Fast Facts:
- 2020 Rabble Red Blend, Paso Robles, California ($9.89* @ Costco, California – Item #922592)
*net price after $3.00 in store discount
After so many years in the wine business and trying to see what we could get away with when it came to wine names and label design (our company did, after all, produce a wine called Big Ass Cab) I learned a thing or two about what is deigned to be illegal and legal in the eyes of the BATF and later, the TTB. And one of the things that is required for label approval is to show the percentage alcohol by volume (aka ABV). I have scannned the front and back label of this Wine of the Week and I think I can say confidentally that it is nowwhere to be found. So as the great songwriter John Prine once wrote (mind you, about a different intoxicant entirely) “you may see me tonight, with an illegal smile…”
Scofflaw that I am, it the legal edginess of this bottling may actually add to its appeal, but only a little. There is plenty to like here. It reminds me of two other recent featured wines, the Brendel Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and the Torbreck Shiraz from Australia. If you are wondering what red wines from Paso, Napa and Australia could possibly have in common, you just know imma gonna tell ya. It’s the aging regimen, or the lack thereof. All three of these wines dial back the oak influence in a big way, and let the fruit flag fly. While the varieties that make up this blend are not disclosed, I would bet a case of this wine that it has Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah in the cuvee. And it works deliciously!
Tasting Notes:
Pours a semi opaque dark red. Opens with vibrant aromas of dark cherry, violet, blackberry, and plum. On the palate, silky tannins, rich texture and restrained oak. Break it out with pepperoni pizza, carne asada tacos or teriyaki chicken. ABV: ???
Need More Wine Picks from Trader Joe’s – or Costco?
If your search for this wine lands you in Trader Joe’s, take along our handy Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
And if your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
Cheers!
Leave a Reply