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The Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Santa Lucia Highland Pinot Noir Lot 80 2017 is 100% Pinot Noir exclusive Trader Joe's $12.99 wine sourced from a vineyard or vineyards from a very high-end exclusive Pinot Noir growing area in Monterey County, California.  Here is a Trader Joe's Grand Reserve from Carneros. The Santa Lucia Highlands are located on the eastern foothills of a Coastal Mountain Range just south of the Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco. There was also a 2016 Lot 80 Pinot Noir, so this isn't a one-off wine, but a limited quantity wine, when it sells out that is it until the next vintage, if there is a next vintage. A family owned California winery who produce a popular line of Trader Joe's exclusive affordable wines also own an excellent vineyard in the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, I won't name the winery since I have no information that they have any involvement in the Lot 80 Pinot Noir, but they would be a prime suspect. The back label says it was "vinted and bottled by" Avid Winery, but they do not seem to be an active winery, their website and their Facebook page is dormant).  Santa Lucia Highland Pinot Noir usually retails in the $25 to $75 range, so $12.99 is a substantial savings. The Trader Joe's Lot 80 Pinot Noir was aged in 50% French oak and 50% American oak for 5 months, which is a shorter aging period and using a larger % of American oak than the more expensive Pinot Noir (the expensive stuff would only use French oak), but isn't out of line with the lower end of the Santa Lucia Highland Pinots. The alcohol content is 14.6% which is heavy for a Pinot Noir, the Pinot purists have a fit with any wine over 12.5%. The color is very encouraging it looks like expensive Pinot Noir, crystal clear, see-thru garnet red. The nose is solid, cherry, herbs, bacon fat, soft spice, mushroom, hints of mocha and black pepper. This is a Pinot Noir that the flavors build on your palate and it may be a little young, there is an edge to the mid-palate that should calm down with time. It tastes of black cherry mixed with Thanksgiving herbs, exotic spice, sweet strawberry, and black pepper. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry, cold coffee (with cream), sharp tannins, orange zest mixed with soothing, ripe plums. The tannins have a little grip to them and the acidity is solid, there is plenty of length to allow the flavors to unfold. As for the finish, this is a wine that takes hold of your palate and does not want to give it up. Summary * Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Santa Lucia Highland Pinot Noir Lot 80 2017 is a legitimate Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir at an unheard of price * They may have used some production techniques to help facilitate the $12.99 price point, but I would say the grapes are top-notch * This Pinot Noir is probably a little young, it is very drinkable, but if you can put it away for a year or so it may really show well (it is hard to say for sure, since people rarely cellar these types of wine) * Cheapwinefinder says, there are some great Pinot wineries operating in the Santa Lucia Highlands and if you are curious about their wines the Trader Joe's Lot 80 isn't a bad starting point  

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The Prayers of the Saints Chardonnay 2017 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in Washington State. I have noticed that wine that once had Columbia Valley as the place of origin on the label now say Washington State, they must be looking to promote Washington since the Columbia Valley produces 99% of the wine in Washington. Prayers of the Saints Chardonnay (there is also a Prayer of the Sinners Red Blend) is a new label from Chateau Ste Michelle, the largest winery in Washington. This Chardonnay has some interesting features, 7% of the juice is "Black Chardonnay", no, that isn't a type of Chardonnay, it is Chardonnay that became oxidized early in the winemaking process. If you saw the movie "Bottle Shock" you are familiar with its symptoms, the Chardonnay turns a nasty brown color before reverting to the golden Chardonnay hue we all know. In the movie it was accidental, but here, it is intentional. It is a technical process I don't quite understand, but if it occurs early in the process it is beneficial and if the wine oxidizes late in the winemaking you have major problems. The winemakers say it reduces bitterness and adds rich, complex flavor and it is something that you would not expect in a Chardonnay selling in the $10 to $13 range. 