MORE BARGAINS 2024

In the spirit of this blog, we’ll continue reviewing wines that we encounter from a variety of sources in and around SE Michigan that, if you drink wine daily and are looking for affordable wine that in most cases out-performs more expensive widely respected products, here is what we’re doing to enjoy great wines on a retirement budget.

TASTED 12/5/2025

With the popularity and high demand for Right Bank Bordeaux, the “satellite” regions of the more famous appellations offer the style and terroir but usually at a more affordable price. I’m not prone to pay over $10 for anything at Trader Joe’s but, knowing Alice had some rib-eye steaks in the cart already, why not buy some wines to accompany them? Alice and I both grabbed a bottle of the 2023 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Lot #134 Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux FR (13.5% abv) $12.99. Great minds think alike, yes? The nose is very bright fruity and fresh yet not fruit forward, Nouveau-like or edgy. Though a bit too young still to really show much of its terroir, one does get a sense that it is evolving into a serious wine. The palate has significantly more dimension with layers of flavor and something one could identify as regionally correct. I’d have to say though, at $12.99, it might not be the best deal on the shelf. Quite honestly, all of the attributes I mention here can be equally bestowed upon the Costco wines from the Premieres Côtes that sell for under $8. I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to paying a premium for prestige appellations that earn thier accolades mainly from the wines I cannot afford and not the ones like this. To put the Lalande de Pomerol in some sort of perspective, we also opened 2022 Trader Joe’s Reserve Lot #247 Lussac Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux FR (14% abv) $9.99. The color is black/purple/rouge/magenta! I would have expected this to be the younger of the duo based on that aspect. Once your nose is in the glass, it is clearly a slightly more developed wine with emerging subtleties of forest floor, strawberry, persimmon, and tea. More of the same on the palate with a rich persistent texture and finish. I like this wine better than the Lalande de Pomerol and might even shell out the extra two bucks over the Costco Premieres Côtes to enjoy it. It is hard to assign a score but both are somewhere between 15/20 and 16/20. So, both very nice wines but neither offers a value one gets excited about.

A few days after the pair of Bordeaux, we opened the other slightly higher priced bottle from Trader Joe’s in our box. 2022 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Lot #119 GSM+ ( Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Cinsault) Paso Robles CA (14.8% abv) $14.99 seems consistent with wines purchased at other outlets in terms of an inverse relationship with price. Trader Joe’s is not exceptional in this. That is, the $15 “Platinum Reserve” is not quite as good as the $13 “Grand Reserve” which is not quite as good as the $10 “Reserve”. Here the nose is really nice fresh and bright with plenty of airy fleeting red fruit much like a simple Cotes du Rhone. The fresh light body belies the high alcohol; nothing hot or heavy here. A delicately pleasant aftertaste finishes the picture of a very pleasant simple bistro wine one could imagine quaffing at an outdoor café on the town square in Paso Robles. Is this a value? It doesn’t even come close to the many $6-$8 bottles we enjoy regularly.

TASTED 10/1/2024 - 10/16/2024

We really hit the jack pot at Costco yesterday. We saw some of the most interesting wines under $15 that we’ve seen in a while. For starters is a pair of Napa Valley reds that seemed a little low priced for this appellation. I decided to taste them together blind so as not to prejudice a “brand name” wine vs Costco’s Kirkland private label. As it turns out, both are négocient wines with the actual producer unknown although the origin of both is clearly Napa Valley. 2022 Clos de Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley CA (15% abv) $14.99 does exhibit a layer of spice and complexity in the nose that suggests something finer than generic Cab but it is just too young to really find anything other than fresh pure fruit and an ample pleasant mouth feel finishing clean and dry. If I weren’t so dang old, I’d buy a half dozen to see what the future of this wine holds. Right now, it is a waste of $15 because you can buy a lot more compelling and expressive wine for half that amount. 2022 Kirkland Bed Blend (Cab Sauv, Merlot, Malbec, Cab Fr, Petit Verdot) Napa Valley CA (14.5% abv) $10.99 shows a similarly complex bouquet which I’m guessing is a result of the vintage and location. Like the Clos de Napa, it is also way too young for any sort of finesse, identity or pedigree to show up. There is a bit more of a lively fruit essence mid to late palate that makes it a bit more interesting to enjoy now. Again, it needs a lot of time that I don’t have. Even at $11, I believe it is still a waste of money when there is a multitude of ready to drink wines out there in the market for three or four bucks less.

Next up is the 2016 Bogegas Olarra, OLARRA CLÁSSICO Gran Reserva Rioja, SPAIN (13.5% abv) $12.99 which appears to be an absolute steal! I was surprised that the cork has zero absorption showing. This suggests that it has not spent a lot of time in the bottle. Olarra has been a solid source of good Rioja including the wonderful 2019 Cerro Anon Crianza for about $7 at Mega Bev. So, maybe my expectations were too high. There is no doubt that this is a solid Rioja and a wonderfully accurate rendition with a fine elegant oak nuanced mature nose of aromatic ripe fruit and a silky smooth palate that finishes with a pleasant lingering soft texture. And at $12.99, it is a great buy. It is not, however, reminiscent of the great Gran Reserva’s one gets for three or four times the money. I did buy three bottles so maybe in a year or two as it settles down it will show more like what I had hoped.

Next is a “90+ point European four-pak” for $34.99. We’ve had very favorable opinions of the Bordeaux wines in the Costco “90+ point Bordeaux four-pack” so we gave it a try. It is a nice presentation in a four bottle wooden box if you wanted to give it as a gift. The first wine we tried is the 2022 Château Talmont Bordeaux (Merlot/Cab Sv/Cab Fr) FRANCE (13.5% abv) = $8.75 which received 91-92 points from James Suckling.com. This is an accurate, pleasantly fresh, lively bottle of Bordeaux. I have no idea what James Suckling was smoking when he rated it 91-92 points, but it is a nice wine nonetheless. However, considering the wines in the Costco Bordeaux four-pack are a dollar and twenty five cents less and I would say better than this one, it isn’t much of a value. Next we opened the Suckling 90 point 2022 Lagar da Pavasqueira Red Blend (Touriga Nacional/Aragonez/Alicante Bouchet/Syrah/Touriga Franca) Alentejano, PORTUGAL (14% abv) = $8.75. This one is certainly the winner in the box. Its very appetizing black-red color and airy fresh cherry aroma bring you right in. The palate expands with bright zippy spicy fruit that trails off like a bitter fruit liqueur. Really nice! After being open overnight, this wine really transformed into a great “desert island” wine. From the mid palate to the finish, it offers magnificent complexity, depth, multilayered smells and flavors while finishing spicy and crisp. It is really the vibrant fruit juxtaposed with mouth coating texture that really makes this wine stand out. It is definitely well worth the price and then some. Moving east over the mountains and the plains, we tasted another Suckling 90 pointer in 2022 Fábula de Paniza Garnacha Cariñena, SPAIN (14.5% abv) = $8.75 which is grown in the area just southeast of Rioja well inland from the Mediterranean. This is a big, rich full flavored Garnacha not unlike a Chateauneuf du Pape of yesteryear. It is a lush, soft, mouth coating maxi-red with enough of a red fruit lift to keep it engaging. This is a really nice wine that hits a sweet spot between my favorite style of Garnacha (raw, fresh and edgy) and Alice’s (rich, fruit forward, ripe and lush); another winner for this box. Finally, we got to a 91 point Suckling 2022 Filari Galasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ITALY (12.5% abv) = $8.75. The color is almost black. The remarkable bouquet is rustic terroir-driven with nuances of blackberry, leather, tobacco and black pepper. The palate matches the bouquet with heft, broad texture and spicy forest floor nuances. It is one of the better Montepulciano d’Abruzzos that I’ve had; good buy. So, what kind of a deal is the box? The 90+ point ratings may be a bit exaggerated but the wines are all good. Considering how cheap good wine can be purchased at Costco, Trader Joe’s etc., I wouldn’t say that the package is a great buy, but it is a good barometer to get an early taste of the latest vintage from Europe. I think you can do better on individual wines but as a package, I’ll probably buy it again next year.

