Fast facts:
2022 Trader Joe’s Reserve, Lot #261, Cab/Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington $9.99 (@Trader Joe’s, California)
Here is a fun fact: for a wine to be labeled as a single varietal bottling, it must have at least 75% of that wine grape. Which begs the question, why did the winemaker stop at 74% in the case of this wine, which is comprised of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Syrah. Color me puzzled.
Cabernet Sauvignon has more cachet and perceived value. If anyone out there has a theory, please share!
This is a really nice tasting wine with a high QPR. Maybe it’s the extra one percent of Syrah. 🙂
Tasting Notes:
Pours an enticing dark violet color. The nose has red rasberry, dried plum, oak and vanilla notes and a faint whiff of white flowers. Nicely concentrated flavors of ripe red and black fruit flavors.
This is a pleasant, full bodied sipping wine with a nice finish. Its medium acidity makes it a nice food wine paired with the usual suspects. ABV = 13.4%.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our Wine of the Week
Horse Heaven Hills is a relatively new American Viticultural Area, as the sign below attests. But those who love red wines will be rewarded by learning more about the region, which is the source of five 100-point wines produced in Washington.
The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is located in south-central Washington — its southern border running 50 miles wide along the Columbia River. From the Columbia River, the AVA runs 20 miles north to the southern border of the Yakima Valley AVA.
Horse Heaven Hills (hence H3) is comprised of 570,000 acres, of which 15,532 are planted in wine grapes, representing 27% of Washington’s total grape production. Two-thirds of the acreage is planted to red wine grapes and one-third to white wine grapes. For reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate. Whites are almost evenly split between Chardonnay and Riesling.
The area is among Washington’s warmer growing regions, allowing a wide variety of grapes to ripen successfully. Many vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills are planted on south-facing slopes, providing for extended sun exposure.
Like many of eastern Washington’s growing regions, Horse Heaven Hills enjoys an arid and semi-arid continental climate, receiving an average of between 6 and 9 inches of precipitation annually. Irrigation is therefore required to grow vinifera grapes.
The Horse Heaven Hills had its first vinifera plantings in 1972 at what is now Champoux Vineyards, and vineyard designated bottles — particularly cabernet sauvignon — from this site are some of Washington’s most coveted and most expensive wines.
Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?
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.
And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
Remember as alway, let us know if you find something you think we should know about. We will give you a shout out in our review for “sniffing it out” for us.
Cheers!
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