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March 18, 2021 Grower’s Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019
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The Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 is sourced from select vineyards throughout Oregon. Grower's Guild is the affordable line of wines from Owen Roe Winery, which David O'Reilly owned. And that is why the Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 is chosen as CheapWineFinders St Patrick's Day wine.Owen Roe was an Irish Rebel commander from the 1500s and 1600s, and David O'Reilly has an Irish name. I am sure there are other affordable Irish-related wines available, but I couldn't find one at local shops. Ireland has more of a beer and whiskey history.Vintage Wine Estates purchased Owen Roe Winery in 1999, which has a whole portfolio of wines, and David O'Reilly now serves as the head of winemaking for the Northwest coast. Owen Roe's value-priced wines had been the Sharecropper line of wine, and that brand seems to be replaced by the Grower's Guild wines.Owen Roe wines featured vineyards in Yakima Valley in Washington and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The Grower's Guild wines do not seem to be exclusively sourced from Willamette Valley but from "dedicated growers up and down the state’s best regions." Willamette Valley gets all the wine writers' attention, but there are grape-growing regions all along Oregon's coast.I always like Owen Roe Winery because even though they are a producer of excellent, splurge-worthy, they always also produced top-quality affordable (under $20, the Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 was found for $16). Not every high-end winery has paid attention to value-priced wine drinkers.An interesting feature of Oregon Pinot Noir is that wines selling for about $40 and under have screw-cap enclosures, and the $40 plus wine have corks. I think more wine regions should follow this example; a typical $40 and under wine is not going to be cellared, and a screw-top is far easier to deal with. Most value-priced wines have inexpensive corks or cork substitutes. They are nothing to get excited about; give me a decent screw cap.The technical notes for the Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 do not give much information. They mention that the spring and fall had cool weather and the summer was warm, and that is exactly what you look for when growing Pinot Noir grapes. The wine was aged in oak, but other details are given. The alcohol content is 13%.Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a very see-thru garnet red. The nose is bright, ripe cherry, sharp spice, vanilla, herbs, crushed dried fall leaves, strong black coffee, and tea. It is full of interesting aromas; if I kept my nose in the glass, it would offer up additional scents, but on to the taste portion.Often with value-priced Pinot Noir, you would describe them as soft, silky, and smooth, but the Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 has that and another dark side and brooding. It tastes black cherry, exotic spice, bitter dark chocolate, licorice, and ripe plum.The mid-palate adds non-sweet Dr. Pepper, a sharp slap of rougher-edged spice, raspberry, and a salty, cashew sensation. The tannins are sweet, and the acidity gives this Pinot Noir a bright, lively appeal.The SummaryThe Grower's Guild Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 is a solid example of an Oregon Pinot Noir.I know the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir gets all the press, but in this price range except growers and a talented winemaker matter more.