I rarely buy Pinot Noir. The ones I can afford are usually uninteresting and even the ones I splurge on usually fall short. But, the comical label caught my eye and the price seemed like a good bet considering the AVA of 2021 Octopoda Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County CA (14.5% abv) $7.99. Whenever you see “cellared and bottled by” you can be sure it is a wine that has been traded and dumped by negocients for one reason or another. If you’re lucky, it may be a simple matter of too much wine and not enough money and there is nothing wrong with the wine itself if someone is desperate for a cash infusion. I also suspect that many of the wines with prestigious origins or other pedigree that find themselves in need of being dumped are from young vines. A lot of wine drinkers, especially those used to great wines from old well established vineyards just don’t like that “slap you in the face” terroir and varietal intensity that wines made from young vines often exhibit. Lucky me, I prefer that style which brings me to Octoboda Pinot Noir. The color is a very deep black red yet fairly transparent like a light pigmented wine that has spent a lot of time on the skins then pressed into oblivion extracting every last bitter drop. The smell is as emphatic PINOT NOIR as it gets! I made a Pinot Noir about 20 years ago from a young vineyard at Shady Lane vineyard with extended skin contact. This wine really reminds me of that wine. The other component in the nose besides screaming Pinot Noir is a strong wild red raspberry and green herb component not unlike second harvest grapes picked in January. The flavor is just as potent as the nose with lots of bright fresh unsettled energy and a nice zip that lasts through the finish. Of course, I have no way of knowing anything about this wine or why it is $7.99 but considering how most Pinot Noir tastes, it is clear that this is not what most avid Pinot Noir drinkers are looking for. It is, however, exactly what I long for. It is one of the most satisfying Pinot Noirs that I’ve enjoyed this decade. I absolutely love it!

TASTED 8/16/2024 - 9/22/2024

These are a few more Trader Joe’s wines that we picked up on our last case that are not already reviewed below or before. Though I’ve had a few wonderful Cabernet Franc based wines, notably my favorite from Carcassonne, France and others from the Loire, Michigan and Napa Valley, I rarely buy them. But when I saw 2022 Truffaut Cabernet Franc Pays d’Oc IGP (13.5% abv) for $5.99 I couldn’t resist. If nothing else, it tastes and smells French. I’m starting to believe after experiencing this phenomenon in other Cab Francs that maybe there is something about Cab Franc that reinforces terroir better than some other varietals. This is not a big showy blockbuster but it is certainly a wine to enjoy with a meal while elevating one’s daily routine to a moment of sublimity. It does bring back memories of the many food and wine pairings we enjoyed traveling the French countryside. This is a bit darker than most Michigan Cab Francs but about the same weight. Texture is not as mouth gripping as say, Bordeaux but it is persistent and balanced. Everything about it is in proportion as it softly trails off making it a thoroughly enjoyable everyday wine.

2022 Rain Cloud California Red Wine CA (14.5% abv) $5.99 at Trader Joe’s was quite a surprise. The back label explains that the name “Rain Cloud” means the wine is for those who “dance in every puddle”. Cute. The deep red/black hue opens up to a big ripe blockbuster aroma of black fruit. There is a level of complexity suggesting violets, earth and a Syrah-based Rhone style found throughout southern France but rarely in California. To say “tar and truffles” may not sound good, but, it offers real intrigue that forces a deep dive into the wine’s character. There isn’t a great deal of tannin, so I’m not sure there is a drop of Syrah in this bottle, but whatever it is offers a texture that is quite sufficient. It is a steal at $5.99!

That tar and truffle, Syrah-based Rhone flavor is something I remembered from another Trader Joe’s offering previously reviewed so I popped this one just to see if there is anything comparable between these two wines grown thousands of miles apart. 2022 Ténèbres GSM (Grenache Syrah Mourvedre) Pays d’Oc IGP FRANCE (13% abv) $6.99 at Trader Joe’s does indeed bear a clear resemblance. Ténèbres is certainly more elegant and subtle than the Rain Cloud but clearly they are two garments from the same cloth. Similarly, it is not too tannic yet has plenty of mouth feel and finish. Anyone who likes wine from the Rhone, Costiers de Nimes, Minervois, Corbières and even the Northern Rhone will be delighted with either of these bargain priced wines.

Although I’ve found fantastic wines at various discount retailers that have generic labeling, one thing that never seems to fail at Trader Joe’s is a conspicuously cheap wine from a highly acclaimed appellation. So as I’m going up and down the shelves, I spot 2021 Hidden Hill Estate McLaren Vale Shiraz (14.5% abv) $5.99 . This is the first time I’ve seen it and of course, McLaren Vale at $5.99 has to be worth a try. Well, like the Napa Provenance we enjoyed earlier, it screams “you are about to experience something special” as you observe the inky black color and take in the complex bouquet. There is a roasted meat-like nuance layered between baked fruit pie, pine, rosemary and sweet oak. The palate expands into bright fresh raspberry, blueberry, tobacco, forest floor and red plums. It feels firm, fresh, lively and clean as it finishes. What a great value!!

It is debatable whether this next one belongs in “More Bargains” or “More Great Wines” but for the money, we’ll call it a bargain for the purpose of this blog post. This is the first time I’ve seen 2022 Trader Joe’s Reserve Rasteau Lot #254 Cru de la Vallée du Rhone FRANCE (14.5% abv) $9.99 at Trader Joe’s. Besides Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Lirac and Tavel, there are now five more Cru in the Southern Rhone that have been added over the past twenty or so years including Rasteau which used to be a single appellation Villages. This wine positively lives up to it’s status. It makes me think of the Chateauneufs and Gigondas’ of the 1990’s. The fruit is pure, spicy and powerful without being over-ripe or even fruit forward. On the palate, additional nuances borne by energetic, edgy, freshness coat the palate while refreshing it. My kind of wine! The last time we were in France, we stopped at the cooperative cellar in Cairanne, also a Southern Rhone Cru now, and tasted through their offerings. The wines were just plain delicious and very reasonably priced.; even cheaper if you brought your own jug and filled it from a device not unlike those found in gasoline filling stations. This is one of those kind of wines to cherish and enjoy when you find it..

