The Great White Hunter Scores Again — Really Nice Whites For Under $15.

No shit, there I was, surrounded by angry bottles of vino blanco. Chardonnay to the left of me. Sauvignon Blancs to the right of me. They well knew how many of their kin I’d taken, and by god, they meant to have their revenge. Alright, so I was really just in the wine aisle of Trader Joe’s and Albertson’s, but this thing has go to start somehow. Right? And the good news is that I have four really nice new whites for you to add to your next shopping list. Best of all, the spendyest of them is just $12.99!

We’ll start with the most expensive, which is a Sauternes — the legendary dessert wine of France’s Bordeaux wine region. These wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc & Semmion grapes that get a beneficial mold on them that the French call the Noble Rot (botrytis). This mold makes tiny holes in the grape skins, causing the grape to lose water and concentrating the sugars. The most famous and expensive of these wines is Château d’Yquem. It can costs hundreds a bottle. But we’re not talking about d’Yquem. We’re talking about a TJ’s wine named G. Chevalier Sauternes 2009. I’d never heard of G. Chevalier, but following a tip from my buddy Perrin Lam, I read the back label, where I found the phrase “…has been specially made for Trader Joe’s by Chateau Guiraud. That name I know. Guiraud is no d’Yquem, but it’s a real-deal Sauternes House. Here’s what I thought: Rated 1 to 5 stars.

G. Chevalier Sauternes 2009 — 14% Alc $12.99 for half bottle

COLOR —  Medium gold

NOSE — Candied apricots, lychee nuts, wet stone and a touch of gasoline (trust me, it’s supposed to be there)

TASTE — Sweet candied apricots and lemon rind, a bit of lychee nuts and a hit on minerals.

FINISH — Medium bodied, mouth coating with the apricots pushing to the end. Not much acidity, but enough to keep the sweetness from being too much.

RATE —  3.5 Stars. It’s not rich enough to go any higher, nor is it complex enough. But, at $12.99, per half bottle, it’s the best Sauternes deal going. It’s yummy. Anyone who likes dessert wines will love it.

Next up is the cheapest of the wines, Sauvignon Republic’s 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough New Zealand. Sauvignon Republic is a group of folks who go all over the world, searching for good Sauv Blanc that represents wherever it was grown. I found this one at Trader Joe’s for only $6.99.

Sauvignon Republic Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2011 — 13% Alc $6.99

COLOR — Light gold, clean and clear.

NOSE — Minerally grapefruit and lemon, a bit of fresh-cut grass.

TASTE — Grapefruit and citrus flavors with a bit of melon and grass.  

FINISH — This wine is a bit richer than most NZ Sauv Blancs, and its finish is not as zippy as most. Still, it’s fresh and lively, with citrus flavors. Medium length.

RATE —  4 Stars. This wine is no brainer at $6.99. Try this!!

Time for an even better Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand, namely the Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011. I found this one at Albertson’s for $9.99 w/club card ($8.99 if you buy six). This wine is everything I love about Marlborough Sauv Blancs! Bright and zippy, it’s mouth watering and makes you want to take sip after sip.

Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011 — 13.0% Alc $9.99

COLOR — Pale straw, clear, all the way to the edges.

NOSE — Guava and pink grapefruit with hints of stone and cut grass.

TASTE — Bright citrus and guava with a little grass.

FINISH — Light to medium bodied, long finish of citrus and minerals, with vibrant acid. Lingers on and on, making your mouth water for more.

RATE — 4.5 Stars. This is great stuff!! I’ve already bought six of them, and one’s gone down. A perfect summer wine, or anytime you have grilled shrimp, smoked salmon or goat cheese.

Finally, we’ll finish with a new vintage of a wine whose 2009 vintage disappointed me a bit — Trader Joe’s Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2010.

Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2010 — 12.5% Alc $8.99

COLOR — A medium pale straw yellow. Quite clear.

NOSE — Honey suckle, lemon-lime, with a touch of crushed stone and talcum powder.

TASTE — Green apple with lemon-lime fruit flavors, some honey and just a touch of minerals. Plenty of flavor and medium bodied.