76% of the juice was fermented and aged in stainless steel vats and 24% in 53% French oak and 47% American oak barrels, no new barrels, but a mix of 1 and 2 year old barrels. French and American oak are two different species of oak and they have different grain structure and impart different flavors. So these various percentages add up to a very detailed and precise oak flavoring to the wine. I always say no 2 winemakers produce Chardonnay the same way, while there are many similarities from one Chard to another there is always something at least a little different and the Prayer of the Saints may be markedly different. The packaging of the wine also stands out, the label is a mashup of medieval skeletons and Salvador Dali-like painting of praying saints. And here is the labels party trick...the back label says that if you are a saint or a sinner the truth will be revealed  in the dark (so be sure the front label is exposed to bright light) because when the lights are cut the label becomes a glow in the dark praying skeleton. So it looks like according to this Chardonnay we are all sinners, they're probably right. The alcohol content is 13.5%, not that sinners worry about such things. The color is wheat yellow with a golden tint. The nose is on the husky side, melon, lemon, peach, pear, French vanilla, baking spice, apple, and flowers. This is a fruit-forward smooth, medium-bodied Chardonnay, with lip smacking acidity (that's a good thing). It tastes of a mix of peach, pear, lime, and lemon curd, ripe green apple, and vanilla cream. The mid-palate offers hint of spice, a salty sensation, and pink lemonade, followed by melon. The acidity allows the Chardonnay to be an appealing sipping wine and also pair well with upscale summer salads and cold seafood, shrimp, oysters, and crab legs. The finish mirrors the body of the wine and hangs around for a respectable length of time. Summary * You saw the Bottle Shock movie now you can kind of taste what they were talking about, two very different Chardonnays, but it isn't everyday, especially in this price range, that you get to experience "Black Chardonnay". * You can choose a wine by the label, wine with skulls and/or skeletons on the label have never let me down and you can add bonus points for glow-in-the-dark skeletons * Washington State wines offer a great deal of taste and quality in the value price wine class * The "Black Chardonnay" adds a hint of sweetness, this is basically a "dry" wine, but there is ripe, sweet fruit around the edges of the flavor profile

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The Oxte The Silence Red Blend 2017- Trader Joe's is a Trader Joe's $5.99 import exclusive, a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah, 25% Garnacha (same as Grenache) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vineyards in the Cariñena region of Northeast Spain. Oxte is the Spanish word for "shoo" as in shoo fly, to swat something away. The Oxte is produced by Axial Wines, who also make the TJ's LaGranja 360 wines, which are Spain's version of 2 Buck Chuck and to my taste about 3 times better, here is a link to LaGranja 360 Rosado 2016  and LaGranja 360 Verdejo Viura . I am usually impressed by how Axial Wines can produce a quality wine, with quality packaging for such a low price. They distribute over 500,000 cases (12 bottles to a case or over 6,000,000 bottles) of wine a year), I guess at that volume a little profit on each bottle adds up. Trader Joe's exclusive wines rarely have much in the way of technical information available and the Oxte actually has none, so everything we are going to learn about this Red Blend is going to come from the glass. The alcohol content is 14%. The color is a very dark raspberry jam red with black highlights. The nose does not say $5.99, it's sort of dark and brooding, black cherry, cinnamon, black pepper, at this price I doubt if there is any oak, but I think I am getting some vanilla, also licorice, and blackberry. This is a wine with a nice bit of weight on the palate, smooth and easy to drink. It tastes of blackberry and black cherry, plum, black pepper, and some spice lurking around the edges. The mid-palate adds some sweet licorice, raspberry jam (but not too sweet) and herbs. The tannins don't bite and the acidity has the length to let the flavors unfold, which is a high complete for a $5.99 red wine. The finish is full and stays around for a while. Summary * The Oxte The Silence doesn't look or taste like a sub-6 buck Red wine * This is a balanced, silky smooth Red blend, the flavors meld together  * Use the Oxte as a "ringer" when blind tasting under $20 Spanish reds, you will surprise everyone * Also try the LaGranja 360 wines, I am not crazy about every wine in the line-up, but 3/4 of them seriously rock for $4 to $6