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7 min
March 16, 2021 Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016
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The Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's import wine sourced from the DOCG Chianti Classico district in Tuscany. The name Fior di Vino translates to Fine Wine. While this wine sells for $6.99 at TJ's, I found it selling at a wine shop in New York State for $13.99.Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016The Chianti wine region is a little complicated. There is the regular DOCG Chianti area where the wines must have a minimum of 70% Sangiovese; then, several named sub-regions have unique characteristics. The DOCG Chianti Classico region is the original top-of-the-line Chianti growing district.In Italy, the DOCG designated regions are seen by the wine governing body as the elite growing areas, and these places are subject to the highest vineyard and winemaking standards. The G in DOCG is guaranteed, not a guarantee that you will like the wine, but a guarantee of the highest quality.The Chianti Classico wines must have 80% Sangiovese, and the bottles have a black rooster on the label to tell them apart from the regular DOCG Chianti. The Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 conforms to all the Chianti Classico Reserva regulations, including a minimum of 24 months in oak barrels and an additional 3 months aging in bottle. As 2016 vintage, this Chianti had between four and five years of total aging.Trader Joe's is an ALDI in Europe and is well regarded as the place to find value in wine. They have excellent contacts among European winemakers. ALDI/Trader Joe's has a nearly worldwide sales reach that very few wine outlets can match. Their ability to sell wine on several continents allows them to sell in volume and keep costs down.That a wine shop in New York is offering the Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 at two times the price as Trader Joe's gives you insight into the price advantage they can have. I have heard people say the prices are too low the wine can not be any good, but that is not the dynamic here.People in countries that drink wine with each meal drink value-priced wine (of course, there are exceptions), but the European wine industry is set up to supply inexpensive wine that will pair well with the local menus. A California Red wine with five years of aging sourced from an elite growing region and selling for $6.99 will be hard to find. But, value-priced wine from the DOCG Chianti Classico region is a real thing.While the Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 has several years of oak and bottle aging, the oak barrels used tend to be large oak barrels and not smaller ones. Smaller Bordeaux-style barrique barrels are favored for Bordeaux and most California wines. The larger oak barrels offer less direct contact with the Sangiovese so that the wine will be slightly less oaky.The Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 checks off all the same boxes as the more expensive Chianti Classico. Nobody puts inferior grapes in oak barrels for 24 plus months and ages the wine for four years plus. This is something that only winemakers that are confident of the results will do. So, the Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 should be an enjoyable wine, so on to the tasting portion. The alcohol content is 13%.Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, see-thru strawberry jelly red with black highlights. The nose is red berries, oak spice, dark chocolate, baking spices, black pepper, and coffee. This is a soft, smooth wine with excellent acidity and would work as both a food and a sipping wine.It tastes like blackberry, licorice, chocolate, light herbs, and plum. The mid-palate offers a slap of sharp spice, raspberry, orange zest, tart cranberry, a salty sensation, and blueberry. The acidity allows this 2016 Chianti to be bright and alive.The SummaryThe Fior di Vino Chianti Classico Reserva 2016 sells for $6.99 and is a very good Chianti.Easy to drink and tasty.
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7 min
March 13, 2021 McBride Sisters Hawke’s Bay Brut Rosé
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The McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose is a non-vintage blend of 64% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 6% Merlot vineyards located in Hawke's Bay growing region on the North Island in New Zealand. The Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay are iconic grapes used in Champagne wines, so the uncommon addition of Merlot is an interesting choice.The South Island of New Zealand, especially Marlborough, is a high-volume wine region. The North Island and Hawke's Bay is a more boutique area with family-owned wineries with smaller vineyard holdings. Hawke's Bay is on the eastern south-central side of the Island. The grapes there will have different characteristics from the more well-known South Island wines.One of McBride Sisters wine's best things isn't the wine (though they are excellent). It the sisters' story and how they came to form the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States, but how the sisters came to meet.Here is a link to their website, along with a CBS morning news segment that tells the story. They are half-sisters, same father different mothers. They were not aware that the other existed. One sister moved with her mother to New Zealand; the other lived with her mother in Monterey, California. Dad was not around much.The New Zealand sister lost her mother to cancer at an early age and went into foster care. The California sister had a better time of it. The father, who was also battling cancer, told the other lost sister's family, but he had no information on the location.The family went about calling every Robin McBride they could find until somehow they found her in New Zealand. The next day she was on the plane to the US, and Andrea and Robin were united. The two sisters separately had been a part of the wine industry, one in New Zealand, the other in Monterey. In 2005 they started the McBride Sister Collection.They also produce SHE CAN canned wines and the Black Girl Magic line of wine. They started the SHE