Tag Archives: Trader Joe’s

Dec 18 2012
5 Comments
2010, California, USA

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red Blend

2010 Babble Mendocino County Red Blend

Let me say this right away after those frustrating last couple wine reviews: I was quite happy with this one, so my bad luck streak is broken!

A while back, my fellow blogger Talk-A-Vino posted a short review about this wine I had seen a couple of times at Trader Joe’s but never bought it. I guess the label was a bit wacky for me…thanks to Talk-A-Vino, I decided to give it a try. Here is what he had to say about the wine’s 2008 bottle:

2008 Babble Mendocino County Red Wine (13.7% ABV, $6.99) – blend of 36% Petite Syrah, 26% Syrah, 17% Merlot, 10% Carignane, 10% Grenache and 1% Malbec. Deep purple color, hint of blackberries on the nose, touch of oak, some cherries and a bit of spice box on the palate, very gentle tannins, good acidity. Paired very well with TJ’s Pulled Beef Brisket in smoky BBQ sauce. The text on the label is priceless and somewhat nicely mocking all the “over-sophisticated” wine reviews. Drinkability: 7+.

Obviously, we did not have the same vintage to try, but I was quite satisfied with the 2010. The wine still costs $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. According to Trader Joe’s website it is a blend of “Petit Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Carignane, and Grenache, with just a touch of Malbec” which confirms what Talk-A-Vino had assembled in information. According to TJ, it is aged for 24 months in French and American oak barrels.

The wine we poured was of medium dark ruby red color. In the nose I got red fruits, some marzipan (almond), and a slightly salty smell. It was light bodied and silky, with cherry and chocolate notes, low tannins and a nice pepper note paired with good acidity. I thought it was very drinkable and fun. The pizza I had with it brought out more pepper and vegetal notes in the wine.

As the price suggests, this is not a special occasion wine but I think it is a decent, uncomplicated everyday wine that also should go well with a host of different foods. And, as Talk-A-Vino says, the label is priceless.

Thanks for pointing this one out, Anatoli!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Nov 30 2012
17 Comments
2009, Apulia, Italy

2009 Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva

2009 Epicuro Salice Salentine Riserva

Some of you might remember that I wrote a quite fond review for this wine’s 2007 Riserva, if you don’t you can find it here. It is available at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. Let me just repost some of the information on Salice Salentino from my previous post:

“Salice Salentino is a red wine from Southern Italy and has had DOC (denominanzione di origine controllata) status since 1976. The village it is named after is in the heel of the Italian boot. The main grape in a salice salentino is negroamaro, which is generally described as a rustic and earthy grape.

This red has 80% negroamaro and 20% malvasia nera in it. It has 13% ABV.”

The wine poured in a dark, blackberry red into the glass. On the nose, I initially got some floral notes, possibly violets, then some mint. The wine smelled very”fresh”, not sure how else to describe it, with hints of acidity. On the palate the first impression was very spicy and floral. It had a medium bodied mouth-feel to it and the fruit I noticed was strawberry. There was a nice acidity in this wine that kept it fresh. The finish was herbal and tangy with some leather notes, and of medium length. It was a tad too acidic for my taste, but all in all a pretty decent and interesting red.

This 2009 vintage tasted significantly different from the 2007 vintage. It lacked the depth that I seem to remember (probably because I don’t get much leather and tobacco in this one), but it was still an enjoyable wine. I also am never quite sure whether I remember wines that I liked in the past more fondly than they actually were…but that is another story.The acidity is definitely more prominent and the wine seems lighter and fresher in total. I am pretty certain I will buy this one again.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Nov 02 2012
9 Comments
2011, Côtes du Rhône, France

2011 Rhône Valley Vineyards Luberon AOC Blanc “La Ferme Julien”

2011 La Ferme Julien Vin blanc

I bought this wine for two reasons: First, fellow blogger Talk-A-Vino had given this particular wine an honorable mention in this post. Second, Nina and I have been on a mission to become Wine Century Club members. For those not in the know, you can become a member in this club once you have tried 100 (hence the century) different grape varieties. It is completely based on an honours system of reporting and membership is free. While I am pretty certain that I have had more than 100 grape varities in my life, I am only counting those that I actively remembered, so I am still a bit short. This wine is a blend of four grapes that I did not have on my list, so it brought us closer with even just one sip…I think it is a fun way to expand our knowledge of grapes and horizons by trying to get to the magic number.

Let me start by saying that I am not the biggest white wine fan, aside from Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon blanc. I find a lot of the other whites I try uninspiring and lacking in exciting flavors and aromas. That said, we were excited to try four grapes we had never heard of: Bourboulenc, Grenache blanc, Ugni blanc and Roussanne.

For short, I will just call this La Ferme Julien blanc. I bought the bottle at Trader Joe’s for $5.99. The wine has 13.5% ABV, and, according to its back label, has been blended by the Perrin family, a well respected French négociant. You can find their wines on all levels of pricing and quality. I was surprised to find their name on this wine!

The wine showed a light yellow in the glass, with hints of green. On the nose, it was incredibly fruity: initial notes of yellow apple, peach and floral aromas. Later on I got banana (I think; Nina agreed). It was a really appealing and refreshing nose. On the palate, light bodied wine was dry, rather bland with light citrus aromas and a certain creaminess to it. There was slight strawberry, I think, but for me it was all overpowered by the alcohol, which also left me with some bitter notes at the finish, which I did not enjoy much.

In a way, this wine seemed to highlight my problem with higher alcohol white wines (not reds!): they become too heavy on my palate, when I want something fresh and clean. I felt like this wine would have been great at maybe 12% ABV, but that bit more made it hard for me to like it. The nose was fun, but the taste – not for me.

Tagged , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →