Monthly Archives: May 2009

The Wellesley Wine Press covers the Trader Joe’s Top 10 List

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The Wellesley Wine PressBob Dwyer over at the The Wellesley Wine Press was kind enough to add his perspective on my recent Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List. For those that aren’t familiar with Bob and/or the Wellesley Wine Press we are like minded in our relentless pursuit of value wines. In his own words, “I write this blog to help others enjoy wine more while spending less money”. Give him a read, especially anyone that happens to be in the Boston or Massachusetts area. A while back Bob answered the question I see Bob grappling everyday to figure out potential ways around MA’s arcane wine shipping laws. In addition to being your advocate he has a great handle on the local wine shops, who stocks what and at what price, as well as the wine events happening in the area.

He also offers much more than just local knowledge. He just provided some writeups on his recent tasting room visit to the Napa Valley. I know I plan to visit Lewelling Vineyards next time I am in the area. He also recently turned me on to an extreme deal in the Redtree Pinot Noir. An 88 point California Pinot for $8 (which I have yet to track down, drat!) is unheard of. You already may be a reader of his as he did a guest post here sometime ago answering the question Is Trader Joe’s a Good Place to Buy Wine? If not be sure to check him out. I know I find his musings both entertaining and useful. Hope you do to!

2003 Trinchero Mary’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

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2003 Trinchero Mary's Vineyard Sauvignon BlancPrice: $16.00 @ Friend/Gift

What They Said:

Per Trinchero “Ripe fruit, great acid. Year in, year out, that’s the modus operandi of Mary’s Sauvignon Blanc. The 2003 is one of our best ever from this site. The nose is all grass, dried herbs, lanolin and a hint of Vanilla; the palate is dense, concentrated and firm. Good stuff!”

What I Think:

Trinchero already held a special place in my heart as we served their 1999 Family Cabernet Sauvignon at our wedding in 2003. I was surprised to find that I have yet to review that wine as we still have a case left and open one every year on our anniversary. So when a friend brought by this Mary’s Vineyard, which is located in Napa Valley, I was excited to give it a try. Couple that with the fact that my only other experience with Sauvignon Blanc from this region has been the memorable Groth offering and we seemed well positioned for a enjoyable experience.

Shall I set the mood? On a sunny day, lunch was served on the patio. With a southwestern chicken salad on the table the cork was pulled. The nose? Somewhat typical, light citrus notes with grass and mineral undertones. On the palate? Strange, different. Some initial light white fruits on the palate. A hint of citrus on the finish. And some off putting, creamy, oak in between with no acidity to speak of. This one took some getting used to. The mouth feel and texture leaned towards chardonnay as both were heavier than expected. This was likely due to half of the wine being aged in used oak for four months. One of the side effects of this was a wet wood component that muted many of the other flavors that were present. Perhaps, being a 2003, this one was past its prime. Either way it delivered a different experience that what I thought was on tap. Was it interesting? For me, different usually is. Was it one I want to have again? Not so much. Those that know me are aware Chardonnay is not my favorite. So next time I want a Sauvignon Blanc from the US I’ll be grabbing the Geyser Peak.

Rating: Pricey

NV Albero Sparkling White

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NV Albero Sparkling WhitePrice: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Latitude Wines

What They Said:

Per RJ’s Wine Blog “Very nice bubbly for $5, that’s for sure. Nice acidity levels, but still a creamy / buttery finish, with just a touch of lemon and the right amount of crispness. The bubbles are closer to a Prosecco than a champagne, which I really like because I think you can taste the fruit and the wine more with lighter bubbles than with most champagnes. Definitely competes with a $15 – $20 bottle of champagne and much more flavor than most sub-$15 champagnes I’ve tasted. Overall, a great value at $5.”

What I Think:

Having tried both the Monastrell (Mourvedre) and Tempranillo from Albero with lukewarm results this one was on my pass list until I stumbled on RJ’s review mentioned above. On opening the first thing I notice is the lack of bubbles in the glass, as in almost none. On the nose crisp white fruit notes, apple and pears. Simple on the palate, not much flavor at all. The overall structure is yeasty and/or creamy but nothing is happening on top of it. Just a slight hint of citrus/tartness on the finish. Nothing wrong with this one, just better options available. That said, I think this one jsut doesn’t match my palate as the sentiment on this one across the blogsphere as been widely positive.  At 11.5% reminds me of the NV Espiral Vinho Verde from Portugal which checks in at 9%. I prefer that one, with its effervescent quality it reminds me more of a sparkler than a still white wine.

