Monthly Archives: April 2010

Getting ready for summer at Trader Joe’s

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Getting ready for summer at Trader Joe's

Last Sunday was gorgeous, 75 degrees at 5pm. Given the weather I was ready for a wine that reminded me of summer. Fortunately I had a rose chilled but quickly realized the cupboards were otherwise rather barren. Now I know summer is still a bit premature but, as you can likely guess, I don’t need much of an excuse to stock up. So that is what I did when I hit my local Trader Joe’s today. Here is what I grabbed…

    2009 Trader Joe’s Albariño Petit Reserve (3) – $5.99 – I remember hearing tales of the ’08 so when Angela let me know the ’09 was on the way I was sure to grab a bottle. When @joewinetraveler gave it the thumbs up I decided to grab a few extras straight away.
    2009 Trader Joe’s Viognier Petit Reserve – $5.99 – Another case where I missed out last year and Angela let me know it was on the way. It’ll be interesting to compare this with the wine below.
    2008 Honey Moon Viognier – $4.99 – A reload on a long time fave this one also recently received some love from wineaccguy who, like me, finds this one to be quite a deal.
    2009 Trader Joe’s Vinas Chilenas Reserva Sauvignon Blanc – $2.99 – When the above mentioned wineaccguy mentioned the Honey Moon I was well in the loop, when he mentioned this one it was news to me. I think I had a bad experience with one of these reds early on and wrote off the lot. That is until now, hoping this is a nice value play!
    2009 VINTJS Sauvignon Blanc – $5.99 – I enjoyed the 2008 version of this one which I noticed as made by Maxwell Creek. Given that I was already inclined to buy the next vintage so when JB told me the ’09 was made by St Supery it became a no-brainer. And because curious wines want to know I checked TTB and was able to verify that this wine as least has some relationship with St. Supery where it goes for $23 direct from the winery. I’m looking forward to giving it a try.
    2009 Spiral Wines Sauvignon Blanc – $4.99 – I’ve had a few offerings from this winery and have been pleased so when the winery stopped by to let us know a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc would soon be available I was immediately on the lookout.
    2008 Spiral Wines Cabernet Sauvignon – $4.99 – When I initially had this one I was intrigued but had yet to grab more. Well I remedied that tonight.
    2005 Monte Ducay Cariñena Reserva – $5.99 – This one has some interesting packaging as it comes wrapped in brown paper. From a marketing perspective I’m not sure how that would have effected me but we will never know as buying this one was a foregone conclusion based on Viva la Wino! positive review.

So there we have it 10 bottles with the associated logic that got them in the cart. Now I needed to fill out the case. Here were the last two bottles I randomly grabbed:

    2009 12 Apostles Shiraz – $3.99 – This one gave me flashbacks to the Chasing Clouds Shiraz offerings which went for $3 and I enjoyed for quite some time. Fingers crossed I have another flashback when the wine is in the glass.
    2006 Hope Wine Merlot – $3.99 – 50% of profits for this one go to fighting aids which is nice, hopefully the wine is too!

So there you have it. A case of wine for $62 + tax. Have you had any of these? If so I would love to hear your thoughts! Much more to come on these so stay tuned. If you want to dig in further now check out Cellar Tracker for more details.

2008 Chook Shed Shiraz

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2008 Chook Shed ShirazPrice: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Aussie Wine Direct

What They Said:

Per The Province “On the other end of the red wine spectrum -both in geography and style -this new bottle from Down Under plays rock ‘n’roll on the tastebuds. Chook Shed is unapologetically 100 per cent Barossa Valley Shiraz, ripe and opulent with plum, blackberries and cracked pepper. Completely approachable in a generous fruit-forward style, it will play well to a crowd. Better get the barbecue ready, this Shiraz is ready to take on all grilled fare.”

What I Think:

Dark purple in color this one has red fruit, vanilla notes and barrel spices on the nose. Great, inky smooth mouthfeel on entry this one starts nicely balanced. The acidity here is firm,on the cusp of being overbearing but the fruit holds it off to deliver a nice warm, tangy, tannic finish. While not a standout this wine is well made and I’m tempted to grab another bottle. That said I might rather just roll the dice on something else instead. If you are a Shiraz fan definitely give it a try and let me know what you think!

