#1 — 2007 Trentatre Rosso
#2 — 2007 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles
#3 — 2008 Sauvignon Republic Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc
#4 — 2008 VINTJS Syrah
#5 — 2007 Now & Zen Wasabi White
#6 — 2007 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve
#7 — 2008 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere
#8 — 2006 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d Abruzzo
#9 — 2008 La Granja Tempranillo
#10 — 2007 Dr. Beckermann Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatlese
2006 Epicuro Nero d’ Avola
Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s
What They Said:
Per the bottle “Made only with the Nero d’Avola grapes, this is a great wine with a beautiful rich, bright garnered colour and full bouquet redolent of berries, cherries and spices. The flavour is clear-cut, full-bodied and elegant. Perfect with grilled red meats and game. Serve at 18 degrees Celsius.”
What I Think:
I was fired up to find out about this one via a comment from Jesse Porter. I quite enjoyed the Archero offering and had meant to try a pricier version of this varietal but never got around to it. Nevertheless I was thrilled to land this one on a recent shopping trip which I noted via twitter.
To cut to the chase, the nose smells of simple berry fruit with a hint of dustiness and a bit of spice. In the mouth a full bodied, firm structure greets you leading into a supple palate full of light, ripe red fruit. This lasts until within a fraction of the finish when a tart, astringent finale ends the taste. This one is a winner as is Epicuro, they are certainly the most consistent Italian wine label at Trader Joe’s. Feel free to buy this one along with any others offerings from this label you may find.
Rating: Buy It
For your shopping list, if they have it in CA: 2006 Albera Tempranillo Barrica. Let it air out for a while.
I just bought this one on Friday myself and enjoyed it, although not as much as the Salice Salentino — that’s my favorite Epicuro wine, hands down. I also tried the ’07 Epicuro Vermentino, curious to see if the good quality extended to whites and, sure enough, it did. Good acidity made it crisp & refreshing. :-)
Jason,
Where’s your onsite search engine? Am I missing something? I’d like to research Megan’s comments regarding the Epiucuro Vermento and the Epicuro Salice Salentino, but how do I easily and quickly find and/or navigate to onsite comments about those wines. Can you help me on this?
@oenanist Already had that one plus the Monastrell. Likely to finish and hopefully post a review tonight…
@Megan I’m always conflicted between the Salice Salentino and Aglianico. Keep find myself leaning towards the Aglianico… I’ll keep an eye out for the Vermentino. I’m loving whoever is behind this Epicuro label. Would love to thank them for introducing us all to these new varietals!
@Danny just realized search doesn’t show on the post page. I’ll have to see if I can do something about that. Search does show at the top of the right navigation on the home page. As for Megan, she has her own blog called Wine Clubbie. I checked for a Vermento review but nothing yet… As for the Salice here is a link to her comments…
Just saw this one written up in the Fearless Flyer. Here is what they had to say: “Epicuro Nero D’Avola is made with Sicilian-grown Nero D’Avola grapes. Front-loaded with ripe blackberry and sweet black berry flavors, this vibrant red has just enough tannin to give it structure and a bit of complexity.”
[...] like 2 hours. REFRESHING!! Then my sister came over with Lola and Brianna and we got to open up the Valentines Day wine that I never got to share with Matt. It was good. Hehe! I love Trader [...]