World Class Pinot Noir Under $15?!

Fast facts:

• 2020 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Pinot Noir Lot #106, Santa Rita Hills, California ($12.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)

This wine was recently featured in Trader Joe’s infamous in-store rag, The Fearless Flyer.  Here’s what they had to say about this wine:

“Located in the Santa Ynez Valley near Santa Barbara, CA, surrounded by ocean to the south and to the west, the Santa Rita Hills have been blessed with what may well be the perfect climate for growing Pinot Noir. From its rocky soil to its foggy mornings and cool, coastal breezes, you simply could not ask for a more Pinot-friendly terroir — and all it takes is one sip of this Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Pinot Noir to fully understand. This is a Grand Reserve for the ages.”

Um, not so fast about this being a grand reserve for the ages. Such hyperbole would suggest you could lay it alongside your French Burgundies and let them sleep together for a decade or so and not be disappointed when you pull the cork on the Trader Joe’s bottle. Au contraire, mon frere. But that is not to say that this is not a deliciously good value for Pinot Noir from another world famous Pinot region…the Santa Rita Hills!

Tasting Notes:

Classic soft notes of plums and cherries, accentuated by a light touch of vanilla and toasty oak.  This wine is bigger, brighter, and even a little bolder than your standard Pinot. Which isn’t to say that it isn’t also light and delicate, it’s just that its fruit has a certain oomph to it, bolstered by a classically nimble acidic backbone that’s characteristic of the region. It can be paired with a wide range of foods, including marinated steak or salmon, or even an unconventional hors d’oeuvre, like spicy samosas.

 

If your local Trader Joe’s carries this bottling, give it a try and let us know what you think by dropping a note here in the comments section or on our Facebook or Instagram posts.

And if your weekend does find you shopping  at your local TJ’s, also keep an eye out for our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine. It’s a shopping list comprised of our most recent reviews.

Or if you’re headed to Costco, you can find our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list of Costco wine finds.

Cheers!