Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2017 Ventisquero Grey [Glacier] GCM Red Blend ($20)

This wonderful blend from Ventisquero comes from the La Roblería vineyard in the Apalta area of the Colchagua Valley.

It is a blend of 62% Garnacha, 19% Cariñena (Carignan) and 19% Mataro (Mouvedre or Monastrell). All three varieties are grown in the same plot with varying harvest times. The grapes undergo pre-fermentation for three to five days before a slow and gentle fermentation at cool temperatures and received regular pump-overs each day. The post-fermentation maceration lasted one to two weeks to ensure balanced tannins. Finally, the wine was aged in neutral French oak for six months.

The Garnacha yields bright cherry and raspberry flavors while the Cariñena and Mataro add acidity, color and complexity. Along with hints of black pepper, this wine also has nice cassis and plum flavors. This is still a young wine that exhibits firm tannin that smooths out with decanting.

There’s a lot of wonderful flavors and textures going on in this blend that should continue to develop with aging. Ventisquero is name to look for and this GCM blend is well worth a try. Another great value worthy of being featured as a Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week. 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 of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Ferzo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($26)

This Montepulciano is from the southern Abruzzo region of Italy. It’s just being introduced to the U.S. and worth looking for.

The name, Ferzo, refers to patches of fabric that are stitched together to create a sail. And, that’s exactly what’s going on as this is a union of the finest viticultural ‘patches’ of southern Abruzzo.

The grapes are hand harvested from 20-year old vines and then spend 14 - 16 days fermenting in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Gentle extraction methods such as frequent pump-overs ensure rich color and allow for the development of gentle tannin.

This Montepulciano is delicate in flavor with great sour cherry and bright acidity. It’s a really nice wine and a great value. Another great wine that fits the Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week criteria of affordability and attainability. Look for this one. You’ll enjoy it! 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 of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2017 Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin La Cantera Garnacha ($12)

This Garnacha is from the DO Navarra region of northern Spain that is known for its beauty and diverse terroir.

It is sourced from 70 year-old vines on the estate’s “La Cantera” vineyard, meaning ‘The Quarry.’ It’s appropriately named as the vineyard sits at 1500 feet in a vineyard of poor rocky soil. But, these old vine’s roots run deep and seem to thrive in this terrain.

This Garnacha is hand-picked, fermented in stainless steel and aged for six months in second-year French oak.

This wine even has 15% Cabernet Sauvignon to give this fruity, bright Garnacha some extra depth and structure.

This one’s young and bright. It’s light red in color and full of red and black fruit flavors with amazing acidity.

And, once again, this “Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week” is a great value. Enjoy. 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 Rebekah Polster, Navarra Media Consultant, President 401 West Communications.

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2017 Citra Montepulciano D’Abruzzo ($10)

This wine is 100% Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks with a long maceration at a controlled temperature. The must is frequently pumped over to intensify the aromatics and the color. The wine is then finished in stainless steel tanks followed by one month in the bottle.

The stainless steel tanks allow the bright fruit and crisps acidity to shine through.

The wines of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo are typically best consumed in their youth. So, simply give this one some time in a decanter and enjoy the flavors of wild berry, dried herbs, and black pepper. The big tannin and bright acidity go great with a hearty meal. 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 of Donna White Communications

Codice Citra recently inducted decorated winemaker, Ricardo Cotarella as executive enologist and partnered with LLS (Leonardo LoCascio Selections), a member of The Winebow Group as their exclusive U.S. importer (Winebow Inc., New York, NY · thewinebowgroup.com)

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 MacPhail The Flyer Pinot Noir ($50)

If you love Pinot Noir, this one is for you! It’s got wonderfully delicate flavors of red cherry and raspberry, very easy tannin and a melt in your mouth finish.

MacPhail wines are a collaboration between Tim and Sabrina Persson, 5th generation Hess Family, and well-known Winemaker Matt Courtney.

These amazing Pinot Noir grapes are from the Sangiacomo Lakeville Vineyards in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast.

Produced from the 777 and 23 clones of Pinot Noir, these hand-picked grapes are 100% de-stemmed, undergo 100% Native Fermentation and spend 11 months in 100% French oak with 30% of it being new oak. The unfined and unfiltered wine was directly bottled.

As Winemaker Matt Courtney says, this wine has “…provocative layers of black fruits - specifically dried cherries and black raspberries that are supported by beautiful acidity and silky tannins. A hint of vanilla oak sweetness shows through a lengthy and persistent finish.” I can’t agree more! As a Sonoma Pinot lover, this one’s tops! The Flyer is not to be missed. It’s super!

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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 of Donna White Communications