Fast facts:
- 2020 Trader Joe’s Reserve Chardonnay, Lot #231, Santa Lucia Highlands, California ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California)
Don’t look now but we are on a slippery slope towards Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Nooooooo!!!! Heck, Costco is already putting out Christmas decorations. But we will talk about Costco in future posts. Today we are talking about Trader Joe’s and a lick-smackingly delicious Chardonnay that is good for the shoulder season ahead!
You all know by now how much we love finding wines with stratospheric quality to price ratios. (QPR) Well this is one of those wines.
I didn’t come entirely as a surprise. I found this bottling literally while it was being put on the shelves at my local Trader Joe’s. Even my “wine mole” Tom (the wine department guru) hadn’t tasted it yet. We conferred and agreed is sure seemed to have the right stuff (namely, Chardonnay from the esteemed Santa Lucia Highlands) at the right price! Our instincts were spot on…
Tasting Notes:
From the bottle: “Rich and full bodied, this 100% barrel fermented (for $9.99?!) Chardonnay displays notes of pear, vanilla and toasted oak with aromas of tropical fruit.” To which we add: this is not a butter bomb. The cool climate of Santa Lucia highlands adds some nice bright acidity and minerality that makes this wine a perfect pairing for soft cheeses, pastas with white sauce and white fish and salmon.
Nestled in the southern end of the Salinas Valley, just a stone’s throw from Monterey or Big Sur, SLH’s sunny days and foggy, breezy nights create the ideal environment for growing ripe, juicy grapes with beautifully balanced acidity. These, in turn, go on to create crisp, delectably tropical, easy-drinking wines—just like this Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay.
If you’re shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, keep an eye out for our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine.
If you’re headed to Costco soon, you can find our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
Happy hunting!
Cheers!
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