Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $2.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Bercut & Vandervoort

What They Said:

Per the bottle Round and velvety with a bouquet of ripe fruit flavors, this dry red wine perfectly compliments a variety of meat dishes, pastas and cheese. Produced in France by a family with a long tradition of exceptions winemaking, Fleur de Maison offers recognized quality and affordability. A great everyday wine to always keep on hand. To be served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

What I Think:

When I saw this one on the shelf I had it confused with the La Maison from George Duboeuf (of Beaujolais fame, almost that time!) in my head, so at $3 it seemed worth a shot. As I searched for information I quickly realized my mistake. Surprisingly I was able to track down the importer and thought I had info but alas a 404 error. I emailed to see if they could share any notes on this wine but have yet to hear back.

Hopefully you saw my twitter feed on this one. When I find bad wines bad my first option is to try and ignore them… Don’t write tasting notes, don’t try to figure out what is wrong. Keep sipping and hope it gets better. Option one failed. I almost dumped it which (almost) never happens (this would be the 2nd time in like 500 bottles). That said I did open something else. I put a cork in this but wasn’t holding out much hope for another try tomorrow which is bad wine option #2. Alas, no luck which left me with only option #3, drink it when you are already drunk. Given the two youngsters in my household I didn’t see being able to put that into practice anytime soon so down the drain it went. If you have to have a bottle under $3 stick to the Two Buck Chuck, hear the Shiraz is the best now. If you can afford a fiver check the latest Top 10 list for recommendations. But please, keep this $3 in your pocket.

Rating: Avoid It

*photo by j. botter

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Wine Enthusiast “With searing acidity and minerally citrus flavors, this bone-dry Sauvignon is a great cocktail sipper with hors d’oeuvres like potstickers or crudité.” — S.H. (87 points, 11/15/2007)

What I Think:

When I saw this one on the shelves I was immediately excited as I recognized Handley from my many trips to Mendocino where they are neighbors with one of my all time favorites; Navarro. I was excited, not necessarily about this one as I ran straight to the Pinot section to see if I could find some more Handley offerings there. Alas, no. So I headed back and decided to give the Sauvignon Blanc a try. On getting home a quick search showed K&L the selling the same bottle for $15. Trader Joe’s $6. Are you enjoying that 60% discount? In cases like these I always wonder what gives. I wish someone could explain that to me. I’ll shoot an email to the winery and let you know if I hear back. Update: I did and per the winery it appears they were trying to liquidate remaining inventory quickly, enter Trader Joe’s (see editor’s note below).  Lucky us!

Apologies, you are probably much more curious as to the wine rather than the pricing. On the nose this showed nice citrus aromas with mineral and stone notes in the background. In the glass it was bright golden almost showing a honeydew hue. The palate showed more citrus flavors with nice lemon zest balance by the mineral notes and acidity lending itself to a nice finish. A very nice effort that will surely be pleasing to all. I personally prefer a bit more crispness and zing along the lines of this Geyser Peak. With this being $3 cheaper I’ll be treating myself to another bottle. In fact I already have!

Rating: Buy It

Editor’s Note (23-Oct-2008):

As mentioned I emailed the winery to see how we were lucky enough to have this one show up at Trader Joe’s and was lucky enough to get a quick response. First off I had the vintage wrong as it was the ‘06. I double-checked my new bottle at home and this have edited the post above accordingly.  Here is what Linda had to say:

Hello Jason,
The vintage on the wine with the fabulous price at Trader Joe’s is 2006. We do not have the 2006 vintage Sauvignon Blanc available at the winery. The $15 pricing online is for the 2007. We have not had a price increase for 3 years.

We found that although the 2006 is tasting really great and has won some very nice Gold medals and awards, we had too much of it to sell through our regular channels in a timely fashion. (It was a big vintage). Therefore we sought unusual methods and with Trader Joes and their good reputation we felt that it was a good solution.

Buy it!
Linda

Thanks Linda, I will!

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian ImportsPrice: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by D’Aquino Italian Imports

What They Said:

Per The Wine Rack “While the 2006 vintage is a little rougher around the edges than the 2004 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano, I reviewed earlier, it still is an incredible bargain. Still only $5.00 at Trader Joe’s and made from hand picked organically grown grapes. Similarities with the 2004 are the nose of fresh cherry and violets, the cherry/blueberry flavors and the long finish. However this vintage carries a bit of heat on finish and a trace of alcohol/heat at the end of the aromas. Disregarding the comparison to 2004 this is still a nice wine and a sweet value.”

What I Think:

This odyssey started with a tip from oenanist and continued tonight with my second bottle. Amazingly I was able to track the winery down and find tasting notes (warning PDF) for what appeared to be the same wine though the pictures are vastly different.