CAN Professional Development Fund to help women also achieve their dreams. There are many interesting backstories in wine; it seems interesting people like to make wine. But the McBride Sisters story is a story of hope and determination.The McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose is available in wine shops, but I found it at Trader Joe's for $14.99. This Sparkling wine is produced with the Charmat Method, which is the same technique used to make Prosecco. The second fermentation, which is where the bubbles are formed, occurs in large pressurized vats.It is the same principle as the autoclaves used to sterilize surgical equipment and tattoo needles, only on a much larger scale. The pressure helps the CO2 to incorporate into the wine in weeks or months. With Champagne, the 2nd fermentation lasts for 18 months and often longer.The Charmat Method is Industrial Age technology, and the Champagne Method is Renaissance Age technology, though both have been updated over the years. The McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose should be interesting Bubbly; the grapes are carefully sourced from upscale vineyards, and the Charmat Method should give the wine a light, breezy nature. The alcohol content is 12.6%.McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose Tasting NotesThe color is pale salmon pink, with a good supply of bubbles. The nose is delicate, with faint scents of vanilla ice cream, strawberry, a slap of grapefruit, and a floral edge. The McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose crisp and clean with well-balanced acidity.This Bubbly tastes dried strawberry pieces, lemon/lime (not sweet), juicy peach, tart cranberry, a salty sensation, and a mix of lemon curd and Anjou Pear. All the flavors a light but distinct. The acidity allows the flavors to unfold but never bites.The SummaryThe McBride Sisters Hawke's Bay Brut Rose is extremely tasty and refreshing Bubbly. It has me thinking about the coming warm weather.Rose' Sparkling wines are weird.
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7 min
March 10, 2021 Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
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The Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is sourced from vineyards in the Central Coast AVA of California. The Weed Cellars website only mentions Paso Robles as the contributing region, but the label says Central Coast (Paso Robles AVA is inside the Central Coast AVA. I would imagine most of the grapes came from Paso, but not enough of a percentage to show it on the label.Weed Cellars is a new wine, beer, and spirits company, and no, there is no cannabis or hemp in any of their products. They have a full and interesting line of wines. A $99 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chenin Blanc/ Viognier blend, and a Prosecco. They also offer Vodka, Texas Whiskey, and beer brewed in San Antonio.The wine, except for the Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, all list for $14.99. I found the Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 on-sale for $12.99. I have seen brands that offered a wide array of wine choices before, but I can not recall a wine brand that offered beer and spirits.The Weed Cellars website takes a unique approach to explain the wine selections. Instead of detailed technical notes, which I love, and most folks probably ignore, they offer a Youtube video of their in-house Sommelier giving her tasting notes, short and sweet but informative.The Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 has a good amount of age for a $13 to $15 California Cabernet Sauvignon. You can tell a good deal about a bottle of wine by its vintage date upon release. A 2020 or 2019 wine in March of 2021 will most likely be a young wine meant to be enjoyed right away and not cellared. A 2018 or 2017 vintage wine had extensive production techniques and needed additional time to find its balance.A 2017 Red wine in this price category is relatively rare. With value-priced wine, time is money, and the sooner the wine is ready for release, the better. The Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 goes against that principle, which is a good sign. A quality California Cabernet Sauvignon needs oak barrel aging and the extra time for the flavors to come together.The tasting video mentioned both French and American oak and offered a quick but useful description of the flavors each type of oak provides, so check it out. There are a couple of links to the Weed Cellars website sprinkled thru-out this write-up.I am looking forward to the tasting portion of this review. Weed Cellars is taking a new and modern approach to marketing its offerings, which I enjoy. Most wine marketing is stuck 20 years in the past; it will be interesting to see if this model is the way forward. The alcohol content is 14%.Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is clear, but dark black cherry red; there is as much black as there is red. The nose is ripe and juicy but also slightly dark and brooding. There is blackberry, molasses, mocha coffee, Altoid's candy spice, black pepper, blackberry, and mint.The Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is a full-bodied, full-flavored Cab Sauv. It has excellent weight on the palate. It tastes like blackberry, oak spice, toasty vanilla, licorice, black pepper, and plum. The mid-palate brings a sharp slap of orange zest, raspberry, a slight tug from the tannins (a welcome and good thing), and blueberry.The tannins and the acidity are well-balanced, the flavors are strong and pleasurable. This is the first California Cabernet Sauvignon I have had since reviewing the Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017. It is like tasting wine from two different worlds, 2 worlds that I love.The SummaryThe Weed Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 drinks above its price tag, especially my sale price.I was unsure what to expect; if a brand wine is targeted toward you, you are in for a good wine at a good price. But you don't know if you are in their focus group until your first sip.I am glad this is not a cannabis-infused wine; my motto is one high at a time.The Cabernet Sauvignon showed me enough that I will be on the look-out for ..