FINISH — Bright citrus, honey and stone, medium length. Good acidic verve here, like a Chablis should have. No oak what so ever.

RATE — 4 stars. This makes up for the lacking 2009 vintage. The price has gone up a buck, but for $8.99, it’s a great way to try Chablis (Chardonnay grown in the village of Chablis, Burgundy, France).

This could be a really happy New Year — The first Trader Joe’s finds of 2012

OK here we go, the first tasting of the New Year. Doing three wines this time around, all from Trader Joe’s. Two bottles I’m really excited about because they come highly recommended by a wine buddy from San Francisco, with a palette that’s more educated than mine — Perrin Lam. If Perrin raves about something, I gotta try it. The other bottle is one a friend mentioned after reading my Cheap Bubbly blog — Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs @$4.99.

So let’s talk about the TJ’s Blanc de Blancs. I’m a bit dubious about it from the get-go. The Label says “French Sparking Wine.” Meaning it ain’t from Champagne because if it was, it would say so all over the bottle. So what the hell is it? Well, there are two other main sources of sparkling white wine in France, Cremant de Bourgogne (Chardonnay from a cooler part of Burgundy), or sparkling  Vouvrey (Chenin Blanc from the Loir village of Vouvrey). This wine could be either, or both.

Blason du Bourgogne Saint Véran 2009. This is a White Burgundy, a Chardonnay from the Burgundian village of Saint Véran. To get a good Saint Véran for $8.99 doesn’t happen often. Like never. So fingers crossed that this one lives up.

Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2010. In my opinion the Russian River Valley grows the best Pinot Noir outside Burgundy, France. Finding a good RRV pinot for under $15, or even $20, a bottle is my search for the Holy Grail. Let’s hope this is it!

 The Wines

 Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blancs — 11.5% Alc $4.99

COLOR —  Pale gold, with nice lively bubbles.

NOSE — A touch of match stick, bit of bread crust and pears. I think this is Chennin Blanc, maybe with a bit of Chardonnay.

TASTE — Bright, zippy green apple juice with a touch of lemon rind. There’s a little something green and unripe. And maybe a bit of sea salt.

FINISH — Light bodied and bright with zippy acid. It goes on a bit, leaving something like Granny Smith apple skin on the palette.

RATE —  2.5 Stars. It’s not rich enough to go any higher, nor is it complex enough. Mind you, at $4.99, it’s better than I expected it to be. Far better than anything else within $2 of it! Great Mimosa stuff.

Blason du Bourgogne Saint Véran 2009 — 13% Alc $8.49

COLOR — Medium gold, clean and clear.

NOSE — Minerally white peaches, a bit of candied lemon peel and white blossoms..

TASTE — Rich minerally yellow pit fruits, like peaches and nectarines. There’s a great bit of sea salt and acidity. Really fills your mouth. After this got to room temp, a very nice honey note came out, and the minerality became even more pronounced. 

FINISH — Medium-long, rich with a buttery feeling, but there’s no oak on this wine. It leaves flavors of peaches and peach skin, with sea salt and a hint of white flowers.

RATE —  4 Stars. This wine is better than the Blason de Bourgogne 1er Cru, and .50 less! This is the best $8.49 Chardonnay you are going to find. Screw the price, I’d put this up against wines costing much more. Try this!!

Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River  Valley Pinot Noir 2010 — 13.5% Alc $12.99

COLOR — Clear ruby red, of medium depth, all the way to the edges.

NOSE — Crushed red berries and strawberries, with a bit of cherry cola, rose petals, and something earthy.

TASTE — Bright red berries and strawberries with a touch of sweetness, rose petals, a little minerals.

FINISH — Medium bodied, long finish of berries and miners, with good acid. Nothing green or stemmy.  Lingers on and on.

RATE — 4.5 Stars. This is the REAL DEAL!! Russian River Valley all the way. It’s like turning the clock back to 2003 prices. I’d stack it up against pinots twice its price, maybe more. And it will get better with age. Great stuff. Perfect with salmon, roast chicken, even pork. I’ll be buying a lot more.