Rating: Pricey

2005 Red Lava Syrah

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Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

2005 Red Lava SyrahPer Red Lava Vineyards “Our beautiful, obsidian black wine is concentrated with intense blackberry, mocha and mineral notes, rich tannins and a long supple finish.”

What I Think:

This one goes for $25 on the winery site so picking it up for $8 was a good start! I can’t tell you how tired I get of finding these scenarios. If you are a winery and if you are going to cut your prices be sure to offer them to your most loyal customers. Those that buy direct! Take Rabbit Ridge for example. Their excellent 2008 Allure de Robles goes for $5 a bottle at Trader Joe’s but before it arrived on their shelves they offered it to wine club members for $50 a case. Now that is how you should be treating your best customers!

Sorry for the tangent. Let’s get back to the bottle at hand… Tart red fruit and pepper on the nose are muted by wet wood aromas. Nice rich, red peppery fruit intermingled with blueberries greet you on the palate. A mild black olive component appears in the mid to late palate before leading to a hot, heavy spicy finish that falls apart to reveal thin wood/barrel flavors. A nice wine with nice fruit that is ruined by a bad finish. BTW, this bottle was a heavy one, they didn’t spare any cost there so guessing this wine was meant to be expensive. Nonetheless I don’t see myself buying another bottle. Let me know your thoughts if you do!

Rating: 12th Bottle

2007 Sonoma Vineyards Chardonnay

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2007 Sonoma Vineyards ChardonnayPrice: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the bottle “Our Sonoma Vineyards chardonnay is unoaked, forward and fresh, brimming with juicy ripe fruit like tropical pineapple and wild mountain pears. N o need for a lemon squeeze, you’ll discover plenty of citrus and maybe even apricot as you sip through the rich, lovely layers. Experience Sonoma County first hand with every sip of our 2007 Chardonnay.”

What I Think:

A Rodney Strong label in disguise this is a rare Chardonnay that resonates with me in both style and price ($6). Crisp on entry, it holds through the mid-palate. From there white (pear) fruits briefly appear before being overtaken by a very nice lemon, citrus component which delivers a tart, refreshing finish. Beautifully balanced, no oak, no butter and you can taste fruit! This may be my new favorite Chard, my wife will be thrilled…

Rating: Buy It

2008 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles

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2008 Rabbit Ridge Allure de RoblesPrice: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

As many of you know I’ve long been a fan of the Allure de Robles so I was excited to hear from the winemaker, Erich Russell, that the 2008 vintage would be hitting Trader Joe’s shelves soon. He also had this to say: “The good news is that there is way less alcohol 14.8 instead of 15.3 on the 2007. There are less harsh tannins making the wine even more balanced. This vintage has been the fastest selling vintage around the United States of any Allure de Robles. There is very little Petite Sirah in this vintage and much more Grenache. The very bad news is that since this wine was selling so fast around the country Trader Joes will be getting about 25% less than the 2007.” With Erich’s warning I grabbed a bunch as soon as I saw it.

What I Think:

The nose is big and full of, well I want to say jamberry bramble. Given that is from one of the many children’s books I have memorized why don’t I say brambly red and blackberry aromas so it is more comprehensible. With the wine in my glass I readied myself for the fruit explosion but it never materialized. The front of the palate is loaded with earthy, red fruits on a vanilla bean backbone. These fruits are balanced by a black pepper acidity which not only keeps them in check but dominates the back end of the palate and lingers on through the finish. This wine is much truer to it Rhone style than the previous vintage. I wonder how much lower (’07 was ~28%) on the Syrah/Petite Sirah, I’ll shoot Erich an email and see if I can’t get the final blend percentage. This one is smooth and easy to drink, my favorite yet! Stock up while you can and grab this one next time you are headed out to fire up the grill…

Rating: Bulk Buy

2008 Chariot Gypsy

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We interupt this regularly scheduled post for a public service announcement; there have been confirmed sightings of the Gypsy up the coast in both Portland and Seattle. This concludes the use of the emergency broadcast system.

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

2008 Chariot GypsyPer Chariot Wines “The Chariot Gypsy 2008 is a delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese from great vineyards in the Napa Valley, Sonoma, San Joachin, and Monterey counties. It displays a dark garnet color with a clear violet edge. It shows mixed fresh berry aromas — raspberry and strawberry, with hints of white pepper and pastry. Very clean and lively with juicy berry fruit, firm acidity and a touch of smooth tannin. Excellent and versatile food wine particularly well suited for pork chops and poultry. We think it is the perfect everyday red wine!”

