I’m sure many of you are already read my post on the return of the Gypsy. Also guessing those interested are well aware of the multitude of comments confirming sightings of this wine all across California (I have asked my insiders to look into potential arrival in Phoenix and beyond). Michael Rodgers was the first one to break the release date which was indeed yesterday, February 9th. So after work I headed over to my local store. Once inside I was expecting a big end cap display but found nothing. Checking the shelves I found it and grabbed a bottle. One you say? Indeed! You see, I had a corkscrew and glass waiting in the car. So I headed out to the parking lot to do some tasting. For those interested in my first, and perhaps last, attempt at video blogging here was my initial take…

To recap, thinking this one was juicy, fruit forward and a nice easy quaffer. What have I learned sampling it over the last 24 hours? The fruit on this one softer and rounder which at first led me to believe this was a lighter version. Night #2 I’m thinking that is not the case. The wine added some depth over night. Overall, early perceptions are that this one is “very pleasant” and is likely to improve as it settles into the bottle. Easily as good as 1/2 the $12 bottles I drink. A perfect red table wine for any house.

Given the change in the first 24 hours, I’m going to give it another 48 hours or so before doing a more thorough review. In the meantime feel free to share your thoughts!

Price: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Nada, the bottle said absolutely nothing. So the detective work began and I think I found my new best friend. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) registry where a search returned these results. This led me to the Owl Ridge Wines which happens to be located in Sebastopol. Once here, Google helped me locate some text near the bottom of the page referencing people to their affiliated winery, Willowbrook Cellars , for information on outstanding Pinot Noirs. A visit there led me to their online store which had a 2008 Sonoma County Pinot on offer with the alcohol content listed as 14.5%, wouldn’t you know it the same as the Sebastopol Hills. Do we have conclusive evidence? Nope, though I have emailed the winery seeking confirmation and will report back if we do. For those that believe we have corroborated enough facts you can find more information about the Willowbrook offering on the winery website where their Sonoma County offering goes for $24.

What I Think:

So what about the wine itself? I opened this with hamburgers on the menu and it’s a beauty. You’re greeted with blueberry, herbs and mint on the nose. The palate delivers deep fruit flavors on a well balanced and structured profile. A nice acidity emerges late in the mid-palate and leads to a dry, herbal lingering finish. This one has some very nice depth and length to it. I need to grab a few more bottles of this one before it disappears…

Rating: Buy It

Apologies! I missed Thanksgiving and yet again Xmas. With that I promised facing an 0-2 count I would deliver for New Year’s. At least for those waiting until the last minute to do your shopping! Little was inspiring me to publish a new Top 10 list, so much so that I was heading towards writing the classics list just to highlight those wines that had delivered vintage after vintage. Sometime over the last few weeks I realized I had more than enough new offerings to publish a Top 10 list of interest and without further adieu I present the latest:

Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List

Enjoy! And let me know your thoughts. Stay tuned for the aforementioned classics list as well as my report on my top wines of 2009.

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Trader Joe’s Holiday Guide “This is a Rhône style red wine that could only come from Paso Robles. Why? The nutrient-dense, limestone-rich soils produce grapes of great character. And the variety of climate conditions within the region create distinctive flavor profiles that are unquestionably Rhône-esque, but with a definitively Central Coast vibe.

Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Medium-bodied with strawberry and cherry overtones from the Grenache, the wine inherits an earthiness from the Mourvedre and supple body from the Syrah. Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles is an excellent sipping wine, wonderful with strong cheeses and a natural with roasted meats like our Prime Rib Roast or Frenched Pork Chops. It’s a great value at only $4.99 – only at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s.”

