Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville 2013 Lot 69

The weather in Napa Valley varies from south to north. The southern portions of the valley are cooled with breezes and fog from the San Pablo Bay. Carneros at the very southern portion of Napa is the coolest and is famous for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. As you move northward, the influence of the Bay's breeze and fog diminishes. Yountville is in the southern portion of Napa Valley but in the area where the cooling from the bay begins to be reduced. Therefore it is a great area for Cabernet Sauvingnon wines with a softer profile than other portions of the valley to the north and to the east.

Trader Joe's September e-version Fearless Flyer features the Grand Reserve Merlot from Stags Leap and the Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville. I much prefer the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is a lightly oaked rich wine with fruit forward flavors of dark berries and soft tannins. The intensity of flavor is equal to wines costing over $20. At $12.99, this truly is a great value and I do not expect the supply to last long. This is worth a special trip to Trader Joe's.

SC Wine Joe rating = 91 points

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