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  The Dark Horse Brut Sparkling Wine is a non-vintage Chardonnay based Bubbly sourced from grapes grown in more than one California grape growing/wine-producing AVA. Dark Horse is one of E & J Gallo's (the largest family owned winery in the US) many wine labels, here are links to our posts on  Dark Horse Double Down Red and the 2014 Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon . Brut indicates that the Dark Horse is a dry or nor sweet Bubbly and Gallo owns top-notch vineyards thru-out California, so they have many sources for good quality Chardonnay grapes. Gallo and Dark Horse don't give out a great deal on information about the Bubbly, the website is more of a "lifestyle" site with little actual wine technical info. To the point where they don't indicate if this Sparkling wine was made in the Traditional Method (like Champagne) or the Charmat Method (like Prosecco). This isn't scientific but I have found that Bubbly that was made in the Traditional Method have that or Champenois Method (the same thing, this is what they call it in France) featured prominently on the label and Bubbly made in the Charmat Method tend to skip any mention of it. I don't know why, especially in this price range, but if you do either method with skill you can produce some fine tasting Bubbles. The alcohol content is 12%. The color is pale golden yellow is loads of active bubbles. On way you can tell a Champagne from a Prosecco is that the Champagne should have very tiny bubbles, but I find that figuring out whether the bubbles are tiny or very tiny isn't that easy. The nose is crisp and clean and slightly nectar sweet, there are flowers, and peach, apple, pear, soft lemon, and grapefruit. This is a crisp, clean Bubbly with little or no yeasty flavor (so that can indicate Charmat Method, right?). It tastes of crisp apple and pear, dry, with good lip smacking acidity, not a super complicated Bubbly, but a very pleasing flavor. The mid-palate offers a little minerality, a little salty, nutty sensation, and a slap of lemon/lime. Summary * The Dark Horse Brut is a well-made Bubbly, crisp and lean, with good control of the acidity * I have now decided that the bubbles are actually very tiny and not just tiny, but I still would guess the Charmat Method * The lip-smacking acidity and the salty/nutty thing on the mid-palate will having you reaching for your glass again and again * The dry, yet nectar sweet flavor profile is very enticing, a nice yin/yang effect * You should be able to find it selling for between $10 and $15 is the sweet spot for this type of California Bubbly. Too cheap and they tend to rush things and you shouldn't rush Sparkling wine, in this price range is where they take a little extra time to do it right

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The Epicuro Nero D'Avola 2017 is a $5.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive sourced from vineyards in Sicily. Nero D'Avola is THE Red grape of Sicily, the Nero translates to dark or black (in the old days Red wine grapes were referred to as "blacks") and D'Avola means "of Avola" which is a coastal town in Sicily. Epicuro is Trader Joe's brand that features interesting affordable wines from Italy and Sicily, I noticed a Primitivo (same grape as Zinfandel) from the Puglia region (the boot heel of Italy) along with several others, all in the same price range). Nero D'Avola is usually a rich, full-bodied wine (something along the lines of Syrah) with ample tannins, which is not the usual profile for a $5.99 wine. Nero D'Avola wines are rarely expensive, you will find plenty retailing for under $20. The alcohol content is a rather mild for a full-bodied wine, 12.5%. The color is dark, barely see-thru magenta red. The nose is sweet strawberry hard candy, black licorice, a little herb, a touch of spice, and black pepper. This is a smooth, medium-bodied wine, with bright fruit and sleek tannins. It starts with cherry (almost cherry cough drops), a brush of herbs, and cranberry. Most of what is happening with this wine happens upfront, but the mid-palate does add some ripe raspberry and interesting spice. The tannins are in the mix, they do not pull or bite, but they let you know that they are there. The acidity is on the mild side, I would think this Nero D'Avola is more of a sipping wine than a food wine, but it will do fine with pizza and burgers. The finish starts out strong, then fades before too long. The Epicuro Nero D'Avola 2017 is a pretty decent $5.99 Red wine. It is good enough to make me think about exploring Nero D'Avola in the $10 and above range, if the Epicuro does this well at 6 bucks, the more expensive stuff may really be something. The more the wine in my glass opens up, the richer and fuller the flavors, I gave the bottle a half hour to come together after I popped the top and I aerated the bottle and it still took additional time to hit its peak. Give the Epicuro Nero D'Avola 2017 enough time and it will offer a very nice budget glass of wine.

