2006 The California Wine Party Franc Merlot
Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s
What They Said:
Per corkd.com “Recent find at Trader Joe’s. The nose has an intriguing mix of earth, fruit and herbs (rosemary? basil?). Good tannin & some fennel. The taste has some luscious blackberry and an herby finish. Different, and I really like it. Much more interesting than the typical $5 wine.”
What I Think:
As I mentioned here this one is a winner. I backed up that sentiment again ranking the Franc Merlot #2 in my Top 10 list of Trader Joe’s Wines and even more so when I cleaned the last case off of the shelf at my local TJ’s last weekend. All that said I am a sucker for Cabernet Franc and this one is heavy in that department (70% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot and 4% Petite Sirah). Given a varietal bottling of Cabernet Franc can rarely be found for less than $10 and we have a potential steal on our hands already!
On pouring this one in the glass you find a great nose full of spice and peppers. Slightly green but in a pleasant way. You can tell it is heavy on the Cabernet Franc as the characteristics shine through. That said the fruit is a little more robust here. It is smooth up front before cherries burst through the peppery undertones. The soft tannins stay in the background and the chewy, cherry flavors linger on leading to a long dry finish. One word of caution put it away if your dessert comes with chocolate. That said buy a case for every other occasion! This is the best $5 red I’ve had at Trader Joe’s in quite some time.
Rating: Bulk Buy
How do you rate it?
(17 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
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October 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Given the timing for tonights’s debate, I’m reviewing this one today too…
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
So sad that the NYC TJ’s seems to be out of this. I didn’t get to try
November 4th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I didn’t find it that interesting - got a lot of burnt oak and vanilla both in the nose and in the mouth. Tasted like a lot of other cheap American wines I find at Trader Joe’s and elsewhere. I’ve found a lot more winners at TJ’s in the imports section.
November 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
starts smooth and ends smooth, very easy to drink. perfect for a sunday night, or is it?
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
@David Sorry to hear that…
@Ryan Been meaning to get back to you here (and on your site as well), sorry you didn’t enjoy it. I had another bottle tonight to make sure I still did. If you like Cab Franc we have the Santa Ynez Valley Winery Cabernet Franc in San Francisco which I enjoy. There is also another Cab Franc blend, Dynamic Red Table Wine. Both run $9, don’t want to lead you astray again but these might be worth a try…
@umoree00 glad you enjoyed!
December 27th, 2008 at 11:07 am
The name of this wine perfectly describes it. It was a pleasant blend, appropriate for a “party” / multi-course meals, where a non-blend/more sophisticated or expensive wine would have clashed with too many dishes to be properly enjoyed.
Thanks bundles for recommending this one. As with nearly all foods and wines, nothing will please everyone, but this one offered both above average quality without sharp contrasts (i.e. less likely to clash with the wide variety of food at our party).