In need of other sparkling recommendations? The Zonin Prosecco is my pick in the more traditional flavor profile style. Another favorite is the Schloss Biebrich Sekt from Germany.

Rating: Skip It

Editor’s Note (05-Jun-2009): Per my comment below I modified this post to reflect that the general impressions of this wine across the internet have been largely positive.

2008 Caretaker Pinot Noir

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2008 Caretaker Pinot NoirPrice: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the bottle “Ruby in color the 2008 Caretaker delicate and floral with rose petal, raspberry and strawberry aromas. The palate is exuberant with sweet red berries that continue into a soft, earthy plum finish.”

What I Think:

Nary a word about this one to be found on the internet but that’s okay I knew that before I brought it home. You see, this one is a product of the Central Coast Wine Warehouse which appears to be a shared production facility. This is the same place that delivered the The California Wine Party Franc Merlot and the Pancake Cellars Big Day White. I’m still pretty certain the Central Coast Wine Warehouse is an operation/business that uses this facility to create the wine. But that is becoming less clear by the bottle… Here nor there, based on my history with the Franc Merlot I bought two bottles of this one on site. Seeing the listing of the 2008 Caretaker Pinot Noir
Pinot clones they used on the back label only reinforced my decision.

Shortly after bringing it in the house it is on the table. Opening it my first thought is really! A 2008 Pinot already? 7 months from the vine to my table. My initial inclinations proved right as this one came across disjointed and with little balance. I sensed the delicate, floral nature on the nose. But the palate couldn’t bring anything together. Not a bad wine, likely very young and needing some time. For now, no fruit and lots of acidity. No way I could recommend this over the Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot. I’ll let you know if the 2nd bottle changes my mind but thinking unlikely at this point…

Rating: Skip It

2008 Picton Bay Sauvignon Blanc

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2008 Picton Bay Sauvignon BlancPrice: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by L. Watson Inc.

What They Said:

Per the bottle “Picton, at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island is the gateway to Marlborough. Our wine is produced from world famous Marlborough vineyards. Picton Bay Sauvignon Blanc is classic Marlborough in style – vibrant, fresh and fruity.”

What I Think:

Nose of lemon, custard…almost jolly rancherish. Some candied grapefruit lingering in the background. In the mouth, tart and bracing. Some sour lemons on the palate. Tons of mineral and a lot of acidity. It doesn’t have the balance I am looking for at times coming off as overly grassy. This one isn’t bad but I know of two more New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s at Trader Joe’s that I prefer; the King Shag ($7) and the Kono ($8). Should the Kiwi style not work for you the Geyser Peak ($8) is also a winner.

Rating: Skip It (with the caveat that if you are not a fan of those Sauv Blanc’s above this one is well worth trying)

Editor’s Note (09-Jul-2009): Added a disclaimer to the rating

Trader Joe’s Wines: Top 10 List…it’s back!

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Trader Joe’s Wines: Top 10 Wine Listbetter late than never… just in time for Memorial Day… by popular demand… I know, I know. How hard can it be to write a post about ten wines. These things can snowball in your imagination when you start to think about the possibilities. I can do this, I can do that and soon you can’t do anything because there is so much to do. Wow, I just reread that. Pretty crappy way to apologize to all of you. Let’s try to make it more straightforward, sorry this has taken so long!

So, what caused this snowball effect. I wanted to make the Top 10 list a readily available on the home page. I wanted to make it available easily from the iPhone. I wanted to have pictures of all the wines and include your rankings. comments on each. Baby steps it will be. I have slightly integrated it to the home page via the clickable image on the top left, not to intuitive yet so look for improvements shortly. In addition I have made the list a standalone page which is good news. No more confusion over is this the latest or is that the latest. Bookmark it once and you can be sure you are getting the most up to date information for life. Again, baby steps. Look for further improvements shortly. Now, before we get to the main event here once again are the ground rules, all one of them. All wines listed have to have been either purchased or available in the last month. Keep in mind I am located in the San Francisco Bay area so availability (and prices) may be different than your local Trader Joe’s. Without further adieu I present the latest…the greatest…

Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List

Enjoy!

As an added bonus, should you not be inclined to Trader Joe’s wine or just prefer fishing in more than one pond after months of negotiations I’ve convinced RJ’s of RJ’s Wine Blog to start publishing the Whole Foods Top 10 Wine List. Next up is someone to take on Costco, think Bob of the The Wellesley Wine Press and I will be talking shortly…