Jason’s Wine Blog

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

What They Said:

Per The Wineauxs “Tropical fruit on the nose – papaya and pineapple mostly. Feels a bit viscous in the mouth, some spicy notes, and a bit of fruit – quite dry over all actually. This is interesting as the finish is huge while the palate is somewhat muted….lots of spice and tropical fruit – papaya and maybe even some guava with lingering vanilla bean and at the very end some strong lime notes coming through. An insanely long finish for almost any wine, let alone one under five bones. This is a tough bottles to complain about…dirt cheap and surprisingly complex. I like my Viognier with more melon on the flavor profile but hey – four bucks? I’m sold.”

What I Think:

Google couldn’t help me find much here but Deb sure did. This turns out to be another offering from Bronco Wine Company which maintains no official web presence of their own. Guessing that is largely because their association with a label could often be considered detrimental… Anyhow having a little fun looking around I discovered a few interesting facts courtesy of Wikipedia. Fred Franzia is the nephew of Ernest Gallo and Bronco is the 4th largest producer of wine in the US. Massive! The Wikipedia page also has a list of their brands with Bears’ Lair accounted for.

With the weather as it has been whites have been on the menu often. Given my lack of appreciation for Chardonnay and the fact that I don’t find sweetness all that refreshing we have been drinking Sauvignon Blanc like it was going out of style. Having enjoyed some Viognier in the past I picked up this bottle, as well as the Honeymoon, as I was strolling through the Trader Joe’s Wine section. With a taco salad on the table it seemed like an opportune time to give it a try. To the eye the wine was golden, yellow and the nose showed hints of tropical fruits. Full and viscous is the best way to describe the first sip. The palate is crisp with notes of citrus before giving way to a nice creamy finish. This is a nice offering though subdued throughout. I am use to Viognier being much more expressive. At this price point guessing I shouldn’t be picky. That said I hope the Honeymoon is better. If that is true, won’t be buying this one again.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery well nothing…Please don’t click on the link unless you want to see the “Coming Soon” sign….not exactly blogger friendly. Shame on you Kenwood, are you listening, shame on you.

What I Think:

I’ve had many forgettable roses from Trader Joe’s this summer. Given the weather though I intend to keep on trying. So when this one hit the shelf (at a mere $4) I decided to give it a go. Initial searches once home showed a lot of confusion…what grapes were in this wine, depends where you look. Ratings ranged from 82-90 and there was not much overlap in the adjectives used to describe this wine. This coupled with the fact that I had to data mine Google to find any results left me not knowing what to expect.

Upon opening this I was pleased. Had some nice cherry and strawberry notes and overall was simple and light…perfect for an afternoon barbeque. The finish is crisp and dry with hints of flowers. One write-up described this wine as “featureless” which sounds less than endearing but in this case serves as a backhanded compliment. This wine is refreshing and offers just enough complexity to enjoy while not taxing your mind on a hot day. It may not be for you but I am going to grab another bottle.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “This Cabernet Sauvignon was barrel-aged in French and American oak for approximately 16 months to achieve the perfect balance. A judicious amount of Petite Verdot and Petite Sirah was added to create this big, concentrated dark Cabernet Sauvignon boasting a great deal of complexity. The wine is totally natural with the exception of yeast added during fermentation. The limestone characteristics of our vineyards allow us to produce this Cabernet Sauvignon with 100% natural acid. 5,040 cases produced.”

What I Think:

After going through quite a bit of the Allure de Robles I was happy to give another Rabbit Ridge offering a try. So when I stumbled across this one at Trader Joe’s it quickly made its way into the cart. Upon arriving home I was keen to find out how much TJ’s saved me this time as the previous bottle was 50% less than the winery price. This time around I arrived at the site to find a notice that this one was only selling at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. Guessing I don’t have much sway but let me at least let me imagine that was because I called them out last time:).

Off the bat this one engulfs you in fruit. On the nose it is loaded with dark fruits with hints of barrel and spice. On the palate you get a lush mouthful of cherry and plum flavors that last into a finish that is only slightly tannic with a bit of mint. I noticed after I finished this one that it has Petite Sirah added which may explain the heavy accentuation of fruit. If you like that then this one is for you. I myself prefer something a bit more restrained and would recommend these as my top three cabernets at Trader Joe’s today:

• 2005 XS Red California Cabernet Sauvignon - $4
• 2004 Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon - $6
• 2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon - $8

Let me know what you think!

Rating: Skip It

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

A multitude of opinions on this one in the blogsphere but no luck finding any information from the winemaker here…All I can tell you as they seem to be negociant as they appear to be located in Healdsburg but make Syrah in the Central Coast and Zinfandel from Lodi.

What I Think:

After reading this post I added this one to my shopping list and looked forward to giving it a try. Upon opening it you were greeted with a spicy nose, heavy in tannins. On the palate black fruit was apparent early but quickly disappeared and left you with a mineralish finish again heavy in tannins. Think they did some work on this one in the lab. I certainly can’t recommend it, especially with this Gravity Hills Syrah available.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negotiants

What They Said:

Per the bottle “This blend of Sauvignon Blanc (50%) and Semillon (50%) produces a brilliant and silvery robe. The complex nose, blending floral and citrus aromas, reveals a perfect balance between fruit and wood, which makes this very enjoyable.”

