Wine Review: Trader Joe’s Coastal Syrah

Trader Joe’s Coastal Syrah is a discount wine offered at the popular grocery retailer.  You wouldn’t likely take a special trip to purchase this wine but might consider it the next time you’re completing your grocery shopping and need grab a wine for dinner. At a price under $5 you may consider picking up a few for later use.

This wine is produced in California using the coast cool weather to help create a riper taste. It isn’t a wine that you would first think of buying but would naturally be attracted to its price. I was as well as I am sure others.  As a wine it isn’t the best or the worst I have tasted but fits nicely in the medium range. 

The Nose: Jam high berry taste. A slight smell of ripeness.

The Mouth: Balanced, ripe berries, blackberry, tobacco, spice. Medium tannins.

The Glass: Medium to full body ruby red.

http://www.traderjoes.com/guides/wine-guide.asp

Wine Review: Rex Goliath-Lots of Value for a Little Chicken Scratch

Are you seeking a wine that is good for sports night sipping that can cater to a variety of tastes? You may want to pull together a few dollars and buy HRM Rex Goliath 47 Pound Rooster Merlot. Some of the words that might describe Rex Goliath’s Merlot dark, ripe, smooth, plumb, cedar, and cherry. Very little back of the tongue tannin aftertaste but still maintains mouth-filling flavor. It is a medium-bodied wine from California.  One of the best wine values I have come across for under $5.00.

According to WineSearcher.com Rex 47 Pound Rooster is the 1152st most popular wine on their site. Various other reviews rank the wine 3.5-4 out of 5 stars. This means that most of the customers found the wine to be of quality value and a discount price. Comments such as “great taste”, “smooth”, and “candy” are common.

My personal impression is that the wine is great for casual drinking. It is likely to cater to a very broad range of non-serious wine drinkers. Low tannin and acidity help make the wine comfortable to the average crowd. By no means is it a high quality wine but it tastes just fine for the price. Some love it, some call it flat, but I am somewhere in the middle.

In case you are wondering whom that big bird is on the bottle it is Rex Goliath the world’s largest rooster. People came to Texas’s fairs to see and hold the large rooster. The label is part of its vintage artwork and circus banner. The wine’s label is designed to honor the animal by providing a strong option for everyday chicken pairing.

http://www.rexgoliath.com

Silver Medal

2013 Critics Challenge
2013 Long Beach Grand Cru
2013 World Value Wine Challenge

Best Buy, 89 Points

2013 World Value Wine Challenge

88 Points

2013 Ultimate Wine Challenge

Let’s Get Gnarly with Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon

Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon is an easy drinking wine that is light to the taste and soft to the taste buds. Big fruit and dark cherries mixed with an oak flavor. With 14.5 alcohol content and a PH level of 3.51 the taste doesn’t knock your socks off or make your hair fall out. However, it is hardy enough to make your event just a bit more interesting. 

Most reviews rate it right around the center of taste and quality. Yet with a grand price tag of $8.99 I think it is worth at least one bottle. Of course, your eye will be drawn to the red label with a gnarly old vine sprouting grapes. This is label fits the brand as the wine is made from older grapes, which encourages it have more flavor but less grape clusters per bunch. 

Cabernet Sauvignon is a relatively new wine on the market as it first made an appearance in the 18^th century in Chateau Mouton. As legend has it the Baron De Brane ripped up white wine grapes and planted a red wine grape by the name of Vidure. From here, the grapes are processed into a new type of wine that has sequentially spread across the globe. 

The type of food that Cabernet Sauvignon classically pairs with is lamb. However, as a hardy drink it can go with just about every type of high tasting meat. Beef, pork, venison, and rabbit are also proper choices.  High levels of oak influence and alcohol level make it a bold drink that goes with bold food. The wine matches with fatty foods that reduce the tannins on the palate to make the berry taste more alive.

Personally, I found the wine worth a single try but not particularly in the lineup of favorites. It works well as a basic table wine that can be used on occasion. The price is exceptional so it has just a bit more appeal than some of the higher priced brands. It is a California wine so if you are about supporting your local economy this would be one of the ways to do it. 

Price: $ 8.99 bottle

Blog Ranking: 3.7/5