South Carolina Wine Joe

Last December I wrote about the Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and you may wonder why I am reviewing this wine so soon.  The fact is, this is a different wine.  This wine has a different Lot number and a different vintage.  From my notes, I cannot say if it is the same vintner or not.  This wine is featured in Trader Joe's May 2015 Fearless Flyer (at least in this portion of the country) and is said to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. I had great hopes for this wine since the Platinum Label Reserve wines from Trader Joe's have all been wonderful values.  The nose from this wine was adequate but not exceptional.  The color was a rich, deep violet which promised great flavor.  The taste was soft for a Cabernet and just a little sweet.  Dark berries are prominent but the finish is very weak and ordinary.  This is a very good wine but I do not think it is an exceptional Cabernet since all of the flavors...

This is the third Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve wine that I have tried and the other 2 were excellent.  I recently found the Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir Carneros and expected it to be similar to the Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Pinot Noirs from Carneros that I enjoyed recently.  I wondered if this Platinum Reserve Pinot would be worth the extra cost. The Trader Joe's Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir has a beautiful color in the glass, a bit darker than the other Pinots mentioned above.  The aroma from the glass exceeds the others with cherry and a little spice.  The taste is elegant cherry accented with a little licorice and subdued tannins.  You want to savor it rather than swallow.  The finish reflects the fruit rather than the oak and lasts forever.  The 14.2% alcohol s in balance with the fruit.  Yes, this wine is worth the $14.99 cost and much more!!  Trader Joe's has hit a home run with this...

Blue zones are demographic and/or geographic areas of the world where people live measurably longer lives.  The island of Sardinia, in the Mediterranean Sea, off the west coast of Italy, is a blue zone noted for having the highest proportion of men living past the age of 100.  There are many factors that lead to this longevity including lifestyle, diet and genetics.  One factor that has been cited is the drinking of red wine.  The inhabitants of Sardinia drink wine made from the Cannonau grape which is said to have the highest levels of polyphenols of any wine.  Polyphenols are full of antioxidants which are good for your arteries.  In 2013, this wine and its health benefit was brought to the attention of the American public by the Dr. Oz show.  I suspect that the Mediterranean diet, exercise and a low stress lifestyle far outweigh the wine, but I want to believe that wine drinking is good for my health, so this is good news! The Canno...

Costco has begun selling the latest version of the Kirkland Signature Carneros Pinot Noir.  The winemaker is identified as Alison Crowe who is the winemaker and part owner of Garnet Vineyards,  Garnet Vineyards produces cool climate Pinot and Chardonnay from vineyards in Carneros, Monterrey and the Sonoma Coast.  Alison Crowe is also an award winning wine blogger and writer and her blog "Girl and the Grape" was selected as the best new wine blog for 2014. Last year, I reviewed a previous vintage of this wine and was not generous with praise.  I think I was wrong.  My taste in Pinot Noir has evolved in the past year and I now appreciate Pinot with some oak and tannins that can stand up to food heartier than seafood or poultry.  This Carneros Pinot Noir is such a wine.  There is the ripe cherry flavor I talked about before but the finish is bigger and more complex than most Pinot Noirs.  Pair this with a roast and you will be surprised. ...

Andrea Bocelli is the most successful classical music artist of all time, selling 70 Million Albums.  However, long before Andrea was famous for his music, the Bocelli family was known for their wine.    Three generations of the family have been making wine on their estate in Tuscany since 1881.  Andrea's brother Alberto and sister-in-law Cinzia now manage the property. The Bocelli Toscana is 100% Sangiovese  from a vineyard in Morellino, Tuscany.  Only 20% is aged in oak so the wine is essentially an unoaked red wine.  The wine is medium dark in color and medium in body.  The ripe cherry flavors jump from the wine.  Although there is an initial hint of sweetness, the finish is long and dry.  The Alcohol is 13%.  This is an exceptional lighter red wine that can accompany food or you can drink it before your meal.  We really enjoyed this wine.  My local Costco has it reduced from $12.99 to $9.99.  Th...

Raymond Reserve Selection Napa Valley Merlot has a long history of accolades and 90+ ratings from major wine magazines.  My local Costco has had the 2012 vintage reduced $5 from it's regular $21 price, so I had to give it a try.  Maybe there was a problem with my bottle, but the wine did not live up to its history.  I noticed that the alcohol content was 14.5%, which is higher than the Merlots I usually drink and the aroma from the glass had a distinct alcohol nose.  The taste was hot with the alcohol overpowering the fruit.  I tried the glass again in an hour, then again the next day and finally finished the bottle on the third day.  Each time, the result was the same. I decided to check the winery website but the Reserve Series Merlot shown is still the 2011 even though they show 2012 on their other red wines.  I did note that the 2011 Reserve Series Merlot had an alcohol content of 13.5%, a full point less than the 2012.  I woul...

Costco is having their spring wine sale until April 4 and this has given me the opportunity to try a couple of Merlots that I might not otherwise put in the cart.  One of these is the Franciscan Estate Merlot Napa Valley.  This is 93% Merlot with 4% Malbec, 2% Syrah and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Merlot is primarily from the Franciscan Oakville Estate Vineyard but also includes fruit from the southern, cooler part of Napa Valley, especially from the Oak Knoll subdistrict.  Each Vineyard block is made separately and blended before bottling. The wine in the glass has a dark, deep violet color and a terrific aroma of plum and dark cherry.  The flavor is blackberry with a hint of vanilla and earthiness.  The tannins are well matched to the flavor and the finish is long and enjoyable.  There are big flavors here and this will appeal to drinkers of Cabernet Sauvignon more than drinkers of Pinot Noir.  This is one of the best Merlot's I have had ...