TASTED 7/24/24 - 8/15/2024

As I strolled down the pallet wine isle at Costco I was shocked to see an authentic estate bottled Bordeaux that has been in the same family since 1790 from the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers for $5.99. I also noticed a new “house” Rioja Reserva for $8.99, but more on that later. So as soon as we got home, I popped the 2020 Chateau de l’Orangerie Bordeaux Supérieur FRANCE (13.5% abv) $5.99 which the label states as the Premier Vin of the Famille Icard. The back label suggests that this is their top wine. On Google Maps, I was able to get a good look at the winery and vineyards. They had stacks and stacks of new bottles on pallets outside the winery along the road. They were clearly gearing up for a massive bottling which is probably where Costco comes in. Two of the large vineyards are very old gnarly vines with several recently planted vineyards surrounding them. I am intrigued with just how it comes about that a 230 year old family owned winery hooks up with Costco to deliver wine of this pedigree to the US at that price. It seems from other Bordeaux that we’ve found at Costco that they have some excellent scouts in this area. How is the wine? It is not a monster for sure, but it is a clean well-balanced wine which checks the boxes regarding Bordeaux personality (black currant/elderberry fruit, hints of earth, fresh acidity and the smells of the Bordeaux countryside). Though certainly not a profound wine of class or complexity, it serves its purpose of nicely accompanying a meal without breaking the bank. It is the sort of wine you’d be served at a simple café that would just disappear from your glass after a few sips/gulps. I would recommend it. But, when they offer the four pack for $29.95 grown nearby, I’d say that is well worth the extra buck and a half per bottle.

Okay, back to the Rioja. Costco now offers 2018 Lucia Victoria Rioja Reserva DOC SPAIN (14.5% abv) $8.99 now that neither the Kirkland or any of its prior substitutes are available. The color is encouraging because it does appear to have been oak aged as stated on the back label for 24 months. Ahhhh, the aroma is classic Rioja with terra cotta, dusty roads, sweet old oak barrels and a brandied berry-like thread running start to finish. The palate matches with good acid and tannin lingering for a few seconds. I wouldn’t put this into the category of great Rioja but it is correct and satisfying for those seeking traditional style at a reasonable price. It will fill a void until something with a bit more heft and depth comes along.j

Next up a pair or Cabernets. First is a 2022 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon WA (14.5 abv) $8.99 which has beautiful color, fresh but not fat or overripe fruit, purity and balance. It is surprising to see this much restraint for 14%+ alcohol. I guess that’s the difference between a high cool desert and a Mediterranean climate. The winemaker works for Ancient Lake Wine Company which is located way up the Columbia just north of the Wahluke Slope. The label does not specify the grape source, however. It is clearly a wine of breed and quality. Along with this one, we opened a 2021 Pyramid Scheme Cabernet Sauvignon CA (13.8% abv) $7.99 which actually seemed a bit younger not than the Kirkland. There is power to the fruit with a strawberry pie-like component intermingling with rich texture and a very long finish. These are both nice wines though I do like the understated presence of the Kirkland slightly more than the Pyramid Scheme which got a 91 point rating from the Wine Enthusiast. Both would be at least SILVER on my score card.

When I saw a Vacqueyras in the pallet rack at Costco for $11.59 I thought for a second I was back in the 1990’s. I’ve quit buying Rhone Grand Cru’s because sometime after 2000, they quit making distinctive, fresh, vital, energetic, terroir expressive wines and have gone the way of many regions to adopt a generic international style. But, when I saw 2022 Kirkland Signature Vacqueyras (Grenache, Syrah, Vourvedre) Rhone FR (14.5% abv) at $11.59, I had hoped that the 1990’s price might translate to 1990’s quality. Well, it is a big wine full of richly aromatic fruit and plenty of texture and character. So, what’s not to like? I don’t doubt that this is as good as the wines the producer, Guillaume Gonnet, sells under its estate label for $30. So, at $11.59 it is a steal! But it certainly does not represent what Rhone wine used to provide. Ironically, that level of quality seems to have migrated from one emerging region to the next and it seems to disappear as soon as the region gets its place on the map and can command a premium price. When great Rhone wine ceased to exist sometime after 2000, it started to show up in Southern Italy and Northern Spain. It was very short lived in Italy, but was alive and well in Northern Spain until about four or five years ago. Gone now. Starting to show up in the cheapest wines of Portugal! But, you can bet that as soon as Portuguese wines cease to be inexpensive, the quality will cease too and they will adopt the international style that fuels the larger market. Everyone wants to pretend that they are Bordeaux. Tis a shame.

So, after bearing witness to the demise of great vigorous fresh Rhones, it was time to revisit Northern Spain. There was a day when the words “Jorge Ordoñez Selection” on a Spanish wine was an absolute guarantee of just such great vigorous fresh Spanish wine. No more. I think the last really good Garnacha based red from Ordoñez was the Honoro Vera Garnacha from about 2017-18. The 2021 Breca El Nacido Garnacha Sierra de Pardos SPAIN (15% abv) Jorge Ordoñez Selection $9.99 at Costco is certainly a very enjoyable wine worth its price with fine elegant fruit purity, good depth of flavor and a rich lasting finish. But, tasted blind, I am certain that I could not identify either the grape variety or even the broader region as in Northern Spain. There is nothing compelling about it. So, we switched gears and opened a bottle from Mega Bev that was recommended by Dave Russo. 2022 Cepa por Cepa de Nekeas Garnacha Navarra SPAIN (14.5% abv) Jorge Ordoñez Selection $5.99 at Mega Bev is likewise a beautiful wine with identical black red color and just a tad more edgy vibrant fruit in the nose perhaps due to its age. It is not quite as classy but offers up plenty of mouth filling plum/berry fruit and a nice fruity lingering finish. Pros and cons, I think I prefer the structure and class of the Breca, but for $4 less, I’m very happy with the Cepa por Cepa. Neither wine, however, exhibits the traits for which I buy Garnacha from Northern Spain. Like the Vacqueyras reviewed above, I’m afraid classic stylish wines with vigor and a sense of tasting the wine on the spot where it was made is a lost art. After an important email conversation with my old bud, Tony Senna, I was inspired to see if the Honoro Vera was still anything like I remember it. No longer Jorge Ordoñez, now Viñas Familia Gil, I found it at Total Wine (a three minute walk). 2022 Honoro Vera Garnacha Calatayud DO SPAIN (14.5% abv) $9.99 at Total Wine is certainly not the wine it was but a bit closer to the quality we used to enjoy. Same color as the Breca and Cepa, the nose is extremely ripe and fatter than either. It does have a teeny bit of the wild berry edge of Honoros of yore, but none of the nervous, fresh energy that this wine used to offer. Again, for ten bucks, I’m not complaining. Yes I am. What ever happened to all the great wines we used to enjoy? Are they really all gone? Have all the great winemakers passed on? Or, have they just sold out to the big box mentality and have run away from traditional class and style? I welcome any feedback anyone who reads these words would like to send my way. Here is another question. Is cheaper always better? If not, where is the sweet spot? Certainly with Burgundy, Bordeaux, Napa, Piedmont, Rioja, the sweet spot seems to start somewhere around $20. However, I would say, the more you pay, the less likely you’ll get what you want with a few exceptions such as Grand Reservas, First Growths, Grand Cru Bourgogne etc. Those are all very expensive and superb, best there is. But, there are tons of imitators who sell for a high price and just taste like big, clumsy, over-ripe, hard-to-enjoy wines. So, lets consider the cheapest of the cheap for a second. A couple of the wines at Mega Bev were $3.99. Not a misprint. That’s three ninety nine and 10% off by the case!.

With my favorite appetizer (soft shell crab on garden greens) today I enjoyed a lovely 2021 Bogegas Nekeas “Vega Sindoa” Chardonnay Navarra SPAIN (13% abv) $3.99 at Mega Bev Jorge Ordoñez Selection. Here is a wine that tastes like it would taste if drunk in a restaurant a hundred yards from where it is grown. The pristine lemon zest nose with super fresh yet creamy varietal identity couldn’t be more engaging. It is light bodied yet offers enough depth and appeal to keep every sip a delight. I’ve always been one to prefer inexpensive mass produced wine. With wine like this, it is harder and harder for me to spend the big bucks on anything other than the iconic one of a kind great wines that have been admired for decades if not centuries. Unfortunately, one must measure the joy of one bottle of Marques de Murrieta Bianco Gran Reserva vs twenty cases of Vega Sindoa Chardonnay. Hmmmmmm…….

