Behind the Cork™ - Chateau La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rose

2025 Chateau La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rosé ($22.99)


The first deed attesting to the existence of Château La Nerthe was signed on November 25, 1590, with its acquisition by the Tulle de Villefranche family. It was then a country house known as the Grange de Beauvenir.

Marquis Jean-Dominique Tulle de Villefranche (1711-1760) completed making it one of the flagship estates of the Rhône Valley in France by launching the castle's construction on the foundations of the medieval cellar. They innovated in the vineyard and the wine cellar, for example, shipping bottled wines starting in 1776.

Produced in Tavel, the heart of the Rhône Valley’s rosé production, this Côtes du Rhône rosé is crafted from 30+ year old vines of Grenache Noir/Blanc/Gris (60%), Cinsault (30%), and Syrah (10%). The grapes are handpicked and directly sorted when arriving in the cellar. Direct pressing took place in a pneumatic press over a 3 hour period. It was then fermented in temperature controlled tanks at low temperature to preserve freshness of the fruit.

This Chateau La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rosé is a medium salmon in color with delicate aromas of sweet fruit, strawberries and candied cherry. On the palate, this rosé is light-bodied with the delicate flavor of strawberry. The acidity is balanced yet yields a refreshing rosé that has finishes clean and crisp.

Springtime means rosé season is officially in bloom! So, give this Chateau La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Rosé a try. It’s a great wine at a very affordable price. That make it the 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.

Media Sample Provided by Chateau La Nerthe via Kobrand Wine and Spirits

Behind the Cork™ - Montes Cherub Rose Wine

2025 Montes Cherub Rosé ($16.99)

The sun is finally shining, and there’s a hint of spring in the air. The season brings a fresh, vibrant energy that makes the world feel alive again. With warmer breezes, longer days thanks to daylight saving time, and the first flowers beginning to bloom, it’s the perfect moment to welcome a bright new season.

Springtime means rosé season is officially in bloom. Who doesn’t want a fresh, fruity, and crisp glass of rosé while soaking in the sun on a patio? Pink wine is truly springtime in a glass. It is also a perfect complement to leisurely brunch celebrations and holidays like Mother’s Day.

Pacific-cooled Syrah (85%) and Grenache (15%) from Montes’ coastal Marchigüe estate in the Colchagua Valley (Chile) come together in this refreshing rosé.

Montes Cherub is a beautiful medium salmon color with delicate aromas of strawberry and candied cherry. On the palate, this light-bodied rosé has really nice red fruit flavors of raspberry and cherry. The acidity is just right, resulting in a light, refreshing and easy to drink wine. Perfect for Springtime.

Yet another great wine that’s affordably priced. 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. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Montes Winery via Kobrand Wine and Spirits

Behind the Cork™ - Easton Zinfandel

2016 Easton Zinfandel ($18)

Easton Wines was founded in the late 80s by husband and wife team Bill Easton and Jane O’Riordan.

Bill puts his family name, EASTON, on their non-Rhône varietal wines. The wines are crafted from varietals that have traditionally worked the best in Amador County and the Sierra Foothills.

This wine was produced from 100% Zinfandel vines grown in Amador County that are from 20-80 years old. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and was aged for 11 months in 10% new French oak barrels.

Easton’s Zinfandel style typically emphasizes acidity and spice over "jamminess." This wine has been described as having aromas of blackberry, raspberry and black pepper. Unfortunately, although this 2016 vintage bottle has been stored in a wine refrigerator in a darkened room, it showed some definite garnet color and muted fruit flavors - signs of premature oxidation. It seems that this bottle moved past its "secondary" stage of aging and went straight into "tertiary" phase (dried leaf, leather, earth) much faster than I expected. It should hold up for 10 to 15 years.

So, while this bottle didn’t hold up well, I still believe that Amador County produces great wines, Zinfandel and Barbera especially. So, I’ll be giving Easton Wines another try real soon. Cheers.

Behind the Cork™ - Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Mountain Cuvee

2019 Gundlach Bundschu Sonoma Mountain Cuvée ($18)

For six generations and over 160 years, the Bundschu family has farmed the Rhinefarm estate vineyard at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations.

Mountain Cuvée honors the Bordeaux blends of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gundlach Bundschu sources it grapes from vineyards up against the Mayacamas Mountain range.

For the Merlot, they seek grapes that ripen well and have an expressive personality and consistency. Then they look for the Cabernet Sauvignon to provide a darkness to the wine. They source the fruit from only two growers within 2 miles of their estate to create the Cuvée, or blend.

During the winemaking process, they blend vineyard blocks together, evaluate and then create an appropriate oak-aging program, averaging 14 months in duration, primarily in French oak.

This Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvée is deep purple in color with soft aromas of deep black fruit, herbal hints and a touch of caramel from the oak aging. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is rich with black fruit flavors, including plum, with coco and coffee notes from the oak. It finishes balanced, soft and smooth.

This is yet again a wine that I wish I’d picked up more than one! It’s a delicious blend that’s affordable and attainable. That make’s it a perfect fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Paso D'Oro Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso D’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon ($22)

Paso D'Oro is a winery venture by the Terlato Wine Group that focuses on producing high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon from the Paso Robles region in California. The name translates to "Way of Gold," paying tribute to the golden California sunshine and the "golden path" taken by the winemaker's family.

The wines are crafted by Laura Orozco, who was appointed as the winemaker for this venture in 2022 after her successful tenure at Napa's Chimney Rock.

The grapes for this wine are from four different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Paso Robles including the Estrella District, San Juan Creek District, Geneseo District and the Highlands District. Each block has a different elevation, soil type, row direction, clone and rootstock.

Paso D’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah and 4% Alicante Bouschet. Each individual vineyard block was fermented individually using several different yeast strains. It was aged 8 months in 25% new barrels.

This wine is deep ruby in color with wonderful aromas of black fruit. On the palate, this Paso D’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon has rich dark fruit flavors as well as vanilla and caramel from the oak aging. The tannins are medium-high (decant for 30-60 minutes) and the acidity is medium. It finishes with rich dark-fruit flavors.

Paso D’Oro Cabernet Sauvignon is a terrific wine that’s attainable at a really great price. That makes it a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!