Trader Joes Wines 2025
Trader Joe’s has a long history of putting out their own labeled wines. And we also have a long history of tasting all of them. And from time to time we run into something amazing that must be purchased in small to large quantities. As an example, a few years back they put out a Pinot Noir from Aroyo Grande. It was spectacular. I think we hit all the TJ’s in the area and bought every case.
Check your local Trader Joe’s for availability of the following wine. And as they appear we will diligently taste them and report back here. But they can sell out fast . . . stay tuned.
See the following pages for the other Trader Joes reviews:
Original Trader Joes Blog
Newest Trader Joes Blog
Description: Grand Reserve, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County Lot# 144
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Rating: 91 | $12.99 | Tasted: 12/12/2025
Notes: Back from a short trip and ready to get back to tastings. This wine from Sonoma Valley has some nice components. It has a medium+ intensity nose of blackberry, blueberry, cocoa, coffee, honeysuckle and red plum.
The acidity is nicely high, the tannins almost sizzle, the body is med+ as is the intensity, concentration and finish. It has a nice fullness in the mouth with plenty of flavor.
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Description: Diamond Reserve, Rutherford, Napa Valley Lot# 11
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 93 | $19.99 | Tasted: 12/12/2025
Notes: This opens up really tight. Very little nose showing. Gave it some time. And after a half hour it takes off. We got blackberry, raspberry, black plum, brioche, cream cheese, cassis and cocoa.
This has a lot of flavor with a predominance of brioche and berries. It has high acidity, med+ body, high concentration of flavors, med+ intensity and long finish. It has silky but firm tannins that leave a layer of berry flavors on the teeth. Really pleasant wine.
Update: Definitely needs time to breathe and then becomes very charming. It has nice Rutherford flavors. This includes some nice Rutherford dust.
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Description: Reserve, Willamette Valley Oregon Lot# 277
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 88 | $9.99 | Tasted: 12/07/2025
Notes: It has a light nose with Cranberry, red cherry, soil, lake water, coffee and floral notes.
The tannins and finish are medium+, acidity is high, concentration and intensity are med-, however.
This is a light pinot even for Willamette Valley standards. But is has its strengths as well. It has some decent fruit on the palate and balanced acidity.
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Description: Grand Reserve, Estate, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Lot# 138
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 89 | $12.99 | Tasted: 12/07/2025
Notes: This wine has a bright cherry, carrot, strawberry, juniper, flinty and lime nose.
The palate is fairly intense with med+ concentration of fruits. The body is medium, acid high and med finish.
The flavors are pretty nice with high acid like lime leaf. It has a firm flavor of strawberry Jello. And though the flavors are good, it seems to lack a little cohesiveness on the palate. All said, it is another nice effort by TJs.
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Carneros, Lot# 79
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 92 | $14.99 | Tasted: 11/24/2025
Notes: The nose has raspberry, strawberry, kirsch cherry, cranberry, rhubarb, weediness, lime leaf, cassis and a lactic note like cream cheese.
The palate is so fruity and intense that it comes across almost sweet, but it is not. It has a full-bodied feel with all the concentration. The finish is long and the acid high.
For Carneros, this is huge. It is bucking the Carneros trend. But this is a 2023 — supposedly the perfect growing year!
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Napa Valley, Lot# 116
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Meritage
Rating: 93 | $17.99 | Tasted: 11/24/2025
Notes: Blackberry, stone fruit, graphite, raspberry, red plum, honeysuckle, pepper and clove.
The tannins on this thing are giant but silky. The acidity is high and balances all this fruit. But the best thing about the palate on this wine is the concentration and intensity of flavors. It is perfectly balanced and performs perfectly. The finish just goes on and on with intense flavors.
Had the nose been more onboard with the same intensity, this would be a killer wine. But the palate is just ripe!
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Description: Grand Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot# 143
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 94 | $12.99 | Tasted: 11/24/2025
Notes: Yah, great nose with blackberry, raspberry, red and black plum, licorice, blueberry, cocoa, black pepper, green peppers and spice.
The concentration of fruit on this palate is very nice. But it took about 10 minutes to open up fully. Then it started giving the dark spice, licorice, lovely berry and cocoa. The acidity is high on this one. The tannins are silky and medium+. The body is medium as well. But the finish, concentration and intensity are all high.