About time for a review, no? On the nose this one is delicate and shows hints of flowers and tart cherries. On the palate this wine is simple and I mean so in a good way! Medium to light weight a ride of cherries (with the stems) along a light tannic backdrop. It is likely better served with some red sauced pasta. From end to end, this a clean journey balancing fruit with tannins and spice. The finish is a bit hot and dry bit overall this is one to buy. Next time I want to line this up side by side with the 2005 Epicuro Aglianico. Don’t see this as the #1 ranked wine, just wondering how far off it is…. BTW, did I mention this was organic? Also saw some notes saying it was hand-picked, hard to believe that can be accomplished at this price point.

Rating: Buy It

*photo by Rick Audet

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Zhadi’s Den “The label shows a woman in a red head scarf astride a chariot, very much in the vein of a Major Arcana tarot card. The back only says it was bottled by Jim Neal wines in St. Helena, California. Nothing about varietals. I have no idea what grapes were used in the making of this wine (although its rich, spicy characteristics lead me to suspect a zinfandel or syrah in the blend). The price tag? $4.99. The placard in the store said One Time Buy. When it’s gone, it’s gone. So I had to try it. We took it to the SinC meeting and cracked it open aong with an inexpensive Spanish cava. The cava was okay. The Chariot?

…Drooool…”

What I Think:

Wow, this Jim Neal guy (found on the back of the bottle) is a tough one to track down. But after spending some quality time with my friends at Google (your welcome!) I was able to get to the bottom of this one. I was able to track down both the site for the winery which is terribly out of date and in desperate need of my SEO (Search Engine Optimization) services and his first love which happens to be Verjus which I need to look into further (Jessie any pointers…). Fortunately for all of us, his wines are much more approachable than the brand behind them. As mentioned above I was tipped off to this one by Zhadi’s Den and immediately picked up three bottles. Those are now all empty and I am here to sing this wines accolades as well…

In a word “winner, winner”. The nose seemed almost typical California with rich, dark, musty fruit notes. On the palate it seemed very familiar; silky smooth and bold with heavy mint overtones. Then it struck me, this wine had a resounding resemblance to one of my favorites, the Rosenblum San Francisco Bay Petite Sirah. Despite Dana’s report that it is a blend of “Sangiovese, Petite Syrah, Syrah, and Cab” I am guessing this is 60-70% Petite Sirah minimum….And the remaining is likely Syrah (or at least mostly…) The finish was a lasting mix of dark fruits and dry, tingling tannins, extremely pleasant. Get yourself some now as I am heading out to clear out the bay area stores soon…

In the times of this economy I can unequivocally tell you this wine and the Franc Merlot are easily the best $5 bottles of wine I have seen at Trader Joe’s in some time. If you are used to spending $15 or more a bottle and stumbled across this site looking for ways to cut back your budget start here and start fast!

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the bottle “In the tradition of our popular Paso Robles red Synergy blend, we are very pleased to offer this special winemaker’s cuvee of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canneli and Pinot Grigio. These varietals collectively highlight the diversity and quality of the Paso Robles appelation. Enjoy this unique and refreshing blend with soft, mild cheeses or baked chicken.”

What I Think:

I stumbled across this one when reading about a customer service story. My first shot of getting my hands on this brought the Chardonnay home. While not bad it was easily forgettable. This one, however, stands up and catches your attention. An interesting blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canneli and Pinot Grigio with percentages unknown (I emailed the winery to see if they will provide them for us). The order here is from the bottle and typically the first grape listed is the largest percentage wise. While I get grass and mineral (Sauvignon Blanc) on the nose the initial palate is more green apples (Chardonnay without the oak) so guessing those two grapes are almost equally accounted for. The Muscat appears briefly around mid-palate adding a nice touch of sweetness and finishing with a pleasant lingering citrus flavor. A very pleasing effort and one that I will be buying more of.

Rating: Buy It

Editor’s Note (19-Oct-2008):

I emailed the winery to try and get the tasting notes to determine what the blend percentage was here and surprisingly heard back (thanks AC!). As I guessed the order was true to the percentages and the mix was 55.6% Sauvignon Blanc, 40.8% Chardonnay, 3.3% Muscat Canelli and 0.3% Pinot Grigio. Looking forward to my next bottle!

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Don Sebastiani & Sons

What They Said:

Per the winery “This exceptional Shiraz from down under expresses the deep concentration typical of the famous Barossa Valley. The color is inky purple with intense blue fruit such as wild huckleberry and ripe crushed blueberry. The palate has a supple entry while the silky texture is backed by big grape tannins wrapped around boysenberry extract and finishing with a touch of brown sugar and vanillin.

This wine is an exceptional sipper. The generous profile will stand up to braised beef shortribs on a port wine sauce with a parsnip puree or complimentary to grilled wild Salmon fillets, served with heirloom tomato salsa over a bed of arugula.

