South Carolina Wine Joe

Our Thanksgiving wine this year was Erath Pinot Noir Oregon 2015 which we purchased at Costco for $12.99.  Erath is one of the oldest Oregon wineries located in the Dundee Hills area.  Erath's Oregon Pinot Noir is their fruit forward wine meant for everyday drinking.  It is their most popular and least expensive Pinot Noir but they also produce a Wilhamette Valley Pinot as well as a number of single vineyard Pinots. While this wine is definitely a fruit forward wine with flavors of cherry, raspberry and black cherry, it also has undertones of darker fruit and oak which pair well with a variety of foods.  I enjoyed this wine and believe it to be equal to some much more expensive wines. SC Joe rating = 89 points

Trader Joe's recently had a 2014 Grand Reserve Merlot from Oakville in Napa Valley which was terrific.  At some point, The Oakville Merlot sold out and was replaced on the same shelf space with this 2016 Napa Valley Merlot.  A buyer would need to be alert to recognize the change, but the 2016 Napa Valley Merlot is not equal to the Oakville Merlot. Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Merlot Napa Valley is a black cherry, blackberry flavored Merlot with moderate tannins.   On the first sip, the flavor is quite pleasant but as you continue drinking, you realize that there is no depth or complexity.  Since the grapes for this wine were only harvested about one year ago, the wine had limited aging and that may explain the problem.  The wine has 13.8% alcohol. I recognized that that the wine I was buying was not the Oakville Merlot but I gave it a chance because it was a TJ Grand Reserve wine.  I think many readers will be disappointed with this wine and I do not...

Lidl has a section of their wine department for unique wines that are not part of their regular collection.  These wines are available for a limited time and when they are sold, they will not be restocked.  One wine that caught my eye last week was "The Blend 2014" by Balnaves of Coonawarra Australia.  This Bordeaux blend was priced at $17.99 and the signage said that the wine was rated at 94 points.   The rater was not identified but I have since found out that it was James Halliday from Australia.  I do not often have the opportunity to taste 94 points wine in my price range, so I bought a bottle. Coonawarra is a cool climate grape growing region in southeast Australia which is known for premium dry red table wines.  The average summertime (December, January and February) temperature is 72 degrees F. and the soil is red "terra rossa". Balnaves makes their wines from grapes grown on their own vineyards.  Winemaker Pete Bissell varies the blend of ...

Costco is having their annual pre-Thanksgiving wine sale featuring 14 wines selling at reduced prices.  Several of the wines are well known, widely available wines.  Here at the SC Wine Joe house, we have been working our way through bottles of some of the other wines.  The red wines we tried thus far have not been interesting and we actually poured one (Nanna's Shortcake Zin) down the drain.  The one wine that has been a highlight for me is the Schug Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2015.  It has been a few years since I last tasted this Chardonnay and my preferences in Chaardonnay have evolved somewhat since then. The Sonoma Coast AVA is a large portion of the Sonoma County wine grape growing area.  It includes the entire Sonoma County Pacific coast and extends east as much as 30 miles.  This area includes the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Los Carneros and more.  The area generally has a cooler climate and more rainfall than the remainder of Son...

Every year, Costco produces the Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Meritage.  The 2014 version is now available and is made from 47% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. The wine has 14.5% alcohol. I have liked this wine better in the past.  Even after an hour, the oak overwhelms the black cherry flavors.  Costco sells the wine for $10.99, which is a very good price for a Napa Valley Meritage, but I will reiterate what I said last year.  It is well worth the additional $2 to buy the currently available Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage. SC Wine Joe rating = 88 points