Beautiful intensity on this wine. It is rich with robust flavors. A bit reminiscent of the recent Daou wines we have tried.
As it breathed it went from a 92 to a 94pt wine.
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Description: Grand Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot# 145
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Rating: 89 | $12.99 | Tasted: 11/23/2025
Notes: Cocoa, blackberry, cinnamon, black plum, pomegranate, cranberry and brown sugar.
The acidity is high and nicely balanced with some dark fruit. The finish is long, the body medium, the concentration and intensity med+.
This is a complex petite. It has plenty of dark fruit on the palate that makes it interesting to smell and sip. This is a nice wine that would love grilled lamb, hummus and tapenade.
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Saint-Julien, France, Lot# 126
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Left Bank Bordeaux
Rating: 87 | $17.99 | Tasted: 11/23/2025
Notes: Blackberry and peach are the first nice elements to hit the nos with medium concentration.
It has high acidity, medium body and finish. The flavors are med+ concentration. The acidity and deep toast flavors predominate. Just a touch harsh on the palate. But if you have never tried Saint-Julien, this is a great price to start making the Bordeaux wines part of the studies!
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot# 118
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Zinfandel
Rating: 93 | $14.99 | Tasted: 11/13/2025
Notes: What is up with this streak at TJs? The intensity on the nose is medium+ with notes of blueberry, black pepper, lilac, dried fig, wet soil, light raspberry and some cocoa.
Like the last few, the wine really shines on the palate. It has a nice fruit concentration, high acid, high alcohol, med+ body, tannins and finish.
This wine had such a perfect balance of mouth filling flavors, solid acid and intensity, you cannot say no to it. It has some nice, grippy tannins and so much interesting complexity of flavors — this is not a “take a bottle to a party” kind of wine. I mean, you could. But this one wants to be the center of attention as your do some analysis on it. It is an education in Zin making.
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Description: Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot# 276
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Meritage
Rating: 93 | $9.99 | Tasted: 11/9/2025
Notes: Ok, TJs has been putting out some pretty nice stuff lately. So, we are thinking, can they continue their streak!? Check it out . . .
Overview: this is a nice Bordeaux blend from Paso. 56% Cab Sauv, 28% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Cab Franc, 2% Carmenere, 2% Malbec. Give this some time to open up. The nose is peevish at first but starts to give it up after about a half hour.
Starts out with rose floral notes, and then you get this crazy cocoa flavored brioche bun with a raspberry filling. You get cassis, anise, burnt brown sugar and lime leaf. The intensity is med+ after it opens up.
So, on to the palate. High acidity, med+ body, long finish, high alcohol, firm tannins, high concentration of flavors. The tannins are super. They are not overly firm leaving socks on your teeth, but they add to the body. This wine fills your mouth with rich cocoa and berry notes. No off notes here. Another win for TJs! We gave it a 92 on the nose and 94 on the palate.
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Description: Grand Reserve, Carneros, Lot# 20
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 93 | $12.99 | Tasted: 11/2/2025
Notes: Honey dew melon and ambrosia melon nose, peach, a touch of butter, toast, pear, lemon drop and sweet apple.
High acid, full body, long, pleasant finish, concentrated flavors, full intensity and high alcohol. It has a great dry caramel note on the palate that is very enticing.
Here we go! This is a lovely Chardonnay. It is not overly oaked, nor too impacted by malolactic. It has a fresher, steel cask nose and flavor. It has great fruit, minerality and balanced acid.
At this price point, this is a great wine for a glass while making dinner, taking to parties and drinking with just about any seafood dish. Another hit from Trader Joes.
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Description: Reserve, Sonoma Coast, Lot# 278
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 89 | $9.99 | Tasted: 11/2/2025
Notes: Lime peel, green melon, pear, unripe stone fruit, dried herbs, touch of cream and light oak.
Nice high acid on the palate, long finish, med+ body, firm concentration, med intensity and high alcohol.
This is a very nice, concentrated Chard with a pleasant nose and textbook tart, mineral Sonoma Coast flavors.
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Description: Reserve, Brut, Sparkling Wine, North Coast, Methode Champenoise
Vintage: NV
Varietal: Sparkling Wine
Rating: 91 | $9.99 | Tasted: 11/2/2025
Notes: Oh, dang. This wine has apple, pear, lemon peel, walnut and butter. The zesty bubbles are really appealing.