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The Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in the Anderson Valley AVA (about 100 miles north of San Francisco) which runs along the Pacific Coast of Mendocino County in Northern California. Carpe Diem is a joint project between the winemakers of Roederer Estate (the Champagne House's California holdings in Mendocino) who handle Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (both sourced in Anderson Valley) and Christian Moueix (Dominus Estate) who handles the Cabernet Sauvignon out of Napa Valley. The Carpe Diem is slightly out of CWF's normal price range of under $20, but this was found as an "end of bin" sale wine and selling for $12.99 ($22.99 list), so this is a cheap wine tip...look for close-outs and end of bin sales, they don't last long, but great bargains can be had. The Carpe Diem is a great change of pace, normally a value wines technical notes has more information about how great your life is going to be because your drinking their wine and little actual wine info. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is offers a wealth of information, for instance they use natural yeast to start fermentation, that means the yeast floating naturally in the air and clinging to the skin of the grapes is what ferments the grape juice, no commercial yeast added. The use of oak with value-priced wine has become so vague that it has become a guessing game, what does aged "on" oak actually mean? They pour the juice "on" a barrel, over a barrel, under a barrel? I sort of know why they are not explicit, but trying to hide what they are doing is a little fishy. With the Carpe Diem they tell you the name of the cooperage that made the barrels, no did we or didn't we. The barrel regimen is 74% of the Chardonnay was fermented in 15% new barrel, 15% one use barrel, and 70% older barrels, 26% was fermented in stainless steel tanks, all the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wine was aged an additional 9 months (in both barrel and tank) "on lees". The Chardonnay grape clones were 2 types of Burgundy clones, the main California Chardonnay clone in use today is the Wente clone, created over 100 years ago by Wente Vineyards, it is the clone you think of when drinking California Chardonnay. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is not going that direction, this will be Burgundian in style. The alcohol content is a not so Burgundian, 14.2%. The color is pale golden yellow. The nose is not your usual 12 buck fruity and bright California Chardonnay, here the nose is complicated, there are distinct barrel aromas, not just the typical vanilla and spice, slightly smokey, the scent isn't just apple, it's a spiced apple pastry, there is Meyer lemon, exotic spice, flowers, the nose is worth the price of the bottle. This is a Chardonnay that you may wish to decant, if you pop the top and pour, you will be missing out on about half the flavor this Chardonnay has to offer. It tastes of crème brûlée and pear, mixed with not so tart ripe apple and melon. The mid-palate adds a little salty cashew, a mix of spice and lime, and lemon. The acidity is really, really good, if you tell a winemaker from Burgundy that their wine has terrific balanced acidity and great length, they are happy, that's exactly what they were going for. The Carpe Diem has balanced acidity and great length. This Chardonnay tastes better with each sip. I have heard that the wines that win gold in wine judging competitions are the wines that are in a different style than the other wines in its category, the similar wines all cancel each other out and the wine that was different stands out from the crowd. I write about value priced wine and in California that means bright, juicy, and fruit forward and the Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is a major stand-out for me.

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The Erath Oregon Pinot Noir 2016 is sourced from vineyards all over Oregon, the Willamette Valley AVA is the one that everyone knows, but there is also the Rogue Valley AVA and the Umpqua Valley AVA. Erath Winery is one of the Chateau Ste Michelle family of wines and this is their "Taste of Oregon" Pinot Noir, they produce several different Pinots including high-end single vineyard Pinot Noir. The stated goal for this wine is "to make the best Pinot Noir in the world for under $20" and they just may have pulled it off since both Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator awarded this sub-$20 Pinot, 90 points. For me giving a wine a point score is essential if you are purchasing a $150+ wine and want to insure you are buying one of the elite wines, for under $20 value priced wines points don't mean as much. But, both those publications have well-respected, talented critics and while their palates may not been in tune with yours or mine, they do know how to identify quality in the vineyard and in the winemaking. So a good score for a value wine does indicate top quality, if the wine appeals to you or not is another story. The 2016 growing season in Oregon was cool and long, just what Pinot Noir grapes need to excel. 20% for this wine was aged in new French oak, they didn't specify if it was oak barrels or other means to impart oak seasoning. The alcohol content is 13.5%. The color is clear, see-thru garnet red. The nose is delicate and complicated, herbs, cherry, mushroom, baking spices, black pepper, raspberry, and a whiff of dark chocolate. This is a light to medium-bodied wine, the flavor profile starts off soft, then builds, very cool. It tastes of ripe cherry, a slap of pepper, some not sweet cola, candy spice, and herbs. The mid-palate shows tart cranberry with cream, orange zest, a quick hit of milk chocolate, and smooth plum. The tannins are sweet, you sense them, but there is no bite. The acidity is solid, you don't get these many flavors unfolding in a sip of wine without well-balanced acidity acting as a backbone. The finish engages you palate and then slowing fades away. The Erath Oregon Pinot Noir 2016 is an excellent Pinot Noir, no need for a "for the price" qualifier. It has flavor galore, it has structure that holds the wine together, but also stays out-of-the-way of you're sipping pleasure. I used to say that the Willamette Valley AVA produced my favorite Pinot Noirs, but I think from now on I will simply say my favorite Pinot Noir comes from Oregon.