Most of Australia’s wine is produced in the south-eastern region of the country, an area which, like California, boasts considerable geographic and climatic diversity. Flavors born in the high altitude vineyards of the Adelaide hills, the cool coastal climate of Tasmania, and the deep granitic soils of the Strathbogie Ranges contribute to the distinct characters that gives these wines an international appeal.”

What I Think:

As mentioned when I tried their Riesling some time back these wines were made for blogging. That one wasn’t a hit but the easy to find tasting notes and podcasts have kept these wines top of mind for me. Kudos to Sebastiani & Son’s and the Three Loose Screws label for helping out those of us that are publicizing their products.

Now on to the main event, like the Riesling, this wine was quaffable but seemingly made for the masses as there was little memorable about it. As mentioned via twitter here and here, this wine is marginal stoking thoughts of melted cherry cough drops. That was my initial thought which slowly unwound itself to being medicinal then to herbal and then to the green peppers. I got the tannins but missed the fruit described above. I prefer the Cartwheel so if you have had neither grab that one. If you weren’t happy with the Cartwheel at $4 give this one a try. Maybe it will work for you.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per 2guysuncorked and I’ll go with Ted on this one…”This is probably the best sauvignon blanc I’ve had that is under $10. On the nose it’s bursting with citrus and fruity notes and it finishes with crisp acidity, that lingers just a bit as it reveals a slightly grassy finish. It would go great with some spicy food dishes, and it even holds up well to some spicy mango chicken I made to go with it.”

What I Think:

As many of you know I am a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand. This one is completely typical of the Kiwi offering and in this case it is a good thing. It had the nice pale color, a nose of grapefruit and grassy aromas. On the palate you are greeted with a crisp flavorless start leading to floral and mineral undertones followed by a tangy and tingly lemon finish. Gooseberry is omnipresent throughout. We had this one with a salmon salad which was a perfect pairing. Thinking this is better than the Kono (and cheaper). Better than the Geyser Peak? Not sure but who cares, this Sauvignon Blanc trio at Trader Joe’s is one of the best deals going. Pick any of the three and you can’t go wrong. Better yet, get them all and let me know which is your favorite.

Rating: Buy It

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

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Wine World Estates

What They Said:

Per Saratoga Wine Exchange “This is an elegant yet full-bodied Shiraz. It is not overdone like some other Shiraz producers have been doing lately. Ripe black cherry fruit combined with a gorgeous mouthfeel makes this an amazing Australian wine loaded with flavor.”

What I Think:

I found the brief blurb above from the Saratoga Wine Exchange. Good thing, because the winery didn’t even want to mention this one. A little sleuthing turned this nugget up, Cartwheel is a new stand-alone brand range from Beringer Blass. They come in two quality/price tiers: Western Australia and Margaret River respectively. I followed up with their contact us form to try and get some information on this offering but they couldn’t provide anything beyond “Cartwheel Wine is a part of the Foster’s portfolio. Please click onto the link below where you will be re directed to the website. Any information that we are able to disclose, can be found here”. Interesting… I also found a mention that this may have been bottled by the importer here in the US which I believe would be unique…

Now on to the wine, it actually says it is from South Eastern Australia, this doesn’t appear to be a designation that is recognized. Guess they mean the eastern part of the state of Victoria. Anyhow, Trader Joe’s was actually stocking the GSM version of this wine as well, though that disappeared in a hurry. On popping the top I am quickly reminded of the Chasing Clouds, that said the white pepper is readily apparent over a nice layer of initial fruit that fades just a bit too fast! Still, a decent bang for the buck and better than my early impressions of the Kono Baru.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “This minimally oaked Cabernet Sauvignon presents fruit forward aromas and flavors of slight cherry and blueberry throughout the wine; it balances out with fruit, soft oak, and hints of coca on the lingering finish.”-Ray Einberger, Winemaker

What I Think:

If you check back to the 2004 version of this wine, which I was a huge fan of, you will find that Winemaker Ray had the same exact thing to say about that vintage. How can that be Ray? Given that the 2004 was labeled as being from the Columbia Valley and the 2005 vintage has been downgraded to the more generic Washington area. Nothing changes? Or perhaps just some lazy people in the web group that decided to reuse the same content? Hopefully you aren’t doing this to bamboozle the consumers… I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt there.

But as for the wine, things have certainly changed….The nose still shows dark fruit but there is certainly some more oak present. Early on this is showing green notes and is quite disappointing. Day 2 you can see it start to change as these flavors are fading. Perhaps it needs some more time in the bottle? Or is it the change in appellation? Either way it is not the same. And Ray, if you want to debate that, that is a debate I am willing to have…

Oh yeah, the verdict…for now pass on it. I’ll grab another bottle in a few months and let you know if things have changed.

Rating: 12th Bottle