The palate his high acid, medium bubbles, has a lovely finish, low alcohol (12.5%) and nicely dry. And after a little air, you start to get salted caramel flavor (not the sweetness) on the palate.
This wine is an instant pleaser. The palate has amazing Gravenstein apple, pear notes. But the acidity balances it out wonderfully. It is not a classic sparkler, but it is so interesting that we ended up really liking it. Pair with sesame seed oil infused Asian foods, pear tart or pear and goat cheese salad, carbonara or oysters.
If you are looking for a great sparkling wine for a wedding toast that won’t break the bank, this is it! My co-taster said 91 points immediately.
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Description: Reserve, Brut Rose, Sparkling Wine, North Coast, Methode Champenoise
Vintage: NV
Varietal: Sparkling Wine
Rating: 88 | $9.99 | Tasted: 11/2/2025
Notes: If you are looking for a crowd pleaser on Thanksgiving Day or New Years, this is a great wine. It has finer bubbles than some inexpensive sparkling wines. It will pair well with things that are salty. Think charcuterie board, crackers and cheese, salty nuts. Perfect with appetizers.
This wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc. It isn’t overly acidic but has a lot of fruit on the nose and the palate. There is a touch sweet on the palate with strawberry and raspberry notes. And it has nice minerality. If you like a touch of sweet (and just a touch) with lots of fruit, you’ll be in heaven.
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, Lot# 129
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 91 | $15.99 | Tasted: 10/30/2025
Notes: The nose on this has cherry kirsch, forest floor, strawberry, forest floor, lake water notes and key lime.
The palate is where this wine shines. It has great intensity, decent flavors, high acid, long finish, light tannins and medium body.
Yet another really nice pinot from Trader Joes. It has fingerprint notes that we have experienced in other Russian River wines. But for this price, this is a wine to check out.
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Description: Grand Reserve, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, Lot# 144
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Rating: 92 | $12.99 | Tasted: 10/23/2025
Notes: This has a very classic Cab Franc nose. We get the blackberry, blueberry, coffee, cocoa, kirsch cherry, a touch of strawberry and honeysuckle.
The palate is nicely rich, firmly concentrated, full bodied, firm tannins on the teeth, high acid and long finish. All this wine is missing is some cohesion of flavors. Instead, it is a little rough. But concentrating on the positives, it has good concentration of fruit, viscosity on the tongue, kirsch cherry on the finish. We just wish it was a bit more tightly bound in the flavor profile.
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Description: Platinum Reserve, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Lot# 109
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Bordeaux
Rating: 88 | $14.99 | Tasted: 10/23/2025
Notes: A nice nose on this French Bordeaux. It has blackberry, raspberry, black currant, slate, graphite, dried herbs and flowers, toasted bread and soft oak.
The only downside of the flavor is that the wine had a slight bitter bite on the palate. It has high acid that balances the dry fruit on the palate. The body, finish, concentration, intensity and tannins are all consistently med+.
These guys have had a few Bordeaux blends recently that were average. This one is bucking the trend. It is a really nice wine and very worth looking at. Maybe you haven’t had any Bordeaux wines before or haven’t had many. This one will be a good one try, and you’ll enjoy a lot.
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Description: Diamond Reserve, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, Lot# 10
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 94 | $19.99 | Tasted: 10/9/2025
Notes: Blackberry, pencil lead, cassis, black currant, black cherry, green pepper and cranberry. The nose is not particularly giving or intense.
However . . . wait for it . . . TJs just put out another amazing wine. The palate is shining on this wine. The flavors erupt like fireworks. Firm, silky tannins ride the wave of concentrated flavors that balance nicely with the high acid. The finish lingers on the back of the tongue for upward of a minute. It has great body and intensity. The palate has cocoa and licorice as well. These are hidden on the nose.
This is right up there with the new 2022 Rutherford Hill Stags Cab. We have had Stag’s Leap Cellars and Stags’ Leap Winery cabs that are not this good. This has a structure that makes this wine collectible. If the nose was a welcoming as the palate on this one, it would have been a much higher score.