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8 min
March 07, 2021 Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019
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The Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is sourced from vineyards in Sonoma County, primarily the Russian River Valley AVA and the Dry Creek AVA. The Angeline brand is one of the Martin Ray Vineyards and Winery family of wines.Martin Ray Vineyards was one of the pioneers of the single varietal Burgundian style of wine in California. Martin Ray was founded in the early 1940s and last until the 1970s. In 1990 Courtney Benham restarted the winery, and it is going strong to this day.The Angeline brand was started to cater to wine by the glass sales in restaurants and expanded to be their affordable line of single varietal wines. The wine we are discussing today is their Sauvignon Blanc, but being a Burgundian-influenced winery, the flagship Angeline offering is their Pinot Noir.The Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is sourced from grapes grown in both cool and warm growing areas. One way that affordable wines with grapes taken from different locations can have personality and complexity is to combine grapes with different characteristics.Expensive Sauvignon Blanc is often produced from grapes grown in a vineyard with interesting and unique qualities. Since that vineyard can produce only so much wine, the price rises with exclusivity.Value-priced Sauvignon Blanc (this applies to all other wines) requires the winemaker to expertly source the grapes to create a wine that mimics the more expensive wine.The Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a young, simply produced wine, which is exactly what I want in a well-priced (Found it for $11.99) Sauvignon Blanc. These wines do not need fancy production techniques to be bright, vibrant, and delicious.The technical notes do not specify, but I think this wine was fermented and aged in Stainless steel tanks with no oak barrel aging. The individual vineyard lots were fermented and aged separately and then blended to taste.Sauvignon Blanc is best known from several locations in France and New Zealand, but the grape has a long history in California. Wine aficionados may not value California Sauvignon highly, but value-priced wine drinkers can find excellent well-priced Sauv Blanc. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is clean, clear, pale wheat yellow. The nose is pretty, it does not that jump out of your glass characteristics of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but there is lemon, apple peach, lightly floral, with peach, pear, and honey.The Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 a well-balanced wine with bold flavor and solid acidity. It tastes of grapefruit drizzled with a little orange blossom honey, crisp green apple, light spice, lemon, lime, Anjou pear, and faint mint. This is a tasty wine that is well controlled and not a show-off like some Sauv Blanc.I did not mention a mid-palate since the flavors upfront ran right thru the body of the wine. A wine that does not have a transition can sometimes be lesser, but not here. This is a delicious wine that keeps going strong.The SummaryThe Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a solid well-priced Sauv Blanc and a nice change of pace from the bold New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.The Angeline Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is not exactly shy and retiring, but it is nowhere near as bold as the NZ wines.
