Fast Facts:
- 2021 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Meritage, Lot# 129, Paso Robles, California ($12.99@ Trader Joe’s, California)
Let’s just say you went back in time and were playing Jeopardy with host and winemaker Alex Trebek. (Yep, Alex once owned the Creston Winery – in Paso Robles, no less.) The answer for your $1,000 wager is: “Nothing, Nada, Zip.” Tough one…
Without a hitch, you reply, in the form of a question: “What is the difference between Meritage and a Red Wine Blend?”
Ding, ding, ding!
Fact is, there is no difference between the two in terms of winemaking. One could argue that that name is different, but really both are red wine blends. As we have pointed out before, the term Meritage is merely a fanciful name that one must pay a royalty to use on their wine label. At the end of the day, it is – in the eyes of the US government – also a red wine blend.
We couldn’t pass this wine up because it bore so many similarities to the Wine of the Week we featured just 7 days ago:
- Both are from Paso Robles
- Both are red wine blends
- Same price, give or take ten cents
The vintages were just one year apart.
So we naturally wanted to taste these two side by side. It was an interesting exercise.
The Rabble wine we featured last week was very fruit driven. We could only speculate on the varietal composition. But we think it was more of a Rhone wine blend, with Syrah as the lead dog. This Meritage from Trader Joe’s is comprised of 77% Cab Sauv, 7% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc, 7% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot – a classic “Bordeaux blend” which are synonymous with red Meritage. Not surprisingly given the leading role being given to the CabSauv, this Lot #129 from Trader Joe’s has more structure, more tannic backbone. It’s a really nice wine for the money. But which of the two you like best really comes down to personal preference. For the price and QPR of both, why not see if you can stage your own duel?
Tasting Notes:
Pretty violet color in the glass. The nose shows cinnamon, licorice, baking spice, dark chocolate, blackberry and black cherry. The Cab Franc and Petit Verdot provide some nice floral notes. It has good body, firm polished tannins, medium acid and concentrated flavor of red cherries. The Merlot provides silkiness on the palate. The Cab Sauv adds classic cassis and licorice to the finish. A good wine to enjoy with roasted red meats from the grill or even white meats prepared with rubs or classic red BBQ sauce. ABV = 14.3%.
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!
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