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Vintner: Rosa Dell’Olmo
Description: Gavi DOGC
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Cortese
Rating: 90 | $9.99 | Tasted: 9/25/2025
Notes: Cortese isn’t like any white wine we will get in California or the states for that matter. It has an apple nose with a distinct note of young pecorino, lemon, white melon and fresh flowers.
The acid it high, the alcohol 12%, body light, finish long and pretty intense. This would be a hit at a part with a charcuterie, grilled chicken and a Caesar salad. But my goodness, this would wrap its arms around raw oysters or crab or lobster.
Trader Joes has this for $9.99 and it’s worth every penny. It has a tiny bottle-shock stink for a for a few minutes, but that does away and leaves you with a treat.
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Description: J Lohr Riverstone Arroyo Seco Monterey
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 90 | $6.49 | Tasted: 9/18/2025
Notes: This 375ml bottling has warm brioche on the nose, lemon, tropical fruit, pear, green melon and stonefruit.
The body is full, the finish med+, the acid high, concentration almost high and alcohol medium.
Any time I see an Arroyo Seco I take notice. There is some good fruit grown there. This Chard has some class. It has a nice, rich nose and good balanced acidity and fruit on the palate. This could end up being my new pre-dinner white!
Description: Reserve, Sonoma Coast, Lot #278
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 89 | $9.99 | Tasted: 9/18/2025
Notes: This wine has a nice lemon peel, pear, apple, melon nose. It has a touch of toasted oak and butter. So, it is not overproduced. It has just the right amounts of all its elements.
The palate is generous with texture. It has high acid, nearly full body, long oak finish, med+ concentration.
For this price, this wine is a pleaser. It is always nice to have a good chard around to sip on before or with dinner. This is a prime candidate. A lot of the pricey chards we have tried lately have very specific, firm flavors. These are wines that need to be enjoyed and even analyzed. This wine is nicely rounded and great for dinner or a starter at a party.
Description: Grand Reserve, Napa Valley, Lot #139
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 86 | $12.99 | Tasted: 9/17/2025
Notes: Blackberry, plum, VA nail polish, pepper, cocoa and herbs. The nose seems hidden. We wish it would appear from behind its hidden veil.
Fine, firm tannins, high acid, med- concentration and intensity. Medium finish and high alcohol.
This is an interesting, but simple cabernet sauvignon. Another TJs effort to get a decent wine on the shelves. Posh wine lovers might think this a miss, but people who want a daily drinking wine that is not so precious, this wine fits the bill.
Description: Diamond Reserve, Rutherford, Napa Valley, Lot #08
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 89 (see below) | $19.99 | Tasted: 8/22/2025
Notes: You can sure tell this is Rutherford fruit. It reminds me of some of the Rutherford Hill Cabs that we’ve had recently. It has that cocoa on the nose, graphite and dark fruits like berries and plums.
It starts out a bit tart on the palate, but over time, that fades off and it comes into balance a bit more. All in all, it’s a good representation of Rutherford fruit but lacking the intensity one would have liked.
Update on 8/24 – after sitting for two days on the counter 5/6 full, this wine sorted itself out. It became compartmentalized with the berriew in one corner, the cocoa in another and the graphite in another. No more sour acid. It really improved! So, 91 points!
Description: Platinum Reserve, Napa Valley, Lot #125
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Meritage
Rating: 93 | $14.99 | Tasted: 7/30/2025
Notes: Bright raspberry, red cherry and blueberry on the nose. It has a playful hint of yellow cake. It is a wine that takes no hostages with its brightness.
And the palate dances with blackberry, florals and blueberry. And dare we say . . . it has a touch, a bare hint of residual sugar — not to the point of any kind of saturation. Instead, it just adds to the brightness of the fruit. You can’t ask for more body, massive finish or concentration.
Here’s the only issue. It’s almost too fruity and floral. It’s unbalanced. There isn’t any dark end to this wine. Where are the dark notes? But is it pretty? Yes. Is it worth trying? Most definitely. There are a lot of folks out there that will love the concentrated fruit on the palate of this wine.
Description: Grand Reserve, Santa Barbara County, Lot #23
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 94 | $12.99 | Tasted: 7/30/2025
Notes: Here we go . . . we’ve been waiting for a that one in ten Trader Joes releases that is beyond “very good.” This has so much plush berry fruit on the nose. You have strawberry, sweet raspberry, BadaBing cherry, blackberry jam, blueberry, floral notes galore, dried herbs and a hint of mushroom.