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7 min
March 03, 2021 Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018
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The Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 is an $8.99 Aldi exclusive. The Russian River Valley AVA is in western Coastal Sonoma County. The Sonoma Coast AVA is west of the Russian River Valley AVA.The Russian River Valley runs north/south parallel to the coast. The river originally flowed east/ west until a cataclysmic event thousands of years ago changed its source forever.The name Ashokawna meant water to the east and was the indigenous people's name for the Russian River. Sonoma's Russian River Valley sub-AVA is a premier location for farming Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.Aldi seldom gives technical information concerning the production of their wines. That is to be expected; they do make an effort to keep costs in check to offer good affordable wines. Aldi has an outstanding reputation in Europe for selling bang-for-the-buck wine.The back label of the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 mentions aromas of "pineapple, citrus, and vanilla." Also, flavors of "butterscotch, brioche, and baked apple."This would suggest that the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 underwent partial malolactic fermentation and had considerable oak barrel aging. The citrus may indicate that some of the Chardonnay is unoaked and did not undergo malolactic fermentation.Aldi has price advantages over typical retail wine. I am not privy to their contracts with the winemakers but typical with store brand wines, payment in full is made upon delivery. Wineries often have to wait for their wines to sell before receiving a return on their investment.Aldi does no advertising or marketing; you would be surprised how much of the cost of a bottle of wine is marketing. Store brands do not need full distributorship services, so there are savings there too.An $8.99 store-brand may be the equivalent of a $12 or $13 retail wine. Twelve or thirteen dollars will buy you an excellent California Chardonnay. Aldi store brand wines can offer excellent value if they deliver in the taste department.I have high hopes for the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018. The winery that I suspect made the wine is known to produce high-quality wine. If a winery's name is not on the label, then it is not their wine; this is Aldi's wine.A store-brand wine may not be the exact wine that a winery would produce as their own. These wines are made to the customer's specifications, so while store brands might not be exactly the wine that would fit the producer's portfolio, I know of no winery that would ever skimp on quality. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, clean wheat yellow. The nose is ripe, apple, the aforementioned pineapple and vanilla, lemon/lime (kind of a non-sweet Sprite), spice, and spring flowers.The Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 comprises clean, crisp flavors and more rounded oak-influenced flavors.It tastes like a stew of tart apple, lemon curd, butterscotch, and spice. The mid-palate brings buttered bakery bread, lime, stone fruit, creamy vanilla, and guava. The acidity is well-balanced; it provides enough backbone so all the flavors can unfold.The SummaryThe Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 is one of those wines where I feel like a jerk for complaining.This is a delicious Chardonnay, but it is not as seamless as the best Chardonnay.Yes, I know that is nitpicking because the top Chardonnay seldom sells for $8.99, and even comparing this Chard to the best is actually high praise.If you find this wine at Aldi, buy it, it drinks well above its price tag.
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7 min
February 28, 2021 Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017
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The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot sourced from AOC designated vineyards in the Bordeaux region of France. The Legende brand is Domaines Barons de Rothschild's (Lafite) line of export wines.Legende line includes wines from the major Bordeaux region and the top-of-the-line wine from Rothschild's own vineyards. The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 is sourced from contracted vineyards in multiple areas.High of the wine produced in Bordeaux sell for under twenty dollars. The top wines can get very pricey, but much of Bordeaux is affordable. The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 should be found for around $15.As an export wine, the Legende has its own vineyards, its own source for oak barrels, and its own winemaker (Diane Flamand). So while it is part of the Rothschild (Lafite) brand, it will be different from the top wine line.There was a time when the export version of a country's wines would be markedly different from wine sold in the country. European wines were "Old School," meaning balance was valued above all other attributes."New School" wines were modern wines from the West Coast of America, South America, and Australia. With "New School" wines flavor came first and then balance.For some time, people thought there was a battle between the competing styles. But there was no competition, it was changing tastes in wine, and now most European wines lean toward the "New World" style.Bordeaux grows some of the finest, if not the finest, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in the world. The famous Bordeaux Red blend is designed to show-off the interplay between those two grapes. Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and sometimes Malbec are added to the blend as needed, but Cab and Merlot are the show's stars.The Red Blends farther down the price spectrum can not be expected to feature the costly blends' elite grapes. But when sourced correctly can still offer an excellent bang-for-the-buck.The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 was fermented in stainless steel tanks, and 60% of the wine was aged in stainless steel. 40% was oak barrel-aged and then blended with the unbaked wine. This is not a Vegan-friendly wine since egg whites were used in the fining process (removing solids from the finished wine). The alcohol content is 12%, which is rarely seen in comparable California Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, see-thru cherry red. The nose is blackberry, toasted vanilla, dark spice, black coffee, and ripe plum. The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 is a lean, sleek wine with dark flavors.It starts with blackberry, licorice, black pepper, and spice. The mid-palate adds soft blueberry, orange zest, molasses, a salty sensation, and tart cranberry. The tannins are more pronounced than with the typical California value-priced blend.Having tannins in a Red wine is a good thing; so many inexpensive (and even some expensive) wines have the tannins reduced to the point that you barely know they are there. It is nice to be reminded just what the tannin's role is in Red wine.The acidity is well-balanced. Maybe the Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 does have a bit of that "Old School" vibe.The SummaryIt is sometimes difficult to figure out which value-priced Bordeaux Rouge (Red) blend is worth purchasing. The Legende Bordeaux Rouge 2017 takes away the guesswork; you know the Rothschild (Lafite) brand will ensure quality.