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The Barons De Rothschild Légende Bordeaux Blanc 2017 is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon sourced from Rothschild vineyards in the Entre-Deux-Mers AOC region, a mostly White grape growing area of Bordeaux. If you are new to White Bordeaux wine, the main grape is Sauvignon Blanc that is often blended with Sémillon and occasionally other White grapes. Those of you who are familiar with Sauvignon Blanc thru the White wine of New Zealand should give Bordeaux Blanc a try, there are similarities, but it is definitely a different and worthy take on producing Sauvignon Blanc. There was frost in Bordeaux in late April of 2017 that greatly reduced the size of the crop, but often when there is a smaller yield the vines produce intense and flavorful grapes. Occasionally with grapes seeming misfortune turns out to an advantage for wine drinkers. This is a wine that should be found in the $15 to $20 range, even with its fancy pedigree and AOC status. The Légende is a drink-it-now wine, it's ready to drink and further aging will not produce better results, in fact it should be bright, delicious, alive when consumed young. The Bordeaux Blend was aged, on lees, in stainless steel, no oak barrels were used and the alcohol content is a restrained 12%. The color is pale, wheat yellow. The nose is bold, there is tropical fruit, peaches, pears, lemons and limes, ripe apples, and grapefruit.  The addition of Sémillon gives this Sauvignon Blanc a solid, firm mouthfeel, it gives this blend some weight. It tastes of Anjou pear, lemon curd, peach juice, and Golden delicious apple. The mid-palate offers not-so-tart grapefruit, a touch of cream (maybe from the "on-lees"), a hint of spice and a little papaya. The acidity is well-controlled, it drinks very well on its own or pair it with fancy summer salads or cold shrimp. The finish is soft, but lasts for a long time. The Barons De Rothschild Légende Bordeaux Blanc 2017 is a well-made and tasty Bordeaux Blanc. I think that Bordeaux White wine is almost criminally under appreciated by the value-priced wine crowd. Fine examples of Sauvignon Blanc blends are priced almost the same as New Zealand Sauv Blanc and are equally engaging and delicious.Maybe New Zealand wines have easier to remember names, while the French stuff is Domaine this or Chateau that, you remember the Domaine, but forget the family name. Which could be the reason Barons de Rothschild named their wine the Légende, that's a name that is easy to remember. And there is no reason to ever forget a very good wine.  