The palate is amazing. Everything is full and high. The flavor coverage on the palate is awesome. It almost comes across as mildly sweet, but don’t worry. It is just the intense fruit.
Yah, Carneros produces some lovely, light pinots. But this bucks the trend. This is thick with fruity concentration. It is a must to try and stock up on! This falls in the buy again category. It is more like Santa Lucia Highlands or Olivet Lane up in Russian River. This is way better than “very good.”
Description: Reserve, Santa Barbara County, Lot #241
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Rating: 90 | $12.99 | Tasted: 7/30/2025
Notes: A soft pinot noir with notes of strawberries, raspberry, red cherry, lilac, cinnamon, nutmeg and warm tree bark.
The fruit on the palate is darker with cranberries and blackberries. The concentration is very high. It has lovely body, finish and acidity. It balances well with the fruit.
This is a great Santa Barbara effort. They got a hold of some nice fruit for this wine. The only thing holding this wine back is the roughness on the finish. This is a very interesting and worth visiting wine.
Description: Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot #209
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Syrah
Rating: 88 | $9.99 | Tasted: 7/30/2025
Notes: Hey, Paso fruit. It’s a fairly simple wine, but that doesn’t mean it’s without some nice character. It isn’t one of your giant Syrahs, but you don’t always need massive Syrah. This one has some nice blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, plum and a hint of spice cake.
The palate is fairly nice, and this is where this wine shines. It has a nice body, fairly long finish and high acid. The concentration of flavors is pretty full as well. Right down the center of the tongue you get a nice chocolate covered cherry. This would be a great wine with anything from the grill. It doesn’t have the intensity to overpower the food. Instead, it will accompany it well.
Description: Grand Reserva, Bandol Rose, AOP, Lot #130
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Rose’
Rating: 89 | $12.99 | Tasted: 7/10/2025
Notes: A very fruity nosed, dry rose from Bandol in the South of France. The bottle does not list the grapes that were used in the rose’, but generally Bandol wines use a high proportion of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault.
The nose shows strawberry, mild grapefruit, stone fruit and a lovely hint of lake water.
On the palate you get a very dry wine with med intensity, body, finish, concentration but high acidity.
It’s a very pretty dry wine — drier than you’d get from a California rose’. So, if that’s your jam, this is a great wine for you. This is perfect well chilled for summer or to take to a party. It will be well received.
Description: Reserve, Paso Robles, Lot #272
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Grenache
Rating: 84 | $9.99 | Tasted: 7/10/2025
Notes: The nose on this wine is elusive. We let it sit a few minutes to see if it would open up. Eventually, we got a dry dusty note followed by candied red cherry and mild spice. But honestly, it did not give up much more.
The palate isn’t much better. It is light on tannins, high on acid, and low on concentration, body and intensity.
All told, this is not a great effort. This is the first TJs wine this year that we’d suggest giving a miss. There is nothing structurally wrong with this wine. It’s just very thin and simple.
Description: Grand Reserva, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County , Lot #140
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 92 | $12.99 | Tasted: 6/26/2025
Notes: Wow! This wine has intensity! It has licorice, clove, blackberry, cassis, black currant, black pepper, cocoa and brioche.
The palate is concentrated, intense, med+ tannins, high acid, very long finish and full bodied.
Jeez Louise! This thing has great intensity. At first it is a bit over the top with the clove. But after 15 minutes is integrates fully. And I love this!
Description: Reserva, Douro DOC , Lot #266
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: Vinho Tinto / Red Wine
Rating: 90 | $9.99 | Tasted: 6/26/2025
Notes: Hey, this wine is not bad at all. I was skeptical when I saw TJs had a Duoro red blend. But it has a life of its own.
It has plum, black berries, baking spice, pie crust and earth on the nose. The palate is firm with high, almost sweet tannins, high acid, great intensity and concentration of fruit. The body is med and the finish is med+.
All in all, a great effort to get this wine from Portugal to us!
33% Touriga Nacional
33% Touriga Franca
17% Tinta Roriz
7% Tinta Barroca
5%v Sousao
2% Tinta Amarela
1% Moreto
Description: Grand Reserve, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, Lot #141
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 90 | $12.99 | Tasted: 6/12/2025
Notes: A little butter, a little oak, and a huge wedge of stone fruit on the nose. We get tropical fruits, pear, honeydew, vanilla and baking spice.