What I Think:

Ah, the long lost post. I had grand plans for this one until the day job threw them to roost. When Steve asked last week where it was I decided it was time to close the loop here. So let’s take a quick trip down memory lane.

My going in question was can they maintain the quality as they expand the production. As a reminder the demand for ‘07 vintage was so high they produced two lots. Given I have seen many of my other Trader Joe’s favorites journey this road to mediocrity I feel I have reason to be skeptical. When it arrived, I headed out to grab some straight away and video blogged my first sips from the parking lot. My take was that the ’08 was juicy, fruit forward and a nice easy quaffer. Now that the wine has had a few months in the bottle and I’ve gotten to sample it a few times what’s my take?

The nose is pleasant showing red fruit, oak/barrel and clove notes. The palate starts with jammy, ripe berry flavors. Towards the mid-palate the fruit becomes slightly flabby before being wiped away by an unexpected lively, racy acidic backbone that is full of white pepper. The finish is of bright, tart raspberries. This one is warm and ever so slightly sweet (less so than the ’07) throughout which make the connotations of the “cherry coke” of wine more true than false. That said, given the acidity it may be better suited for pizza than an early evening on the patio. And for me that is what this one is a simple, straight forward Tuesday night wine that is easy to drink. For $5 this is more than you should expect, use it accordingly and you aren’t likely to be disappointed.

For more on this one check out this great take from Viva la Wino!

Rating: Buy It (while you can)

2006 Donna Laura Bramosia Chianti Classico

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2006 Donna Laura Bramosia Chianti ClassicoPrice: $14.99 @ Vintage Wine & Spirits imported by Banville & Jones

What They Said:

Per Banville & Jones “With a deep ruby color and intense aromas of cherry and red fruit, this Chianti Classico balances ripe fruit and acidity with well integrated accents of wood and spice. A great match with roasted meats and flavorful pastas, this wine is also delicious to sip on its own without food.”

I also found this from the Wine Spectator “This shows slightly cooked fruit character on the nose and palate, with a medium body and a simple finish. Drink now. 5,000 cases made.” – JS

What I Think:

On Saturday we decided to make pizza and headed down to town to grab the makings. Being in the mood for an Italian wine other than what I had in the house I decided to cross the street and grab a bottle from the local wine store. I walked in and asked them for their favorite everyday Italian, when they handed me this one I had my reservations (given the price point) but decided to roll the dice anyway…

How did it go? Cherry and herb notes greet you on the nose and welcome you on the palate as well. Good acidity emerges to deliver a balanced, food friendly wine. The finish is short with hints of cedar on top of soft tannins. This is a simple, easy drinking wine. At the end of the day I got exactly what I asked for when I walked into the store. While I found it enjoyable, for $15 I also found it to be overpriced. Lesson learned! Next time I need to do a better job communicating my expectations…

Rating: Pricey

1999 Luna Beberide Tinto

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Price: $19.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Grapes of Spain

What They Said:

1999 Luna Beberide Tinto VdT Castilla y LeonPer K&L Wines “This is an incredibly rare, fully mature, Spanish gem. Produced from the steep, slate, terraced vineyards of Bierzo by Spain’s legendary Mariano Garcia (while he was still making wine at Vega Sicilia!), here is a beautiful example of a perfectly aged Spanish wine that has developed quite beautifully in bottle. Produced from 40% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 30% Mencia, think of it as a supple, balanced, old school styled Bordeaux blend with a Castillian twist. Savory cherry, hints of sage leaf, green and black peppercorn and an unmistakable character of mature Cabernet family aromas (many people liken Mencia to Cabernet Franc, which completes this Graves style blend) make for one gorgeous bottle of wine. And Mariano Garcia made it at the same time he was busy working on Vega Sicilia “Unico,” which is a good few hundred dollars more. For fans of good, honest affordable bordeaux and old school California Cabs, this K&L exclusive could be right up your alley.”