What I Think:

This is a wine that seems to be getting better and better with each vintage. I initially enjoyed a NV version some 30 months ago and was excited to see this one in the store recently! And my excitement was justified… My first thoughts via twitter were “Drinking the Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles (tj’s, $5). Big wine @15.4% a bit hot. But bold, fruity and enjoyable. I’ll be getting more.” And I must admit, I was very happy it had the structure to balance out that high ABV%. I’ve already grabbed another half of a case…

Per Rabbit Ridge winemaker Erich Russell this one is roughly 45-50% Grenache, 25-30% Mourvedre, with the balance being Syrah, Petite Sirah and six or so more grapes (Erich fell free to update once you get the final %’s. Big, bold dark fruit throughout but as mentioned balanced, coating your mouth with plush fruit and tannins. A dry, chalky finish follows that is loaded with white pepper and lingers on and on. From the above the “nutrient-dense” soils ring true. Strawberry and cherry do not. Either way grab yourself a bunch of this one while it last. A perfect wine to serve over the holidays!

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Sauvignon Republic

What They Said:

Per Sauvignon Republic “Ancient shale and granitic soils, ocean breezes, and a favorable exposure result in tropical juicy-fruit flavors with herbal nuances and minerality. Serve with spicy world foods including Southeast Asisan, Indian and New World Hispanic. Citrus notes refresh the palate for each bite.”

What I Think:

I grabbed this one and put it in the cart, within moments I saw another offering from the Russian River under the same label. I reacted with suspicion, not sure why as there are a number of vintners out there now tying together wines from around the world under the same brand umbrella. The Espiritu de Argentina and Espiritu de Chile sister labels are the first that come to mind. Cameron Hughes is perhaps the most well known of those that operate on this model. By the way, have I mentioned lately why I love Trader Joe’s wine? If you are one of the unfortunate few without one nearby you can pick up a bottle of this from wine.com for $22. Just slightly north of 3x the $7 you can grab it for at TJ’s. Savings aren’t the end of the story you still have to deliver! So let’s see what’s in the bottle…

The bottle recommended a pairing with spicy Southeast Asian food so this one was opened with Thai red chicken curry on the table. In the glass this one was very light in color, not golden by any means more of a straw color. On the nose I find a bit of citrus with nice white stone fruit intermingled throughout. The palate opens with lemons that are backed by a nice crisp, mineral backbone. A hint of grassiness appears toward the middle before mineral, stony notes emerge on the finish. A very nice wine, one that I will be buying again. I’m guessing the same can be said for the Marlborough, in my fridge and 91 points from the Wine Spectator, and the Russian River bottling. For a gift idea, check out this tasting mat (pdf) and grab all three. Hurry as I am sure they won’t last long!

Rating: Buy It

Price: $14.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per Davis Bynum “Davis Bynum Pinot Noir is driven by vineyard sites. From the legendary Allen vineyard between the river itself and Westside Road – adjacent to Rochioli – this Pinot Noir is redolent of dried cherry, herb and cola aromas, with a soft mouthfeel and bold flavors of cherry, earth, and orange zest which carry brightly to the finish.”

What I Think:

While the recession may be cramping your style in some areas your wine drinking palate is subject to getting spoiled if you can find a spare $15 every now and again. The first example of this at Trader Joe’s was this Howell Mountain Cab which retailed at $60. This single vineyard Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley that retailed at an already relative “bargain” $40 is another in what I am sure is to be a long line of many more to come.

Beautiful aromas of dried cherries and herbs greet you on the nose. It is readily apparent that this is not a fruit driven Pinot from the start. With a smile on my face, I find more cherries at the front of the palate. These are held in check by a firm acid backbone that delivers the cherry cola flavors that I have come to expect from this region. Earthy and mineral components are present as well. The mouthfeel is velvety and smooth throughout and finishes bright and (orange) zesty. This wine is beautiful and elegant. People may say this goes better with this or that but feel free to ignore them and drink this with whatever you wish, even on its own. I am already looking forward to my next bottle…

Rating: Wow!