The “mate” to the Vega Sindoa is NV Monte Oton Garnacha Campo De Borja DO SPAIN (14.5 % abv) $3.99 at Mega Bev which is a nice enough wine but not in a class with the Vega Sindoa Chard. This is just good, simple everyday red with enough fresh fruit, texture and finish to escape boredom but not enough class or complexity to be compelling. Yes, a bargain at $3.99 but not interesting enough to buy more.

On a slightly different note, most $12-$15 bottles of wine are pretty boring. They check the boxes but don’t stray too far from whatever formula the mass market demands if they hope to sell massive amounts. My one Mega Bev splurge on this trip is 2021 Hall Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles CA (14.5% abv) $11.99 at Mega Bev. On line, I could not ascertain too much about the confusion between Robert Hall Winery, Hall Ranch and Hall Family Winery other than Robert Hall sources its grapes from the Hall Ranch. There doesn’t appear to be any connection between the Paso Halls and the Hall Family Winery in Napa Valley. Anyway, I thought it was worth a try and it turns out I got lucky. This is a great bottle of Paso Cab! It really captures the essence of the Paso climate with immense depth, firm structure yet a real worm hole that allows one to penetrate the youthful fruit and dive into the complex, oak spiced, lush fleshy leathery meaty flavors that just keep coming and invite a deeper and deeper dive. This is a smell and taste that I’ll recognize and groan with ecstacy after every sip.

Two more wines from Mega Bev are from the Carmen winery which I used to represent. We first tried 2021 Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard DO Maipo CHILE (13.5% abv) $7.99 at Mega Bev which on the heels of the Hall Ranch seemed a bit angular and lean but the charming black fruit, kiss of oak and velvety finish quickly filled the void. Second and third sip, it really started to grow on me. I’m not sure I agree fully with the James Suckling 91 point score, but I’ll buy it again at $7.99. The 2021 Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc Single Vineyard DO Maipo CHILE (13.5% abv) is much the same though the nose seems a bit fatter and riper with maybe a slightly more elegant and complex feel throughout; slightly more Bordeaux-like. Again, the 93 point Tasting Panel award seems a bit much but between the two, if the Cab Sauv delivers more than expected for $7.99, the Cab Sauv / Cab Franc over delivers. Nice wines with plenty of character. A bit of clarification regarding Gran Reserva is in order. In Spain, the term refers to the handling and aging of the wine. In Chile, it is a designation based on the quality of the crop. Riper, longer on the vine equals the Reserva and ultimately Gran Reserva when everything goes well. Why do I complain about everyone trying to imitate Bordeaux and then praise these Chilean wines? All things considered, the climate, grape varieties and tradition all work well to make wines in this manner in Chile. Not so in most places where Mediterranean grape varieties such as Garnacha, Mourvedre, Graciano and others thrive.

Next up from Mega Bev is a wine we’ve enjoyed in several vintages over several years. I thought it was a steal at just under $10 but now 2021 Rio Madre Graciano Rioja DOC Jorge Ordoñez Selection SPAIN (14.5% abv) is $5.99 at Mega Bev . Graciano is a variety that I find quite curious. In many ways it is undistinguishable from the smells and tastes of Garnacha and Tempranillo yet always packs a much denser, riper, more black fruit oriented expression than either or both combined. I love the variety and love the way this inky purple wine seems almost volatile with its berry liqueur-like airiness yet its structure and texture facilitate appreciation of its many nuances. No, this is not the kind of expression I long for with Garnacha. No, it does not adhere to the traditional terra cotta, oily ancient wood grained presence of great Rioja. It is a unique experience that every time I enjoy a bottle, I feel like I’ve discovered something new and wonderful.

TASTED 7/15/2024

I’ve been buying the Kirkland Rioja Reserva at Costco for several years and have found that it gradually has changed from a traditional Rioja Reserva to a more modern international style with less and less of what makes Rioja taste like Rioja. So, when I saw the 2018 Trader Joe’s Rioja Reserva DOC Lot #255 SPAIN (14% abv) $9.99, in spite of the higher price, I figured, why not? It is not in the same class as the old Kirkland for $7.99 but superior to the current Kirkland Rioja Reserva. The color is deep black red with an aroma that is starting to develop some complexity and sense of terroir. Not a bad wine but only marginally better than the Kirkland for $2 more. I guess if I want good Rioja I’ll just have to open my wallet and buy wine from a producer known for great traditional quality. It is a good wine but I had hoped for so much more.

TASTED 7/6/2024

With our meat ball soup (pictured above) from BEEF IT UP! by Jessica Formicola I had to open an Italian wine. Being that I wanted to finish the Trader Joe’s section for this blog I went to a wine that we’ve tasted many times but not in the current vintage. Like previous vintages, 2021 Campi Rudi Rosso Puglia IGT Passito APPASSIMENTO ITALY (15% abv) $6.99 is as black as night, about the color of a black cherry and nearly opaque. The nose is consistent with its predecessors; ripe, condensed, rustic and slightly prun-like. Palate is not huge but ample. The best way to describe it is like a fresh lighter Amarone. Sounds like an opposite but in fact it embodies the dried fruit aspect and rich alcohol but in a style that is very food friendly and yes, refreshing on an 85 degree day. This is SILVER medal and considering the price maybe more. UPDATE: I just read below that we did have this same vintage about five months ago in our case tasted 2/24-3/08/2024 and yes, it is just as I remember it.

TASTED 7/5/2024

We don’t get to Sam’s Club too often because is it not terribly convenient. However, we did find some nice lamb chops, awesome butcher cut shoulder bacon (if you like ham, coppa, bacon or Canadian bacon, you’ll love this) and a bottle of 2022 Robert Mondavi Private Selection VINT California Cabernet Sauvignon aged in Bourbon barrels CA (14.5% abv) $10.98 at Sam’s Club. I generally view aging wine in Bourbon barrels as a novelty that will soon wear thin. Most of the bottles I’ve tasted lack the positive attributes of aging in wine barrels with something dull lacking vitality. This one is different. The oak is sweet, spicy and actually embraces that caramelized tree sap flavor one associates with Bourbon. There is plenty of ripe black fruit to lay that big wood presence upon. Though the tannin is very light, there is a nice lingering sweet raisin-like finish. Though I would not view this as fine or classic, it is a pleasure to drink.

