthfeel that make it smooth tasting with flavors of apricot, peach and tangerine on its delightful finish.

Vitis Ridge keeps their prices affordable so you can open the bottle you want to drink anytime...not just for the special event. That makes this Vitis Ridge Viognier a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Next time you are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, stop in at Vitis Ridge and meet their Tasting Room Manager, Brian Everest, to check out all their great wines. Cheers!

Disclosure: This wine was purchased directly from Vitas Ridge. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Josh Cellars Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon

2020 Josh Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99)

Hearth is the newest Cabernet Sauvignon from Josh Cellars.

Joseph Carr began by selling Josh wines (Named for his Father) out of the back of his truck in 2007. In the beginning, he only made one wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, but soon thereafter began making a Josh Chardonnay for his wife, Dee. From day one, proceeds from Josh Cellars have been donated to various military, veteran, and firefighter groups. In 2021, Josh Cellars was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

This Josh Hearth is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are sourced from around the state of California. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black fruit, plum, herbal hints and chocolate. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is like drinking a cherry-chocolate (but not sweet) with wonderfully rich dark cherry flavor, blackberry and dark chocolate. Its tannin are easy as is the finish.

Josh Cellars Hearth Cabernet Sauvignon is a great value for a California Cab and a great fits as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week.

Josh Cellars Hearth is available online at Josh Cellars , as well as nationwide on Drizly, Total Wine, Minibar and more.

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

Sample Provided by Josh Cellars

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)

The Domaine Bousquet winery is a family-owned estate in the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Uco Valley (4000-plus-foot elevation) in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Their wines are made from hand-picked, certified organic estate fruit.

This Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec. It undergoes a 48-hour cold maceration followed by a 10-day fermentation using selected yeasts, and then is followed by another 10-day maceration. It then undergoes 100% malolactic conversion and is aged in contact with French oak 6-8 months.

It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black cherry, delicate herbs and a hint of earthiness. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has fruity, jammy flavors of black plum and black currant with a bit of oak on the easy finish.

This Domaine Bousquet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. And, at this price, is a great value too!

Alcohol: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.55 gm/L (pH: 3.67), Residual Sugar: 1.8 gm/L

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

Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet Winery and Creative Palate Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Reserve Chardonnay

The Domaine Bousquet winery is a family-owned estate in the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Their wines are made from hand-picked, certified organic estate fruit.

The Domaine Bousquet wines are:

Organic: The dry, low-humidity soil eliminates the need for pesticides and other chemicals to prevent disease, making organic farming easier. And, the dreaded phylloxera louse cannot survive in sandy soil!

Elegant: The harder the soil, the heavier and more powerful the wine. The lighter the soil, the more elegant the wine. The ability to produce elegant wines was so important from the start that Domaine Bousquet’s tagline is “Naturally Elegant Wines.”

Aromatic: Thanks to the sandy soil, the grapes thrive in an area with big differences between day/night temperatures, allowing the grapes to retain acidity and terpenes, those volatile compounds that result in wonderful aromas.

Complex: With riverbed and non-riverbed fruit available, the winemaker has more options, a bigger palate from which to blend.

2021 Domaine Bousquet Reserve Chardonnay ($18)
This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay that are grown by the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 4000 feet. This high altitude yields cool nights that preserves the fresh fruit flavors and acidity in the grapes. This Reserve Chardonnay was fermented in oak for 15 days and aged for 6 months in contact with oak and lees.

It’s deep gold in color with aromas of pear and baked apple. Although it’s fermented and aged in oak, the oak influence is restrained resulting in a medium-bodied Chardonnay with fruit flavors that are not too bright and not overly oaked - just right.

Total Acidity: 5.09 gm/L ; pH = 3.40, Alcohol: 14%, Residual Sugar = 1.61 gm/L; Serve at 10°C/50°F.

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

Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet Winery and Creative Palate Communications