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7 min
February 25, 2021 Tenebres GSM 2019
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The Tenebres GSM 2019 is a $5.99 Trader Joe's exclusive sourced from vineyards in France's Languedoc region. The name Tenebres translates to "Darkness." A GSM Red blend is a wine that originated in the Southern Rhone Valley in France and is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre.The Languedoc is the largest wine region in France and is where much of the everyday wine is produced. High-end villages and sub-districts can get pricey, but most of the wine produced is affordable.The majority of the folks in Europe who have a bottle of wine with the meal drink value-priced wine. It is hard to budget two $30 bottles of wine a day on most budgets. $5.99 (Tenebres GSM 2019) is the norm.When I first discovered Trader Joe's, I thought that wines such as the Tenebres GSM 2019 could not be any good. Wine marketing had me believing that the bottle's price was directly tied to the quality of the wine.It took me some time to figure out that people from wine-producing European countries drank cheap wine and like it. Nobody goes through the effort of making a meal only to ruin everything with a bad bottle of wine. Yes, there are wines for all price-points and all occasions, but quality wine can be inexpensive. A GSM Blend is one of the two classic French wine blends. The most famous is the Bordeaux blend, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, along with Petite Verdot and Malbec's lesser amounts. There is the GSM Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.A solid Bordeaux blend may be a little difficult to find for value wine drinkers since the key to that blend is the interplay between the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bordeaux produces some of the best Merlot globally, but it can be difficult to find excellent Merlot at a lower price point.With a GSM Blend, the attraction is not the excellence of the two main grapes; each of the three grapes adds something to the blend that the others do not possess. A $5.99 Trader Joe's wine, Tenebres GSM 2019, can work. The blend does not need the best vineyards to be excellent; the three grapes need to offer what is expected.I have yet to taste this wine, but the fact that the blend is one-third Grenache, one-third Syrah, and one-third Mourvedre gives me hope that this wine may drink well. The winemakers are not hiding anything; every grape is added in equal parts. They are not using mostly the grape that is showing well with smaller amounts of the others. That indicates they had confidence in the entire blend. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Tenebres GSM 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a barely see-thru cherry red with black highlights. The nose is rich and jammy, with blackberry, cherry, oak spice, baking spices, black pepper, licorice, and bitter chocolate. Some scents come from oak barrel aging, which is surprising to find in a $5.99 wine.This is a wine with a silky mouthfeel and a solid array of flavors. It starts with blackberry, cola, soft spice, and black cherry. The mid-palate adds blueberry with a bit of cream, a rougher splash of spice, a salty sensation, and a late cinnamon slap.I mentioned before that this type of wine is often included in the daily meal. Value-priced food wines often do not sip well; they are made to balance when accompanying food. The Tenebres GSM 2019 drinks very well.The SummaryThe Tenebres GSM 2019 is a tasty wine. It does not taste exactly like a classic Rhone Valley GSM, it is from the Languedoc after all, but it does sip well.I am no longer shocked when a seriously inexpensive wine offers an enjoyable drinking experience.I prefer the Rhone version of GSM blends, but you cannot beat the price for the Tenebres GSM 2019.