TASTED 7/1/2024

We stopped at Trader Joe’s the other day to restock our everyday drinking wines and have been going through them. Most are repeats of earlier tastings and unless noted otherwise continue to impress. We did try a couple of new items this time around including a cheap Malbec that was almost shockingly vivid, youthful and with a powerful sense of terroir. 2022 Domaine de Argentina “Terroir Selection” Mendoza Malbec ARG (13%abv) $4.99 at Trader Joe’s is probably not a wine for all palates. Even a guy like me that loves young wines from young vines that screams terroir, found it a bit too much. The earthy, green herb dimension was just a little oversized for the relatively well behaved fruit aromas. So, I’m okay with it for the money but I would not recommend it to anyone who is not a terroir fanatic. Next up was a wine that I would normally avoid but decided that with Trader Joe’s massive audience that this wine would probably not stray too far off the path of what is commercially deemed acceptable. 2022 Roulé Rouge Red Organic No Sulfites Added Blend CA (13%abv) $5.99 at Trader Joe’s is what we now refer to as natural wine. I could hardly contain my laughter when Alice smelled and tasted it blind and said, “wow is this ever weird”. She did, however, come back with, “but I think I like it”. This is certainly not what we’ve come to accept as commercially typical. The bouquet makes me think of film yeast which as a home winemaker we spent sleepless nights worrying about when it got into a barrel and we’d doused it with copious quantities of sulfites hoping it was a goner. Fruit purity does come through, however, and offers a pleasantly light red berry nuance that builds into the soft fresh finish. For the money, I would say it is a success. You can throw a lot of dough at natural wines and get something too weird to enjoy. This is pleasant and quite drinkable. Finally, we tapped a wine that instantly reminded me of Jedediah Drinkwell’s Paso Meritage reviewed as my 2021 value of the year tasted on 2/28/2021 in the post “Brian’s Cryin’s” post date of May 31, 2022. 2021 Familia Nueva vineyards “Liberté” Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon CA (14.5% abv) $9.99 at Trader Joe’s is big! HUGE actually. The nose of very concentrated black fruit fills one’s senses with spice, earth, oak and everything else we love about Cabernet. The structure is massive with rich gripping tannin filling the mouth while fruit cascades on down leaving a very satisfying finish. Very big, yes, but not too big. It has everything you want in spades and in balance. Though perhaps not as classy as a Napa Cab or a Bordeaux with those ethereal nuances that puzzle one’s mind, it does lift one’s spirits with a savory afterglow. It is a stupendous value at $10!

TASTED 6/28/2024

If I had purchased a 2021 Medoc Cru Bourgeois at a respectable wine shop for $15+ I would lay it in the cellar and assume it will just get better and better for the next decade. However, while at Trader Joe’s yesterday I spotted an estate bottled wine from Earl Roux, 2021 Chateau La Pirouette Cru Bourgeois Medoc (50% Cab Sauv/40% Merlot/8% Petit Verdot/2% Malbec) Bordeaux FR (13% abv) $7.99, that was just begging to be opened. Funny how price changes one’s view regarding ager vs drinker. I looked up the info on line and yes, it is a relatively large property that does in fact raise horses as well as make wine as the label implies. Also funny how power of suggestion takes over. My first impression was horses/barnyard! In a good way, of course, it speaks of the terroir. This is my first 2021 Bordeaux so I’m not sure if it is typical or maybe a bit on the lighter fresher side. There is plenty of fresh red fruit, bright acid carries a fine spice while it softly finishes with a very light tannic touch. The label states that it has been aged twelve months in barrique but I don’t get any oak flavor nor that sort of mellow umami middle that one expects from a barrel aged wine. In spite of the classification and place on the map in the heart of the northern Medoc, I’m actually surprised that it maintains it status as a Cru Bourgeois. Nice wine, splendid for $7.99 but not what one would expect from such an exalted appellation. Even if I was a young man, I would not likely lay any down in the cellar.

TASTED 4/23/24

I’ll add one more to the April tasting posts here. Several months ago I bought what I thought was a cheap California Cab on sale at the Village Corner called Silk & Spice and found it profoundly satisfying. So, when Dave’s Picks came out at Mega Bev (in Grand Rapids) featuring this item, I ordered a half case. So tonight I opened a bottle and told Alice I had a California Cab open that was pretty good. She tasted it and said it tasted Italian. After further discussion in which I insisted it was dark enough, rich enough, fruity enough and textured enough to be a $20 California Cab she was still not convinced and said it was very European. Well, she was right. The label looks like any other cheap California Cab but in fact it is not. 2021 Silk & Spice Red Blend (indigenous varieties) PORTUGAL (13.5% abv) $8.25 at Mega Bev starts with spiced brandied cherries up front transitioning to a many layered richly textured mid-palate. Living up to its name Silk & Spice finishes with a complex fusion of brown spice, pepper and dried fruit. Wow! This is a remarkable wine for the money. GOLD

TASTED 4/19/24 through 4/23/24

My friend David Creighton* says that there are three really good wines at Trader Joe’s that he enjoys often; the two Chablis and the Muscadet. I’ll get to the Chablis on my next trip to Trader Joe’s but while in Tucson, I spotted the 2022 Vignobles Lacheteau Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Loire FRANCE (12% abv) $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. I actually served it twice. Once with skinned Walleye prepared “a la meunière” and with soft shell crabs (on sale right now at Busch’s for $7.99). I don’t know if it is global warming or advancements in the vineyard and cellar but I’ve never had such a lush round Muscadet. I rarely buy them because my recollection is hard, lean, puckeringly acidic white wine. This has all the briny, minerality and citrusy impact yet feels rich round and generous on the palate. Maybe not enough acid for some acid-hounds, but for me it is just perfect. What could be better with fresh fish? GOLD medal wine by my palate.

Okay, serving crab cakes made from lump crabmeat Busch’s had on sale last week for dinner (see “Crab Cakes with Month-Old Greens” February 12, 2020 for the recipe) and two bottles of Trader Joe’s Chablis in hand it was time to do a little Chablis dinner/tasting. We tasted them independently, together and with food as our dear deceased friend Robert Mayberry always insisted was the only way to know a wine. Being that we never buy Chablis anymore because of the price, this was a treat indeed. So when I put $15-17 wines in “More Bargains” it is because of their relative price. Back when I was the buyer at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, we purchased palates of Premier Cru Chablis. With my employee discount, it was well under $10 closer to $6. Today a basic Chablis is $25. a 1er Cru at least $35 and for Grand Cru, it starts about $75! We almost never drank basic Chablis because it always seemed lean, mean and without joy. To get something drinkable, you pretty much had to take the plunge to 1er or Grand Cru. With today’s climate, would a basic Chablis be enjoyable? 2022 Sainte Celine Chablis AOC** (Chardonnay) Bourgogne FRANCE (12.5% abv) $14.99 at Trader Joe’s answered that question in the first whiff. The rich smell of citrus with yeasty fermentation nuances is super bright with zippy fresh acidity and minerality setting the stage. On the palate, a rich lemon-custard middle finishing with complex fusion of stones and cream left no doubt that these grapes were ripe yet with ample acid. 2022 J.L. Quinson Chablis AOP** La Larme D’Or (Chardonnay) Bourgogne FRANCE (12.5% abv) $16.99 at Trader Joe’s opened up with a fine floral nose initially but quickly shifting to mineral-like wet stones and plump citrus. On the mid-palate it remains quite generous yet with ample acidity to keep it lively and salivatingly juicy and energetic to the finish. With food, both wines seemed more savory and lush on the palate though the J.L. Quinson was definitely the fatter of the two and continued to show its richer side the more it aired and warmed. I’m glad to say David was right. These need to be on my buying list from now on. Both GOLD!

*This is a man who is serious about tasting wine. He has conducted or attended and held together the “Wednesday Group” of wine tasters now for 52 years meeting WEEKLY and tasting a dozen wines ever since I was a college student!

