Region: California
This is one of those wines I selected based on the label design, and I’m not ashamed. Look at how pretty that brown and beige label is! I love it.
The taste ends on mildly sweetened cranberries, and it starts with milk chocolate and pomegranate seeds. Those fruit flavors are pretty unique and make for a tart but luscious treat. This is definitely a cheap wine worth drinking.
Other Bloggers’ Thoughts
In the glass it appears plum with hints of ruby. The nose contains as-promised hints of sweet cherry and mocha as well as a bit of vanilla. The palate is fruit forward, almost sweet with just a hint of tannic structure and a relatively short finish. This is definitely a velvety, fruity bit of fluff not to be taken too seriously. Average wine drinkers and wine noobs will love this; your more serious connoisseur will just smile and nod. . . . Condescension aside, where this wine really shines is when paired with anything chocolate.
Aaron: Wow, I was so impressed with this blend from start to finish! A lot of people may criticize blends—and honestly, I'm not normally a fan—but this was fantastic. The nose was sharp but subtle with only the faintest hint of berries. . . . The soft, mild tannins were completely overpowered by the luscious flavors of vanilla and chocolate. This powerful combination then melted into a blueberry finish with just a hint of bite to help the flavor linger on in the mouth. If I had to put one word to this blend: drinkable. 94 points
Teri: This is an amazing buy from Trader Joe’s. This red wine carries a complexity to please most wine drinkers with a price that will fit almost any budget. The smell carries dark raspberries with vanilla, and the flavor is even better. At first you taste a rich full flavor of red fruits, then it moves to rich vanilla and smooth coco flavors with a smooth finish. 92 points
Reviewed 22 May 12.