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7 min
February 22, 2021 VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019
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The VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's exclusive. The Sonoma Coast AVA runs along the California coast from the San Pablo Bay to Mendocino County to the north. The Sonoma Coast AVA is located in mountainous terrain, with most of the vineyards located high up in the foothills, well above the fog line. The area is prised for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.The Pacific Ocean cooling winds keep temperatures down, especially at night, though daytime temperatures can get warm. It also gets twice as much rainfall as the rest of Sonoma County.Excess rainfall is a problem for vineyards, too much rain can cause mold and disease. Rain during grape harvest can ruin the entire vintage. Winemakers want the grapes intense and concentrated, and rain can dilute the juice in the grapes.The VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 sells for $6.99, about one-third the price for an entry-level retail brand Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. CWF reviewed the 2018 vintage and had mixed feelings.There are only a handful of mostly boutique wineries in the AVA; most of the big-name producers of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir are located elsewhere and have contracts with the various vineyards.Often these Trader Joe's wines from high-end growing regions are one-off. Somebody received a good deal on grapes and/or finished wine and made a deal to pass along the savings through the Trader Joe's brand.The VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 is a reoccurring label that must have a steady source of grapes and/or finished wine at below market price. Sometimes wine had some technical problems, such as rain during harvest, so the resulting wine did not meet winery standards.In the past, I have suspected problem wines from famous makers ended up with a Trader Joe's label and a bargain price tag. Since we have the 2018 and 2019 vintage of the VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019, that may not be the case.Let us head to the tasting section and see if I like the 2019 vintage better than the 2018 vintage. And see if I can figure out what this Pinot Noir is all about. The alcohol content is 13.8%.VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a see-thru garnet red, just like the expensive Pinot Noir. The nose is cherries, herbs, crushed dried fall leaves, pepper, ripe raspberry, spice, and a light floral edge. So far, so good.The VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019 is half silky smooth and rough-edged; that alone is worth $6.99. I would not call this Pinot Noir delicious, but I am intrigued. I keep reaching for another sip.It tastes cherry, sharp, slightly bitter spice, cranberry, and a blast of black pepper. The mid-palate adds orange zest, cola, and ripe strawberry. The acidity is good, nice, and balanced. This is a $6.99 Pinot Noir that engages your palate.The SummaryI had mixed feeling about the 2018 vintage, but I like the VINTJS Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019It is a legitimate California Pinot Noir.A good Pinot Noir should make you think and maybe take a few sips before deciding if it is a yes or a no.
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5 min
February 19, 2021 Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019
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The Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019 is a $7.99 ALDI exclusive sourced from vineyards in California and that is the extent of what I know about this wine.The Exquisite Collection line of wine is basically the ALDI equivalent to Trader Joe's Reserve wines. Special wine deals happened upon that year, and they pass the savings on to us. They do not seem to be $20 wine selling for 8 bucks, just good, solid wine at a good price.The description on the back label of the Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019 mentions flavors of brioche and toasted almonds. That would suggest some oak conditioning (the brioche) and partial malolactic fermentation and mainly "on lees" fermentation (the nutty flavors). I am completely out of pertinent for the Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019. I could wax poetic about Chardonnay for another three of four paragraphs, but I would rather find out what this Chardonnay tastes like, so on to the tasting portion. The alcohol content is 13.7%.Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, pale golden yellow. The nose is more melon and lemon, than crisp apple, peach and pear. The nose suggests some decent oak aging, meaning oak barrel or staves rather than oak powder.This is not a cookie-cutter Chardonnay; there is an interesting flavor profile, layer, and complex, but not the usual affordable Cali Chard. It tastes of lemon, melon, light spice, and a little butterscotch, not sweet.The mid-palate offers tart lemon curd, that salty, nutty, on lees thing, Anjou pear, and a slap of pink lemonade. The acidity is well-balanced; it lets the flavor do its thing but otherwise stays out of the way.The SummaryThe Exquisite Collection Chardonnay 2019 is a Chardonnay that is well worth drinking.It is an interesting Chardonnay that is well-made and has some personality.I have had good luck with these Exquisite Collection wines; I will be sure to give the next edition a try.
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