What I Think:

After an amazing glass at Fleur de Lys a few months back I went combing the shelves at Trader Joe’s for a Pouilly Fuisse (a French appellation widely known for Chardonnay) to see how it could compare. I didn’t find one then I did come across this Sauvignon/Semillon blend that my wife and I fell in love with back on our honeymoon in New Zealand (especially the Pegasus Bay!).  I grabbed it without hesitation.

After pulling the cork this one seems like a winner. As it got closer to room temperature it began to show some chinks in the armor. The racy, mineral backbone that I thought was there disappeared leaving only light floral notes intermingled with barrel type flavors. Not bad, just not what I was hoping for after the first sip. This could sneak into my cart again but more likely not. You are better off grabbing a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc like this Geyser Peak.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “Our Castle Rock Pinot Noir was produced from grapes grown in Northern California’s beautiful Mendocino County, where vineyards were first planted in the early 1860’s. Here, the headwaters of the Russian River carve a fertile and rugged landscape. The warm summers, cool springs, crisp falls and wet winters make ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir grapes, in a climate similar to that of the Burgundy region of France, where the grapes were first established. This elegant and medium-bodied wine has delicate aromas of violet and rose petals, complex flavors and long silky textures, with layers of strawberry and raspberry leading into a long refined finish.”

And from the Wine Spectator, “Aromas of ripe cherry, tree bark and wild raspberry are elegant, stylish and balanced, with nice focus and a lingering finish. Drink now. 110,000 cases made.” (86 points, $12)

What I Think:

After having my friends treat me to a few bottles of the Castle Rock from Willamette and Monterrey I figured I could invest in this Mendocino on my own. Given Mendocino is the home of my beloved Navarro expectations immediately escalated and I was sure I had a winner on my hand before I even made it home…

So a few evenings later with salmon on the menu this wine found its way to the table. The bouquet showed some light fruit and floral notes on top of woody overtones. On the tongue it started with cherries and then shifted towards cola type flavors. The mid-palate had a twang (perhaps orange rind) before heading on to a smooth finish. This wine is good but not stunning. That leaves the question, at $10 is that enough for a Pinot? I am personally on the fence so will answer “sometimes”. It sure would be interesting to try all three of these side by side. Furthermore, given that I have tried three it would seem foolish not to grab the California Cuvee offering as well. Has anybody else had that one? If so, what do you think?

Rating: Pricey

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

These next few I am going to post are some stubborn ones that I have been digging around on the internet for to no avail for days. It looks like I am on my own here….

What I Think:

This is a Gewurztraminer from Clarksburg which I always thought was an area somewhere around Napa and/or Sonoma. It turns out it is in Yolo County on the California Delta about fifteen miles south of Sacramento. This wine is most certainly a private label offering with the vinter being “Rare Find Wine Purveyors”. As mentioned before rare find summarizes what I was able to find in regards to them on the internet, guessing they don’t really want to be found.

Now for the wine itself…Not much on the nose this wine appears to be rather clean. On the palate it starts rather plain before a whole lot of sweetness kicks in. You get some hints of fruits as it progresses, maybe some apples amongst others. All in all the sweetness takes its toll on me, the Michel Leon is an easy choice over this one. If you are going to give it a go make sure you have some super spicy food to pair it with.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the winery “The aromas of this wine are reminiscent of baked apples. The smooth mouthfeel brings forward fruit flavors of apples, pineapple and lemon peel, which are highlighted by toasty oak and vanilla characteristics that lead to a silky finish. Our Coastal Chardonnay is a wonderful companion to a wide variety of foods. Try it with stuffed pork chops, lemon herb chicken, pasta Alfredo or sea scallops prepared in just about any fashion.”

What I Think:

I grabbed this one because I read positive coverage about it somewhere in the websphere but can’t find it now for the life of me. On the nose I could tell this one has some potential as I could actually smell something besides just barrel. On the palate the wine was nice and crisp with barely a hint of that buttery, barrel taste that is so typical of California Chardonnay. As for the fruit the majority seemed to be apples that settled nicely on top of a tangy, minerally backbone that lead to a toasty finish. As you may know I am not a huge Chard fan (but keep trying to be) so it is nice to be pleasantly surprised. A perfect companion for the crab cakes that were on the table and a bottle that will be sure to find its way to my house again!

Rating: Buy It

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negotiants

What They Said:

Per Hawks Head Wines “The Laugel family have been producing wine here since 1889 when Alsace was part of Germany. With classic rose petal and lychee aromas this elegant white has good varietal character and lovely complexity. Grapefruit and citrus notes keep it refreshing and the finish is long and balanced with good integrated acidity. This is a lovely example of this Alsace speciality, drinking well now but will keep to 2009. (Drink now to 2011)”

What I Think:

Another Gewurztraminer from the Alsace. As you can see from my write up on the Marcel Hugg. This was even before my recent return visit to Fleur de Lys where I had the Trimbach once again. Amazingly enough, they have this same Trimbach at Trader Joe’s. If you feel like dropping a $20 spot on that one stop reading here.

Now back to this wine. Hard to find a write up here, awfully common for wines for Trader Joe’s wines I find. I was able to track down something from a UK retailer selling this at £8 (about $16) which makes this one at $7 seem quite the steal already. On the nose you get light floral and citrus notes. On the palate the profile is almost custard like and at first I thought it was sweet. Later I realized it was more from a texture perspective than on the palate. The fruit, mostly lemon, faded quickly and led to a nice tight mineral finish. We had this as an aperitif before dinner with cheese and it worked perfectly. Not as good as the Marcel Hugg but good enough to buy until I find something better.

Rating: Buy It