What I Think:

Given I have a case of the ’05 in the cellar I had to take the opportunity to see how this one might age. This bottling, an interesting blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Mencia, is the Spanish version of Bordeaux and seems it may be worthy of a name of its own (e.g Super Tuscan). Perhaps we should let the wine decide…

On the nose it shows gorgeous dark fruit and herbs. The palate shows dry cherries and black olives (with a hint of rhubarb) that frame themselves with a dry, cedar backbone. The finish shows this wines age with perfectly integrated tannins and spices that last and last. For those sensitive this wine may be overly dry but I still find it to be smooth, silky, and elegant. If you missed the chance to try the ’99 K&L Wines just sent me an email to let me know the 2000 (which they described as “more muscular, ageworthy, and a bit more impressive” is now in stock. I already added a bottle to my cart, hope it can deliver on their promise!

Thanks to Viva La Wino for tipping me off to this one! You can find his thoughts here.

Rating: Wow!

2007 Luna Vineyards Freakout

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2007 Luna Vineyards FreakoutPrice: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Luna Vineyards “The 2007 Freakout is a light golden color, with an enticing nose of ripe pear and hints of lemon. On the palate, the mouthwatering acidity of lemon zest mingles with baked bread and coconut milk, accented by a good dose of minerality. The finish is a delicious blend of pears and vanilla.”

What I Think:

This one is a white blend of 35% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Grigio, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Ribolla Gialla. The winery site, where you will find this one for $16, has some great information on the individual vineyards these grapes are sourced from. The most interesting note is on the Ribolla Gialla which I know as Robola from the time I spent in Greece when I was introduced to the varietal during my visit to Gentilini. The Ribolla Gialla in this bottling is sourced from Elsa’s Vineyard in Napa Valley which is proclaimed to be the only vineyard in America planted with this varietal. So what’s in the bottle?

Floral on the nose, the Sauvignon Blanc dominates early. The palate starts crisp with lemon and floral notes emerging towards the middle and carrying through to the finish. While clean and simple this one lacks the acidity that would make it a go-to summer quaffer in my house. That said, guessing many others will like this more than I do. Certainly nothing wrong with this one for $6, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Rating: 12th Bottle

The weekend in wine…

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2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de BeaucastelMy brother was in town visiting the last weekend and not that I necessarily planned it but we ended up drinking a number of really nice wines. I haven’t formalized my tasting notes but wanted to share while the memory is fresh in my mind.

2006 Belle Glos Weir Vineyard Pinot NoirIt started with the 2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel which I picked up as a birthday present for myself late last year. I put this one in the decanter for an hour or so while I cooked up some nice steaks…okay I admit I snuck a glass while cooking and oh boy! This wine was bold, striking and yet refined and elegant. Excellent now, I would love to see what this one is like in another few years. If I could only afford a case!

Next up was the 2006 Belle Glos Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir which was recommended by Rick’s Wine Cellar when I stopped in on my way to the Tavern at Lark Creek for dinner on Saturday night. Rick’s has a free corkage list that applies there and at many other restaurants throughout southern Marin, if you are local be sure to check it out! As for the wine, it was excellent. No tasting notes to report but a perfect complement to my braised pork shank and the evening overall.

1996 Navarro Pinot Noir Methode AlancienneWhich leads us to Easter Sunday when we headed down to my father-in-law’s. He always has some nice wine around and I always get to pick’em. A while a go, after visiting the winery (part of his Swiss connections) he came home with a case of the 2008 Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc. The case is almost gone as this is such an easy choice to start the holidays with. To call it clean and simple sells this short as it delivers much more than that. While the lamb was roasting I headed downstairs to the wine cellar where in addition to his stash I have my wine cellared. I ended up pulling out the 1996 Navarro Pinot Noir Methode Alancienne. I’ve long pondered what to do with this bottling as this is (was) the earliest in my vertical that dates to the present day. Putting those thoughts on hold I brought it upstairs and opened it up. Given it was 2+ hours until dinner I decided to leave it in the bottle. In hindsight I wish I would have put it in the decanter. The wine was certainly still all there, nice fruit and balance but it was tight throughout and the last few sips showed me what it could have been. This wine was drinking at its peak with proper care. Drat! I could use a mulligan on that one. That said it was still super enjoyable.

Well, needless to say, my weekday wines haven’t been all that gratifying the last few days. Thanks for letting me share. How about you? Did you drink anything good this past weekend? If so, I would love to hear about it!