The wine had deep concentration and intensity. The body is med+, as are the finish and acidity. All in all, a good effort for $12.99.
This is super approachable and should be considered a solid “TRY” when you’re in the wine section of Trader Joes this week. It will be good cold by the pool, but will accompany a cream sauce or garlic shrimp.
Description: Grower’s Reserve, Organic Grapes, California
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Chardonnay
Rating: 86 | $5.99 | Tasted: 6/12/2025
Notes: It has a medium intensity nose of stone fruit, vanilla oak, green melon and pear. It leaves you searching for the nose at first, but it emerges after a few minutes.
On the palate you get high acid, med body, med finish, and medium concentration of flavors.
It isn’t much to write home about. But it is nice cold and could be a good summer, poolside wine. But there are others at TJs at this price-point that are better.
Description: Grower’s Reserve, Organic Grapes, California
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 87 | $5.99 | Tasted: 6/12/2025
Notes: We just tried this this after lunch. Pretty good with food. It has a med intensity nose and it light in color as you can imagine. Looks more like an Oregon Pinot Noir. It has a casual scent palate of bright berries, floral notes, dried herbs and spice.
On the palate it is very mild. Light bodied, short finish, med acid, light tannins. But the thing is it has a good concentration of flavor.
Like the organic red blend just below, it ain’t too bad. And like we said, it likes mild foods. It went great with a turkey sandwich on sour dough bread. Hey, for 5.99 it is worth trying if you need an inexpensive wine for dinner.
Description: Grower’s Reserve, Organic Grapes, California
Vintage: 2024
Varietal: Red Blend
Rating: 88 | $5.99 | Tasted: 5/29/2025
Notes: Let’s start with the fact that this is a simpler wine than the three listed below. It has broad brush stroke of scent and flavors. But with this caveat aside, this wine has nice balance, pretty fruit and good concentration.
The body is med+, finish med+, tannins low, intensity and concentration is med+. And it has medium acidity.
So, what’s the audience for this inexpensive wine? It has enough intensity and balance that it would go well with grilled meats like chicken or turkey. It would be great with a pasta salad or bread dipped in olive oil or hummus. It would also be a good wine to grab to take to a party. Tasters might be surprised to know that this organic wine with its good qualities is only $6.99.
Description: Diamond Reserve Bersano Estate, Del Commune Di Serralunga D’Alba, Barolo DOCG Lot# 6
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Rating: 88 | $19.99 | Tasted: 5/24/2025
Notes: Open this and let it sit open for a couple hours. It needs air. After breathing it opens up. It has notes of dried herbs, cherry, black marker pen, dried flowers and lemon peel.
It has high tannins, high acid, medium concentration, medium intensity, med+ finish and medium body.
It has a tart intensity on the palate. With the high tannins and acid, it makes for a sour cherry wine. It has a few missing holes on the palate and lacks concentration. We were hoping for more with this one.
Description: Diamond Reserve, Napa Valley, Lot# 09
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 89 | $19.99 | Tasted: 5/24/2025
Notes: The nose has cherry frosting, brioche, blackberry, black cherry, Bay leaf, dried herbs, black tea, cocoa and coffee. However, these notes are thin, veiled and not very concentrated. The nose comes and goes. But read on.
The palate is medium in tannins, high acid, med+ concentration, med+ intensity, med+ finish and high acid.
And that’s why it’s weird. It has the most elusive nose but has a much nicer concentration on the palate. And yet it’s not a massive wine. So, we are up in the air on this one. For a diamond reserve, this isn’t impressing.
Description: Reserve, Horse Heaven Hills, Eagle and Plow Vineyard, Lot# 269
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Syrah
Rating: 88 | $9.99 | Tasted: 5/24/2025
Notes: We got dried fruit, dried herbs, licorice, kirsch, black cherry, blackberry and vanilla.
The acid level is high, the tannins med-, the body medium, the intensity and concentration medium.
It took some time for this to open up. When it did the wine was a big more lively. But it never reached a level where it really impressed. The concentration is average. But with that said, this would be a great food wine. You’d pair it with roast lamb, beef or chicken. It would compliment without overpowering.