It’s been almost three months and I didn’t want to miss the change to introduce a new, summer inspired Top 10 Trader Joe’s Wine list. There have been many that have come and gone in this time including what I would refer to as TJ’s one and only cult wine; the Chariot Gypsy. The list has undergone quite a shuffle with only six of the previous ten remaining. That said two old favorites have clawed their way back up the rankings. So before we get to it once again here is the only ground rule. 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:

Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List

Enjoy!

BTW, for those fellow wine bloggers that may be reading there has been many here asking for similar list from Costco and Cost Plus among others. Let me know if anyone has interest and I’ll be happy to share.

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Per the bottle “Viognier is a rare and stylish grape with golden hues and amazing floral scents. Our Honey Moon Viognier is named after the June full moon, which signifies the moment when the sweet scent of the flowers turn into young grapes, creating this lush, full bodied wine with peach, apricot and honeysuckle aromas followed by luscious honey, mango and nectar finish.

What I Think:

One of those that seems to be a Bronco Wine Co. offering but isn’t, Trader Moon is just as secretive though. They are responsible for the many other moons on the TJ’s wine shelves… Old Moon Zin, Venetian Moon Pinot Grigio, Tuscan Moon Sangiovese and Velvet Moon Cab. Regardless this Honey Moon Viognier has been one of my favorites for years and I was amazed to see that I had yet to review it. Given that I wanted to quickly rectify the situation.

This one has a great nose, like fully pollinated red/orange fruit, loaded with peaches and apricots. On the palate peach and honey are prevalent on a full bodied frame of white stony, fruits. The finish is rich and plush with ripe peaches and just a hint of sweetness. To some, this may be too much sweetness but it works well for me. Drink this one on its own or with anything, literally. This one won a bronze medal in the recent 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and is a sure thing to appear in my next Top 10 list…

Rating: Buy It

better 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…

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe’s

What They Said:

Nothing to be found. Looks like you are stuck with me on this one…

What I Think:

This one came recommended a month or so ago via a Trader Joe’s (often my beaten path in South San Francisco) cashier who saw me lugging out a case plus of wine and thought I was missing the boat. Y’all know me, love recommendations. We headed over to the aisle to hunt this one down but alas it was out of stock. Fast forward three weeks, headed home from the airport and need to do grocery shopping so headed back here. Perusing the wine aisle and sha-bam there it is. Decent looking label, Lake County which I have some loves for (see Beringer Clear Lake Zin and Dynamic Lake County Red) plus a personal recommendation and three bottles are quickly in the cart. Big buy for me before tasting a drop…

Obviously with expectations high what I needed is for someone to tell me this sucked right before I drank it to get those back in line. Alas no one was available to assist. The nose is typical of a $6 Trader Joe’s Cabernet consisting of darker fruit and oak. The front of the palate initially seems a bit flabby but quickly pulls itself together. The mid palate show nice balance with rich, dark fruit holding throughout which all makes it to the finish where a hint of black pepper is added to the mix. 14.75% alcohol? Are you kidding me? No heat and virtually no tannins. Amazing at $6! My only word of warning (given I’ve consumed 2 of these bottles already) think twice before crossing this one with spicy food (tacos) as that was a pairing that didn’t work, save it for simpler meat dishes

This is the best fruit forward sub $6 Trader Joe’s can since the XS. The “fruit forward” disclaimer came due to my Grape Madness experience with the Fetzer (which upset Sterling in the opening round) which was much more subtle and is worth a try as well. Trying to say what you see is what you get with this one, l don’t expect complexity or layers. That said, if you are interested in a nice, everyday, fruit forward drinker this may be one for you. It is for me, I have a ½ case minimum in mind for me next time I see this one. Sure to make my next Top 10 list which you should be seeing in the next 48 hours.

Rating: Bulk Buy

Additional Thoughts: Lake County: Been a big fan lately. Look for good values out of this region in the next few years as it is relatively “undiscovered”. Had some nice wines from there and am keen to explore further. Next two tasting trips, after Greece (did I mention I leave in less than a week? Any tips?) are here and to Lodi/El Dorado County… Anyone have recommendations for either?