I know I am long overdue for a posting (hope you are following the twitter feed via the home page, for quick updates) but couldn’t help squeezing in a quick thank you to my twitter friend Alan Lamb who recently posted that he left behind my Top 10 list in his local Trader Joe’s (pictured above).  Thanks Alan!  Anyone else want to participate in a grass roots marketing effort? Print the post and leave it behind in your local Trader Joe’s and let me know. If anyone found this blog via Alan’s leave behind, first off welcome, let me know via the comments here. Would love to hear your thoughts!

*photo by Alan Lamb

The haul:

12 - 2006 The California Wine Party Franc Merlot ($5, Bulk Buy)
2 - 2007 Chateau des Cleons Muscadet Sevre et Maine “Sur Lie” ($6, Buy It)
1 - 2007 Handley Vineyard Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc ($6, Buy It)
1 - 2007 Novella Synergy Blanc ($5, Buy It)
1 - 2005 Epicuro Aglianico ($5, Bulk Buy) - review for the ‘05
1 - 2003 Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva ($5, Buy It) - review for the ‘03
1 - 2006 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo ($5, Buy It)
1 - 2006 Rabbit Ridge Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($6, 12th bottle) review for the previous version of the NV (I call this the ‘07)
2 - 2003 Raimat Tempranillo ($6, TBD)
1 - 2007 Condesa de Sarabella Viura ($5, TBD)
1 - 2005 Capolan Sonoma Merlot ($4, TBD)
1 - 2005 Trellis Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon ($4, TBD)
1 - 2005 Trellis Sonoma Chardonnay ($4, TBD)

Stay tuned for details on these soon!

*photo by Matthew Oliphant

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

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!

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

1. 2006 The California Wine Party Franc Merlot - $5 (Previous Rank: 2) – Perfect for the debate season, get some before tomorrow night!

2. 2005 Chariot Gypsy - $5 (Previous Rank: NR) – Reminds me of my favorite wine ever, at a fraction of the price.

3. 2006 Geyser Peak California Sauvignon Blanc - $8 (Previous Rank: 1) – Seasons are changing but this one is standing the test of time. (link is for 2006)

4. 2006 Dynamic Red Table Wine- $9 (Previous Rank: 6) – Perhaps you could say this is a much more elegant version of the Franc Merlot. Certainly worth every penny but a bit pricey. (review not yet posted)

5. 2007 King Shag Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - $7 (Previous Rank: 10) Enjoy this one more and more each time I drink it.

6. 2005 Epicuro Aglianico - $5 (Previous Rank: 9) This one has made it back into my rotation and reminded me why it was ranked number one for so many months in a row.

7. 2007 Novella Synergy Blanc - $6 (Previous Rank: 7) –Mistakenly referred to as Chardonnay last month, while the name has changed the enjoyment factor has not. A great white blend that will surely please all.

8. 2006 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere - $8 (Previous Rank: 8) – Still dependable but with the Franc Merlot and Chariot Gypsy in the picture getting relegated to the back burner. (link is for 2006)

9. 2005 Santa Ynez Valley Winery Cabernet Franc - $9 (Previous Rank: 4) – Like the Carmenere this has been a bit overshadowed by the excellent Cabernet Franc blends available right now. Still, looking forward to the next bottle soon. (link is for 2005)

10. 2007 Chateau des Cleons Muscadet Sevre et Maine “Sur Lie” - $6 (Previous Rank: NR) – A nice, light refreshing wine made to be consumed on the patio with friends on a warm summer evening.

Falling – these have seen their stock fall over the last month…

• 2005 Kono Sauvignon Blanc - $8 (Previous Rank: 5) – It may be the hideous new label throwing me off here, or the $2 extra per bottle versus the King Shag either way it has at least temporarily lost its luster.

Gone – these appear to no longer be available…let me know if you have seen them!

• 2003 Alderbrook Old Vine Zinfandel - $8 (Previous Rank: 3) – Should have gotten more of this one while I had the chance…

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

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!

I also grabbed 2 bottles of the Gravity Hills Syrah which has been marked down from $6 to $3. Get yourself some. Also picked up a bottle of the NV Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles. Presumably this is a different barreling than the one I last posted.

Finally, I added three new wines to my portfolio. The first was a reader recommendation ($5) from Oeanist (opened it tonight, very promising). The other two were impulse buys the Handley Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc ($6) and the Raimat Tempranillo ($6).

Stay tuned for my thoughts. In the mean time let me know your thoughts on any of these.

Happy Drinking!
Jason