** AOC and AOP are the same just that AOC is a French and AOP is European Union designation.

TASTED 4/18/2024 - 4/21/24

We stopped at Costco and the next vintage of the bargain Bordeaux are out which I’ll review shortly. I also wanted to update my notes on Kirkland Rioja Reserva and Mont Gravet GSM so grabbed a bottle of each. the 2019 Kirkland Signature Rioja Reserva SPAIN (14% abv) $7.99 at Costco is about the same as the previous few vintages. Several years ago, it was a classic old school Rioja replete with all the good stuff like terra cotta, sweet oak, olives and furniture store-like woodiness. Today’s version is a likable wine deep in color, deep in fruit, softly balanced wine of typical international style proportions of fruit, oak, acid and alcohol. Has all the attributes of a “medal winning wine” albeit a BRONZE and nothing more. The 2021 Mont Gravet Grenache Syrah Mourvedre South of France Pays d’Oc FRANCE (13% abv) $7.99 at Costco has similarly migrated from an explosively bright edgy fresh style to the relatively mundane expression of very nicely accentuated red fruit in the nose a plump juicy middle and a very pleasant balanced finish. For some reason, I think pervious versions were a different cépage maybe even a different appellation. Certainly, they were much more exciting. Again, good BRONZE medal wine but nothing more.

Next up is a pair of Bordeaux. One (Petit Freylon) we’ve enjoyed in several previous vintages and a new one for us that we’ve not seen at Costco before. Alice was the first to try the 2019 Château Gantonnet (Merlot-Cabernets) Estate Bottled Bordeaux FRANCE (14.5% abv) $6.99 at Costco. She immediately reported that it was stellar! I would agree. The aroma is very advanced showing the complexity and fruit richness of a mature wine. Considering the Merlot accounts for 70% of the blend, I’m surprised that the texture has a powerful grip and tannin. This is serious stuff for seven bucks. Best of all it screams “Bordeaux”. For that kind of money, I’m good with a GOLD medal. One of our long time Kirkland favorites is the latest release of 2021 Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Supérieur Petite Freylon (60% Cab Sauv / 40% Merlot) FRANCE (14% abv) $6.99 at Costco. Notes on the previous two vintages can be found at “More Bargains 2022/3” and scroll way way down to 2/2/22 Groundhog Day. The long natural cork with the trademark “Kirkland Signature” stamped on it had to cost at least 25-30 cents (a normal composite cork runs less than a dime). Though not as mature as the above Gantonnet, there is a lot of fruit here and again, unmistakable Bordeaux flair. Very classy fruit with strong sense of terroir dominates the nose while a very lush easy juicy palate melts nicely to a soft velvety finish. Thought I’m not in the business of cellaring $7 bottles of Bordeaux, I don’t think anyone would regret doing so. The balance suggests a relatively long life here. Though potentially as good as the Gantonnet, right now I’ll go with a SILVER medal.

TASTED 2/24/2024 - 3/08/24

Because we picked up a case at Trader Joe’s on Friday, I’ll focus on those for the next few days and will send out a reminder to those interested in this sort of thing when I’ve finished the case rather than send out ten more blog posts. First up with a wonderful Creek Stone (Busch’s) pot roast which was great on day one and even better the second day as it seems to have absorbed more of the broth and tenderized itself even more is 2022 Ténèbres GSM (40% Grenache / 30% Syrah / 30% Mourvedre) Pays d’Oc IGP Red Wine (13% abv) FRANCE $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. Even at this price, I’m reluctant to try a wine when you have to search the very fine print on the back label to discern the vintage and locale. What don’t they want you to know? Am I ever glad I took the plunge. This wine reminds me of a Costiéres de Nimes that impressed me about 20 years ago. The color is black red and the nose has the fruit concentration of an old vine California Zin but with the class and finesse of fine Mediterranean wine. The rich black fruit continues into the mid-palate and finish with a coffee and baked cherry nuance that reminds me of Northern Rhone Syrah with the bright edgy acidity and lush juicy freshly crushed grape component one often encounters with Southern Côtes du Rhone when tasted young and on the spot. Based on this wine and the St. Èmilion below, I am starting to see why there is so much excitement over the small 2022 vintage in South and Southwest France. To me this would be GOLD medal wine even if the price were doubled.

Before retiring to bed, I thought it might be a good idea to open another bottle from the box for a bit of comparison and to see if the ‘22 magic was across the board. 2022 Laurant Dublanc Côtes du Rhône “Traditions et Terroir” AOP (14% abv) FRANCE $6.99 at Trader Joe’s is a nice enough wine for $7 but not even in the ball park with the Ténèbres. Interestingly enough, it must have just been bottled. The very high quality natural cork did not have even the slightest red stain on the end. The color of the wine, however, is a good rich deep black red but it lacks the complexity, depth and vitality of the Ténèbres. I suppose that is attempting to compare apples to oranges, but these two wines do both hail from the South of France, same price and probably contain approximately the same cépage (none stated on the Côtes du Rhône). It is not an insignificant wine but really lacks charm or distinction. I’d go BRONZE at best. I hope this is an exception to the highly touted vintage. Perhaps this is a good lesson for me to not be so obsessed with the appellation and judge a wine simply for what is in the bottle.

Today’s post starts with a wine that is not exactly a bargain, but with a tasting of three wines I didn’t want to separate the notes into more than one post. So, last night before bed, Alice wanted “a nice glass of wine” which means Malbec or other new world big meaty wine. I didn’t want to keep her waiting so I grabbed what was pretty much the first thing I saw. I knew we had a lot of Duckhorn so I figured there was something to drink old enough to be interesting but young enough not to require decanting and spotted several bottles of 2011 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Napa Valley Merlot CA (14.5% abv) about $120 for the current vintage. The color is deep red with burnt Siena edges which in a way seemed a bit older looking than I expected. As soon as my nose hovered over the glass a huge explosion of everything this wine had been holding inside for the past twelve years emerged! What is it about Napa and Bordeaux!? The great wines from great sites just exude class. With monster fruit, terroir and compost, most wines of this size would be too much. But this wine is so balanced that the size is not only not an issue, I welcomed the awesome ambush of smell and taste. The finish is as big as the nose and mid-palate with dusty, spicy, dense fruit and very satisfying mouth filling tannin. So tonight with our favorite meal (fondue, of course, but tonight we substituted lobster for shrimp) we finished off the Three Palms and opened a wine we just picked up at Trader Joe’s today. By the way, Alice preferred the open-for-a-day Three Palms which had softened considerably overnight while I preferred the more heavily textured mouth feel the previous day. If I had to score, I’d have given it a 96+ yesterday and a 93 today. I almost never buy wine over $10 at Trader Joe’s. The wines under $10 with most under $7 are just too good to bother exploring the next price tier. But Alice spotted a wine and having just read a column sent to me from my fellow bargain hunter, Scott Walker about great semi-generic Kirkland wines, I decided to give a try to 2022 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Saint-Èmilion Lot #111 Bordeaux FRANCE (13.5% abv) $14.99 at Trader Joe’s. Though no mention of varietal content is listed, I would assume that it is also Merlot dominant. The producer is Ginestet so the possibility exists that it has pedigree. Alice absolutely loved it from the first whiff to the fat fruity finish. Though I liked it too, coming right after the preceding twelve year old Merlot, it came across as a bit one dimensional though right from the git, it did possess good regional identity. An hour later, the nose really started to distinguish itself with a greater sense of place and class which led to a “discussion” about the practice of drinking very young Bordeaux. I contended that at that age, it was not possible to differentiate a Bordeaux from a prestigious cru from one grown in the hinterlands. Alice insisted that the St. Èmilion IS ready and is now AT ITS BEST suggesting the Michigan Vintner was again babbling like a horse’s ass. So, to prove my point, I grabbed a bottle of 2020 Marquis De Bern (60% Merlot / 40% Cab Sauv) Bordeaux Supèrieur FRANCE (13.5% abv) $7.50 at Costco* hoping to show that there was little if any difference. To some extent I did prove my point though the nose on the St. Èmilion was clearly classier, but the extra two years age on the Marquis De Bern gave it an advantage regarding length, balance, texture and complexity in the fat herbal finish. Especially in the finish, to me the Marquis de Bern actually tasted more like what I think of as classic St. Èmilion than did the St. Èmilion. Though Alice did agree with my assessment, she still preferred the St. Èmilion for its pure lust-for-life vigor. So, for my palate is there any reason to put a semi-generic $15 Bordeaux in the cellar (Alice says “buy a case”) or just enjoy every new vintage which appears on the shelves of Trader Joe’s?

