#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
2007 Trentatre Rosso
Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Santini Fine Wines
What They Said:
Per the bottle “Trentatre in Italian means: Thirty-three. We came up with this belnd of three exciting varietals quite by chance when barrel tasting “TATA” a Montepulciano is the winemaker’s cellar. Amongst the barrels of Montepulciano ageing in the wine cellars, we discovered Merlot and Cabernet which had been sitting in oak barrels for quite some time used on occasions for blending. We were of the opinion that if one was to make a wine using Montepulciano (earthy, tannic with hints of cherry) with Cabernet (rich, intense and long lasting) and then add Merlot (soft, ripe and juicy) we may have reinvented the wheel (just kidding). Blending an equal amount of these three varietals, barrel aged for six months and bada-bing you get 33! Hence the name Trentatre.”
What I Think:
Another one I’ve been drinking for a while, this was bottle three or four, but been slow to review. As mentioned above, Trentatre is Italian for “33” which represents the blend percentage for three grapes that make up this wine; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Montepulciano. This one is super Tuscan-“ish” compared to my standby Italian offerings which are bright and acidic. On the nose you get dried cherry petals and a hint of mint. The palate starts with the same cherries before delivering a coffee (grounds) component. The body is full and plush and the wine is well balanced with tannins throughout. The finish is dry, a bit chalky and shows some oak along with lasting, dusty chocolate notes. It seems to have more age to it than the “2007” listed on the bottle. Perhaps the Cab and Merlot were truly sitting around for “quite some time”. Either way, I’m sure I’ll grab another bottle or two of this one on my next Trader Joe’s run.
Rating: Buy It
@Kevin Glad you enjoyed this one. I saw a whole new end cap display in a local TJ’s (Larkspur) this weekend. Whenever a bottling disappears and comes back to the shelves I always worry that another batch (inferior in quality) was made to fulfill the larger than expected demand. I grabbed one bottle to see if that is the case but have yet to try. Hope not! Your initial indication certainly bodes well.
Jason, this wine really rocks! It’s got all the classic notes that I look for in an Italian wine. I agree with all your tasting notes. I especially like the tannins throughout.
-Armond
Thrilled to hear you like it! Always nice to hear when others agree. Thanks for sharing.
The 2008 just arrived in our store, and we
decided to do a taste test. I opened a bottle, poured and sipped, and found it thinner than I had remembered the 07 being.
Much to my chagrin I noticed that I had grabbed a bottle of ‘07 by mistake. I repeated the process with the ‘08 and was very pleasantly surprised to find it to be more full bodied and lush than the ‘07.
Will do more tests at home, but so far, I am liking the new vintage even more than the last one.