A Bargain Wine That Just Misses The Mark

It's Trader Joe's time again. I can't help myself. Every time I need some nuts, soap, chips, or salsa, I end up bringing home a couple of bottles of wine. The market often sells special label wines which can only be found there. They generally turn out to be pretty good. At least I have had good luck with their wine bargains.

The 2024 Maison Barboulot Chardonnay-Viognier will get your attention. The label is said to be inspired by the classic look of French wine labels, but there are grape names in giant script, which is definitely a departure for wine bottles en Francais. 

The grapes in question are 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier, harvested from vineyards in the Languedoc region. The back label notes that these vineyards are "nestled at the foothills of the Black Mountain Range." The region is the Pays d'Oc IGP. Alcohol clicks 13% abv and it sells for just $6 Trader Joe's. 

This wine is straw colored. Its nose gives up strong aromas of stone fruit laced with oak. There is a floral aspect in there, but it has to fight its way past the peach, pear, and apricot notes. The palate is fairly tame. Pear, apricot, and oak dance together again. It's a pleasing taste, but fairly straightforward. The low level of acidity prevents it from being a good wine for pairing with food. I used it for cooking a lemon-butter sauce and was pleased. It will also serve as a poolside sipper when given a nice chill. 

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Too Late For Rosé? Never

It may be getting late in the year for some, but I'm still a rosé guy. I will be all year. The 2024 Le Rosé Ile de Conas is labelled as a Pays d'Oc IGP, which is largely the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. Winemaker Paul Mas is renowned in the Languedoc for high quality wine. This is a special budget label he makes for Trader Joe's. 

The grapes are grown quite near the Mediterranean, 25% Grenache Gris, 25% Grenache Noir, 20% Caladoc, 15% Pinot Gris, and 15% Cinsault. I had to run to the internet to find out about the Caladoc grape. It is a red grape, a cross of Grenache and Malbec. It is usually employed in a blend to lend color and heft. Alcohol for Le Rosé Ile de Conas checks in at 12.5% abv and it cost $8 at Trader Joe's.

This wine has a light pink onion skin color. Its nose is full of strawberry aromas, stems and all, plus some cherry and herbal notes. The palate is full, more so than a typical French rosé. The red fruit is abundant, as are minerals, and the acidity is somewhat tame. Aperitif or poolside sipping would seem appropriate, but pairing with a fruit salad or vegetables is not outside the realm of the possible.

 

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Bargain Hunting For Wine At Trader Joe's: Viognier

Here is a tribute wine which tips its cork, not to an actor, or an athlete, or a rock band. The honoree of the 2022 NDP Viognier is Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. This wine is a Pays d'Oc selection from Latitude Wines. 

The grapes in NDP are from the south of France. I apologize for not knowing more about the wine, but its info is a bit hard to come by on the internet. Alcohol is quite restrained at 13% abv and the bottle cost less than $10 at Trader Joe's.

This wine is golden in the glass. Its nose smells of honeysuckle, lemon, and lime, with a savory streak running through it all. The palate offers the fruit, followed by salinity and minerality. Acidity is pleasant, if not ripping, and a nutty flavor appears on the finish. 

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Wine: Cook With It, Drink It, Repeat

Here is another one of those wines I picked up at Trader Joe's with the intent of using it in a short rib recipe. To paraphrase W. C. Fields, I believe, I used this wine while cooking, and even got some in the food. 

Truffaut Cabernet Franc 2022 is a Pays d'Oc wine, from the south of France. Its alcohol content is 13.5% abv and the price was cheap at Trader Joe’s. I’m talking less than $10. 

This wine is medium dark ruby in color. Its nose presents dark fruit - blackberries, black plums - in a spicy setting. The notes of black pepper and anise are joined by an herbal aroma. The palate is soft and fruity with mild tannins and a moderate acidity. I did use it for cooking, but it served admirably as a sipper while I stirred the pot. 

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A Bargain In Chardonnay

When we talk about bargain wine, the inescapable fact is that if the wine is bad, it doesn't matter how little it costs. A bargain is no bargain if it's not something you can appreciate. I write a lot, as do many other wine writers, about good wines that don't cost an arm and a leg. Quite often, they come from a store called Trader Joe's.

The 2022 Révélation Chardonnay is made by the French winery Badet, Clément & Co. It is a Pays d'Oc IGP wine, which basically means it is from the Languedoc region. The wine is imported by Latitude Wines. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and the bottle cost me only $7 at TJ's. 

This wine has a lovely golden tint. Aromas of apricot, apple, pear and a very light citrus note appear in the nose. The flavors are fairly remarkable, especially for a $7 wine. Tropical notes, peach, pear and lemon-lime come forward, along with a hint of sweet oak. The acidity is zippy enough to carry a salad, seafood dish or light pasta meal. The wine finishes long and full. It is definitely a bargain wine, one reminiscent of old-line Chardonnay. 

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GSM Wine From The South Of France

Badet Clément was founded in 1995 by Burgundian winemakers Laurent and Catherine Delaunay. They make a number of different lines and sell some 16 million dollars worth of their wine worldwide.

Their private label, Pontificis, is a Vin de Pays Rouge of the 2022 vintage. The grapes are 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Mourvèdre from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, bottled under the Pays d'Oc IGP. Alcohol hits 14% abv and it costs $7 at Trader Joe's. 

This medium-dark wine offers a nose of black plums, blueberries and blackberries along with aromas of earth, tobacco, cedar, clove and nutmeg. I understand that the three segments were vinified in both barrels and tanks, with no more than six months of aging. Given that, it is understandable that oak does not take a more prominent position.

The palate is loaded with dark fruit and savory notes, and it has a firm tannic grip with lively acidity. I had it with some sautéed meatballs and Petit Basque cheese. It paired excellently. 

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Pinot And Syrah? That's Life!

The 2020 C'est La Vie wine would seem to be a cousin of Aime La Vie, a Syrah/Grenach blend from France's Languedoc region. C'est La Vie is a slightly more unusual mix, pairing 60% Pinot Noir with 40% Syrah. This Vin de Pays wine - Pays d’Oc - puts Burgundy with the Rhône Valley. Gasp! The blend is something California Pinot Noir makers have been accused of for years - slipping in some Syrah to beef up their Pinot. I have only heard that accusation denied over and over again, so I will let it go and enjoy the real thing.

These Languedoc-Roussillon grapes were vinified and finished in stainless steel containers, not oak, so the fruit gets a chance to shine on its own. C'est La Vie carries alcohol at 13% abv and sells for about $12 in most places.

This is a dark wine. It looks dark, smells dark and tastes dark. The nose brings blackberry, plum, coffee and black tea. There is no oak in the aroma package, or in the flavors. The palate shows dark, earthy fruit as well, with a clean and healthy tannic structure. The finish is not terribly long, but it is juicy and flavorful. 

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