*was part of the annual Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux 4-pack from Vignobles Gonfrier for $29.99 at Costco.

Next was a the cheapest Chilean wine in the store. 2023 Rosario Estate Viñas Chilenas Reserva Winemaker’s Selection Valle Central Cabernet Sauvignon CHILE (13% abv) $4.49 at Trader Joe’s which in spite of the price appeared to have all the right credentials. The nose immediately sent up a red flag with strong sulfur (as in egg farts not as in too much sulfites). This is a winemaking flaw and may also be inherent with the local yeast strains inhabiting the vineyard. It is a simple fix in the winery if done early on. On the palate, it is bland and indistinctive. After a couple of days airing, it was better and quite drinkable. Perhaps it gets a prize for cheapest drinkable wine in Ann Arbor, but regarding quality it is an emphatic NO MEDAL.

That wine being unsatisfactory, we opened a bottle that I have enjoyed many times in many vintages also from Chile. 2022 Panilonco “Chief of Lions” Reserva Carmémère Valle de Colchagua DO Viña Marchigüe (13.5% abv) $4.99 at Trader Joe’s actually had more or less the same set of flavors but it was an absolute delight. Color, fruit, terroir, complexity, grip and finish put it in a class very close to my “desert island” status. It is just astounding how two very cheap wines that are nearly identical couldn’t be more different when it comes to drinkability and satisfaction. I love this wine! It would score a GOLD medal at twice the price. It probably has something to do with the fact that Carménère seems to be perfectly suited to the warmer wine regions of central Chile and maybe Cabernet Sauvignon is not. UPDATE: I just had this wine again today (7/12/24) and if it was GOLD four months ago, it is now DOUBLE GOLD!! I cannot get over what a superb wine this is for that kind of money. I swear the color has gotten darker, the aroma more powerful and the sense of terroir even stronger since the last time I tasted it. I’m going to use this wine in my seminar presented to about 80 American Wine Society attendees in Winston-Salem NC in November. I can’t wait to see what they think when tasted double blind.

Tonight we started in on the California selections starting with an Aldi selection mixed in. The 2022 Bear Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% abv) CA $8.99 at Aldi is a very solid Cab. You could spend a lot more and get less. It has enough depth to the black fruit and spice that you could almost say it has complexity. It is perfectly balanced and is one of those wines that just disappears upon opening. For the money, solid SILVER. Following that wine we selected one that Trader Joe’s had huge stacks of all over the wine department. Does that mean that they really like it or does that mean it is not selling so every store is required to take a big load and help get rid of it? Or, maybe with the eminent moon landing, it just seemed like the thing on which to be focusing. 2021 MOONX California Red Wine (13.5% abv) CA $6.99 at Trader Joe’s is a bigger denser fatter ripe wine than the Bear Bros. but simpler and less appealing. So, why the big display? Like many of the wines of this ilk popularized since 2000 or so it probably (no varietal is mentioned on the front or back label) contains ample quantities of Syrah, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel which are the three grape varieties that fell off the charts regarding sales and popularity and now growers and producers are still coming up with all kinds of gimmicks to get rid of surplus. It is not a bad wine just nothing special or particularly appealing. Nothing wrong with it, so, I’ll go BRONZE.

Continuing on with California blends, I pulled a couple more corks tonight. First was 2021 Rain Cloud California Red Wine (14.0% abv) CA $5.99 at Trader Joe’s which is clearly a step up from the previous wine. The nose is a fat, ripe, black fruit dominated nose typical of this genre but as the wine crossed the palate a remarkably lush, bright, exotic red fruit marmalade-like nuance comes as a surprise. Though point-wise, it is not a ninety rating, considering the price it is at least a SILVER or better. Great value and interesting enough to enjoy with any meal calling for a soft and juicy red. The cork on the next wine was one of those long perfect all natural corks that cost over thirty cents ten years ago when I was buying a few thousand corks at a time. So clearly the producer had no intention of selling this wine for ten bucks. 2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage (80% Merlot / 16% Cabernet Sauvignon / 4% Cabernet Franc) Lot #249 Paso Robles (14.7% abv) $9.99 at Trader Joe’s is clearly a wine that was produced and bottled for the mid to higher range market. One of the reasons wineries dump perfectly good wine into the hands of Costco, Trader Joe’s and any number of on-line sellers is to keep their prestige brand rare enough to keep the price buoyed up. Plus the fact is that people who pay a big price want a big wine, which this wine is not. Alice tasted it first and was impressed with how much better it was than the previous wines. The nose shows the class of a wine grown on a horticulturally ideal site. It just has a certain purity and focused aroma which translates fully to the fine elegant (yes, 14.7% abv wines can be elegant) softly balanced wine with structure so in line with the overall composition of the wine that one is unaware of the chewy tannin unless you are evaluating and scoring it. It is by no means a big wine but it has enough depth and subtlety to get a GOLD on my score card.

Finishing off the case with Spanish and Italian we opened 2020 Javier San Pedro Randez Tempranillo Rioja Crianza DOC (13.8% abv) SPAIN 8.99 at Trader Joe’s. This is more in the vein of “new world” international style than traditional Rioja. Although it has spent a year in new and almost new American and French oak barrels it really doesn’t show a lot of oak nor the dusty terra cotta terroir one associates with traditional Rioja. It has good fruit and balanced medium weight tannin. My complaint is that it is certainly not what I think of when I see Rioja Crianza on the label. It could easily be any wine from any where. Probably in absolute ratings it might be a silver medal but for my money, with all the Rioja we drink, it should be easily recognizable and we should appreciate its identity. So, I’m leaning toward NO MEDAL particularly for the money when you can get good Rioja Reserva at Costco for a buck less.

To finish off the case, we tasted the last three bottles. First was 2021 Rosa dell ‘Olmo Barbera d’Asti DOCG Piedmont (13% abv) ITALY $5.99 at Trader Joe’s. I rarely buy Piedmont Barbera because it usually comes in around $20 and frequently tastes thin and acidic though almost always fruity and aromatic. This one got it all right. Though light colored and lighter bodied, it is nicely balanced with enough engaging red fruit up front and enough soft tannin to drink easily. Nothing much here to write about but it does deliver a pleasant quaff with simple pasta, pizza or chicken cacciatore. I’d go high BRONZE though for the money, I shouldn’t be so fussy.. We backed this one up with a varietal I buy often but normally pay a lot more money for this type of wine from Basilicata, the arch of the boot 2022 Epicuro Aglianico Puglia IGP (13% abv) ITALY $5.99 at Trader Joe’s. Like the more expensive DOC versions from Basilicata, this country wine does capture the zesty bright cherry-like fruit essence and the rustic sense of place quite well. The tannin is quite evident and keeps the finish rich enough to serve with complex food preparations as well as an everyday meal or snack. I would give this one a SILVER based on how satisfying it presents and how much it resembles the more respected renditions made from the Aglianico grape variety. 2021 Campi Rudi Rosso Puglia IGT Passito “Appassimento” (15% abv) ITALY $6.99 at Trader Joe’s is one of our favorites and the 2021 is no exception. Though I think it might be a tad lighter than previous vintages, it is still a big wine with way more rich dark fruit than the previous wines. The nose is both complex and ripe. The depth shows the influence of traditional methods (partially drying the fruit prior to crush) while the purity shows modern sanitation influences in the winery. Yes, you can have it both ways. This is really a wine that allows old farts like me to relive the good old days while enjoying the freshness and vitality of today’s international style. At $7 how can this not be a GOLD medal?

