Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon

2022 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, has been the Bousquet family’s inspiration since founding the winery in 1997. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Gaia (Guy-uh) was one of the primordial deities, emerging fully formed from Chaos to become the divine personification of Earth and the mother of all life. Gaia labels depict the goddess in a festive headdress of colorful fruits and flowers.

Gaia wines are crafted with French winemaking sensibility and made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4000 foot altitude.

This Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that were carefully hand selected. They were fermented with native yeast for 15 days followed by 30 days of maceration. The wine then underwent full malolactic conversion before spending 10 months in used French oak.

This Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon is deep purple in color with medium aromas of black cherry and black plum. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has flavors of black fruit along with herbal notes. There is a hint of chocolate from the oak aging. It has rich flavors and a nice finish with spicy and jammy notes. [ ABV: 14.5%, TA: 5.2 g/L, pH:3.68, RS: 1.9 g/L]

This Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Sauvignon is very tasty and quite affordable, making it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Gaia Malbec

2022 Domaine Bousquet Gaia Malbec ($25)

Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, has been the Bousquet family’s inspiration since founding the winery in 1997. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Gaia (Guy-uh) was one of the primordial deities, emerging fully formed from Chaos to become the divine personification of Earth and the mother of all life. Gaia labels depict the goddess in a festive headdress of colorful fruits and flowers.

Gaia wines are crafted with French winemaking sensibility and made from 100% organic fruit grown at a cool 4000 foot altitude.

This Gaia Malbec was produced from 100% Malbec organic grapes that underwent cold maceration for 72 hours followed by fermentation with native yeast for 12 days. It was then aged in French oak barrels (100% used) for 10 months.

Gaia Malbec is deep purple in color with aromas of blackberry and sweet tobacco. On the palate, this medium full-bodied wine has medium tannin and medium acidity with flavors of blackberry and black cherry. It finishes balanced with some spicy notes. [Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 14.5%, Total Acidity (TA): 5.232 g/L, pH: 3.69, Residual Sugar (RS): 1.94 g/L]

What better way to celebrate Earth Day 2025 on April 22nd than with Domaine Bousquet’s Gaia Malbec. It’s delicious and affordable, making it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet

Behind the Cork™ - Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso

Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso ($34.99)

According to their literature, “Like most first borns, Sandy has main character energy. She sets the standard for what boxed wine can be while knowing how to have a good time.”

This wine is perfect to drink chilled, you can open and store it in the fridge for up to a month! And, one box is equivalent to four bottles (3L) so there’s plenty to share with friends!

Vino Rosso is made from organically farmed grapes with 85% Sangiovese blended with 15% Trebbiano, a native Italian white grape.

Each wine is crafted from organically farmed Italian grapes, sourced from the sustainability-driven, family-owned Conti degli Azzoni estate in Italy’s Le Marche region.

Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso is deep purple in color with aromas of dark fruit and herbal notes. On the palate, it is medium-full bodied, with medium tannin and good acidity. It finishes light and spicy.

Although this Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso is sustainably packaged, it’s not your typical boxed wine. This is a real Italian wine that very enjoyable by the glass or with a meal. Again, don’t let the packaging fool you, this is a really good wine. And, at the equivalent of $8.75 per bottle, it’s extremely affordable! Hence, a perfect fit 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.

Media Sample Provided by Giovese Family Wines via SAVONA COMMUNICATIONS

Behind the Cork™ - Conde Valdemar Reserva

2015 Conde Valdemar Reserva ($28.99)

Valdemar Family is comprised of 334 hectares (825 acres) of family-owned vineyards spanning Bodegas Valdemar in Roija, Spain and Valdemar Estates in Walla Walla, Washington. The winemaking legacy of the Martínez Bujanda family dates back to 1889. The fifth generation siblings Ana and Jesús are currently at the helm of both estates on two continents.

For a Rioja to be called a “Reserva” means that it undergoes a minimum of three years of aging with at least one year in barrels and six months in the bottle. In this case, this Conde Valdemar Reserva spent 19 months in American oak (65%) and French oak (35%).

Produced from 85% Tempranillo, 7% Garnacha, 5% Garciano and 3% Maturana, this wine is medium-full bodied. It is a medium ruby-garnet color, showing its age. On the nose, it has muted aromas of fig, plum and cherry. On the palate, this Conde Valdemar Reserva has soft flavors of raisin, prune and fig. Its tannins are smooth, with medium-low acidity. It finishes soft, showing its 10-year age. Its a very nice Rioja Reserva!

To find ten year old wines is difficult, but to find one at this price is amazing! This 2015 Conde Valdemar Reserva is a really nice wine that’s available at a great price. That makes it a perfect fit 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.

Media Sample Provided by Valdemar Family via Ten27 Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Conde Valdemar Crianza

2019 Conde Valdemar Crianza ($19.99)

Valdemar Family is comprised of 334 hectares (825 acres) of family-owned vineyards spanning Bodegas Valdemar in Roija, Spain and Valdemar Estates in Walla Walla, Washington. The winemaking legacy of the Martínez Bujanda family dates back to 1889. The fifth generation siblings Ana and Jesús are currently at the helm of both estates on two continents.

“Crianza” is a word you may not have noticed on wine labels since it doesn’t immediately mean anything to an English speaker. But, one of its translations means ‘aging.’ And, indeed, this style of Rioja wine is required to be aged for at least one year in oak and spend one year or more in the bottle before being sold.

This Conde Valdemar Crianza is produced from 82% Tempranillo, 11% Mazuelo (aka Carignan), 4% Graciano and 3% Maturana that are grown in their vineyards in Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta.

It is deep purple in color with medium aromas of black cherry, plum and blackberry. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has flavors of black fruit, tobacco leaf and chocolate (from the oak aging). It finishes smooth and easy with some spicy notes.

Conde Valdemar Crianza is a versatile wine with a nice balance between fruitiness and oak flavors. At this price, this wine is a perfect fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review.

Media Sample Provided by Valdemar Family via Ten27 Communications