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The Francesco Toscana IGT Rosso 2015 is an ALDI $8.99 import exclusive. The ALDI website from Germany says this is a blend of Bordeaux grapes with a little Syrah added in to smooth things out. A Toscana IGT Rosso indicates that this is a Red (Rosso) wine from the whole of Tuscany (Italy) and not an individual sub-growing region and IGT shows that the grapes have the characteristics of Tuscany, but wasn't produced to the DOC or DOCG rules and regulations. The IGT designation (now changed to IGP) came about when wineries in Tuscany choose to add French grape varietals (usually Merlot or Cabernet or Syrah) to their traditional Sangiovese. The DOC/DOCG rules in place did not permit this blend and the resulting bottles were forced to be categorized as Table Wine, the lowest Italian wine class. The problem was that those unapproved blends took off in popularity (they were called Super Tuscan) and they were selling all they could produce. This put the Italian wine authorities in a bad position, how can you promote DOCG/DOC wines as the top of Italian wine when a Table Wine was out selling everyone? So, they split the difference and created the IGT category. Now, anytime an Italian winemaker wants to make a wine that doesn't follow the rules, which happens quite often in the value-priced wine range, they just get it approved as a IGT/IGP and its all good. The Francesco Rosso is a 2015 vintage which shows this Red blend has a good deal of age, both oak barrel? and bottle for an $8.99 Tuscan wine. The alcohol content is 14%. The color is a dark, black cherry red, see-thru, but just barely. The nose is blackberries, vanilla, a little cherry, a little spice and roses, off all things. This is a Red that is smooth upfront and then the structure kicks in, which lets you know this is an Italian wine. It tastes of black cherry and sweet blueberry, dusty chocolate powder, black pepper, and plum. The mid-palate offers raspberry mixed with tart cranberry, some not sweet candy spices, and a slap of vanilla. The tannins make their presence known, they are sweet and don't bite, but you can feel them. The acidity is nicely balanced, this wine drinks well and it is a food wine, of course its Italian. The finish is soft and subtle, but does linger. The Francesco Toscana IGT Rosso 2015 is a solid 9 buck wine, smooth and flavorful, with enough structure to hold it together. In Europe, ALDI is THE bang-for-the-buck wine destination, it doesn't have that reputation in the US, the wine section is too small and haphazardly put together. But, don't sleep on their European wine selections (actually I have found some pretty decent Paso Robles and Sonoma wines at ALDI,too), they have long-term relationships with top-notch wineries thru-out Europe and are well-known for offering outstanding wine on the cheap. That this Tuscan wine with some age to it is selling for $8.99 and is very enjoyable is not unexpected, ALDI's European wine reputation is well-earned. Sip it on a Netflix night or pour a glass with some pasta, this is a well-priced bottle that delivers.

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The Trader Joe's Cotillion Pinot Noir 2016 is a $9.99 Trader Joe's exclusive sourced from vineyards in 56% Monterey County, 33% Sonoma County, and 11% Santa Barbara County. These 3 counties are very solid Pinot Noir growing region and the bottle could have indicated California as the grape origin, since 2 of the AVA's are in the Central Coast AVA and 1 in the North Coast AVA, but they wanted to "show-off" it's semi-fancy pedigree (especially for the price). This is a TJ's wine that comes back every year, we reviewed the 2013 vintage and as I recall, liked it. The back label indicates some sort of oak aging or conditioning and a 2016 vintage is a fair bit of bottle aging for a ten buck wine. Certain wines take longer to come together and be drinkable for release, they tend to produce $10 wines to find their balance quickly. So a current vintage of 2016 shows the producer didn't rush this bottle to market and that is a good thing for any wine, but especially for Pinot Noir which tends to be delicate and shouldn't be rushed. The alcohol content is 13.8%. The color is a legit, see-thru garnet red, with so many Pinot Noir's having Petite Sirah and other grapes blended in nowadays I am used to seeing deep, dark Pinots, I prefer the real thing. The nose is impressive, smoke, herbs, mushroom, black pepper, cherry, grilled meat, it's the aromas found on the expensive stuff. This is a medium bodied, nicely balanced, old-school Pinot Noir. It tastes of cherry, a little Dr. Pepper (not sweet), a rough contrast of herbs, and creamy vanilla. The mid-palate offers exotic spice, raspberry, black pepper, and a late slap of Altoids spice. The tannins are soft and sweet and the acidity stays in the background, this can be a food wine as well as an excellent sipper. The finish is vibrant and lengthy. The Trader Joe's Cotillion Pinot Noir 2016 is an unexpectedly satisfying California Pinot Noir. It constantly reminded me of Pinots from the expensive, highly touted growing regions, not a best of California TJ's $9.99 Pinot. It is not as delicate and etherial as the best Pinot Noir, but it does drinks very well and in a blind tasting you would never guess the price. Plus it has a label with Victorian-style animals dancing at a party where they are wearing masks of other animals. Wonderful label and a wonderful wine.        

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