We did it! We polished off the Trader Joe’s case just in time to see what new finds we’ll discover in our travels.

TASTED 2/2/2024

I had my typical almost weekly interaction with U Hospital today and came up with another procedure one never wants to take part in. My worst ever was a prostate biopsy. I’ve never had a baby but, most guys will argue that a prostate biopsy is more painful and humiliating. So, today I go in for my first EMG. The docs and the PA’s kept asking me “is this your first EMG?” That should have been the que for me to get dressed and run out of the place. Stupid me, I listened while they talked about a “jolt” here and a “tingle” there. Let me tell you, the first part is like being electrocuted and the second part like some sort of needle torture. When I got home and told Alice of my woes, she suggested a pizza. Not actually pizza, but a Torte from Trader Joe’s. We absolutely love them. There are three flavors. They are small, single serve for big eaters, but one is just right for two old people enjoying a late afternoon meal. These frozen tortes are precisely what we enjoyed at the Zum Schnogoloch in the Alsace when we visited Linda and George’s family when they lived in Obernai. With this pizza or torte or whatever you wish to call it, we opened a couple of wines. First, a bottle of 2022 Trader Joe’s Grower’s Reserve California Chardonnay CA (12.5% abv) $6 that is one of my many attempts to introduce my sister Linda to wines other than Kendall-Jackson that offer great quality for everyday drinking. But, I haven’t convinced her yet. We’ve had this wine many times but I don’t ever remember it being this good. Perhaps it is the new vintage, or maybe the torte that it accompanied. Either way, the pronounced tropical fruit, citrus and buttery-rich aroma sucks you right into the toasty flavor of French oak*, glycerin-rich texture of Malo Lactic fermentation and round ripe buttery mouth-coating luxurious fat fruit to the end. Blind, I would mistake it for a highly regarded boutique Chard costing $20 or more. Good as that was, I wanted to see what was going on at the “Lafite of the Midi” as the red wine of Mas de Daumas de Gassac is known. To my amazement, the rosé has been around since 1990. Alice and I had never encountered it until recently at the Village Corner. We unscrewed the cap of 2022 Moulin de Gassac Pays d’Hérault, Guilhem family Guibert FRANCE (12.5 abv) $9 at Trader Joe’s to discover a fine elegant pale rosé which starts off mild and seductive and quickly builds structure, acid, texture and a complex array of mostly white and citrus fruit flavors. It is a true delight and perfect company to the Torte de Champignon.

*obviously, I have no clue whether or not they actually use French barrels and at $6, I would doubt it, but with burnt saw dust, Tom LeRoux’s blackened oak dice or charred wood beans, they’ve accomplished the feat impeccably.

I rarely shop at Total Wine even though it is about 100 yards from our front door because of deceptive marketing ploys and a general attitude that someone of my age and wine experience is not their target customer. Of course I’m not, but it should not make me the enemy. Anyway, there was some sort of irresistible deal that was actually honest and panned out during the holidays that brought us in to buy a couple of bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau and fill the six pack with a few other bottles. I spotted a bottle of Governo Toscano which though not new to me, was explained further and embraced by David Russo on our last trip to Grand Rapids. It was a different product than the one that David had turned me on to but every bit as satisfying. After the white/rosé wines earlier, I wanted to sit back with a glass of red and went to a bottle of 2021 PietraMerana Governo All’Uso Toscano, Toscana IGT, ITALY (14% abv) $11. Yesterday, this wine served with split pea soup and smoked pork butt was hardly noticed. Tonight, by itself following the bracingly fresh white/rosé wines, it was marvelous. I love it when a wine totally takes you by surprise. As soon as I stuck my nose over the glass and inhaled the earthy, vegative, perfume I knew that it was very special. Very exotic might be a better word for the distinct smell of some kind of unfamiliar fruit and mouth-feel that just kept getting more compelling. My intention was to just sit down and read a book, but this wine is just so remarkable that I am compelled to enter it into my blog.

We’ll start off 2024 with a bargain of a wine that I had bought several years ago and by all rights should be a little tired. Surprise!

TASTED 1/22/2024

Several years ago, Alice and I were going to put on a wine tasting for Newport West Condominiums titled something like “Mediterranean Wines You Never Heard Of” then COVID struck and that put the kibosh to the tasting. Meanwhile, I had already started buying some of the wines among which were some one liter bottles of white wine from Slovenia to be served as a warm-up. Once the event was cancelled, we drank a few of the bottles and it was a delightfully fresh quaffing wine. Today we were having Arctic Char for dinner and to my surprise and chagrin, we still had a liter of 2018 Stajerska HALOŽAN White Ptujska Klet, Pullus SLOVENIA (11.5% abv) $11.49 liter at the Village Corner that I feared may have seen its better days. Not only was this wine every bit as fresh and appetizing as it had been years ago, it had gained complexity and a very pleasing spicy aroma not unlike Viognier or Grüner. With all the energy of a Mosel Riesling and the round, mouth-filling richness of a White Burgundy, this is hard to beat. Can’t wait to try the 2022 vintage which is in stock now along with a red version which we’ve never had. More about that later.

TASTED 1/23/2024-1/31/2024

We had stopped at Aldi after dining at Knight’s and picked up a couple of bottles of wine. I had noticed in the WINE ENTHUSIAST “Best of Year 2023” an 89 point Best Buy 2021 Peaks & Tides Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon CA (13.9% abv) $12 so purchased a bottle. While there, Alice grabbed a bottle of 2022 HWY 5 Cabernet Sauvignon CA (13% abv) $5. We opened the Hwy 5 first. It is pretty sweet with a sort of popish red fruit that I’ll have to admit, grows on you. The more I tasted it the better I liked it. Being that the address is Modesto, I would assume it is simply another label of Gallo’s low end varietal wines. So, when we stepped up to the Peaks & Tides, I was expecting a real classic Sonoma Cab experience with depth, finesse and irresistible complexity. The funny thing is that it was almost identical to the Hwy 5! I am shocked that it was a recommended best buy from the WINE ENTHUSIAST. So just in case my palate was really off, I opened a couple of wines we picked up at Costco the next day. First we tasted 2021 Esteban Martin Grenache-Syrah SPAIN (13.5% abv) $5 which is made in Zaragoza but the label does not indicate any appellation of origin even though the shelf talker claims it is from Carinena region. For $5, it is a remarkable wine, way more enjoyable than the Peaks & Tides or the Hwy 5. The Grenache is very bright vivid and fresh while the Syrah gives it body and finish. We also opened a bottle of 2020 Vinha da Coutada Velha Alentejano region red blend (Aragonez/Trincadeira/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon) PORTUGAL (13% abv) $7 which was absolutely stellar. The richness and captivating mélange of spice, black fruit, herb and earth comes across immediately in the nose and builds throughout the very mellow balanced finish. Every wine we’ve purchased from Portugal over the past couple of years no matter how cheap, has been a real winner. This is serious wine!

Enjoy in Good Health,

A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner