Long Arm Lot 81 Paso Robles Red Blend

Camera Effects-1328042973050The Long Arm Lot 81 Paso Robles Red Blend is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The wine is made by Familia Nueva, which is a label owned by Ancient Peaks Winery and used for their Trader Joe’s wines, which tend to be some of the better TJ’s California wines. This is a non vintage wine (using grapes grown in more than one year) and the usual reason for a wine to be non vintage, though not the only reason, is that some of the grapes used in the blend were aged for several months in oak barrels and other grapes were aged in stainless steel vats for a shorter period of time. There currently is not any information available concerning the grapes used in this blend or on how the wine was made. The alcohol content is 13.4%.

The color is a crystal clear, shiny strawberry jelly red. It has a light delicate nose, blueberries and vanilla and slightly dusty chocolate. A medium bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel. it starts off with black and blueberries, a hint of toffee and touch of Dr. Pepper. The mid palate shows a rougher edge with some Altoids spice, a little oak and a bit of a bite from the tannins, nothing major, just enough to let you know they are there. The acidity makes it presence know on the finish, nothing out of balance, just enough to let the mild finish linger awhile.

The Long Arm Lot 81 Red is a surprisingly good blend, at $5.99 you expect the wine to be fruit, fruit and more fruit, but the Long Arm Red has good fruit and good structure. It is not quite a Rhone blend, but then again Rhone blends don’t sell for six bucks either. This is a six buck wine that you would probably still buy if it sold for ten or twelve bucks.

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Don’t tell anyone, but there is absolutely no correlation between the cost of wine and the quality of wine.

5 comments on “Long Arm Lot 81 Paso Robles Red Blend

  1. PAMELA Myers says:

    This wine was extraordinarily disappointing because the staff at the store where I bought it (Trader Joes-South Loop, Chicago) described it as having an “arpeggio of flavors”. I spent over an hour and much air over the surface of the wine just getting it NOT to taste like a very sour sweet tart. In the end it tasted like a dry incredibly inferior Italian house wine not worth the $5.99 I paid for it. Its only worth abt. $ 2.30. This is a no go.

  2. Rufus Smith says:

    I can’t help but think Pamela got a bad bottle as my experience was the opposite. It was a perfect wine to go with our pork ribs, and it prompted me to write my first ever review. Perhaps not the best 6 dollar bottle at TJ’s, but I’m picking up a case next time I’m there. Also, TJ’s will also cheerfully refund your money, if your experience is like Pamela’s.

  3. PJ says:

    Having lived in Northern Italy in ‘Veneto’ region for some time often times dropping in on many ‘home vinyards’ of locals. I like to try a new wine, occasionally. My preference has always been Prosecco from Vo, long before Prosecco came stateside. Recently picked up a bottle of Long Arm at TJ’s out of curiosity. Found it to be exactly as it is advertised and pleasant for an inexpensive, fruity table wine at most. It is not a $20 bottle of wine but a natural $6.00 bottle of wine that I would not be embarrassed to serve to a casual ‘drop in’ friend. Perhaps Pamela did indeed get a bad bottle which can certainly happen. I would certainly buy this wine again.

  4. Iris says:

    I thought this wine was really good. I am so disapointed, as my Trader Joes’ is out of it! I am in the northern suburbs of Chicago….does anyone know where else I can get it?

  5. Jodi says:

    I am disappointed that everytime I go to TJ’s they don’t have it! I’m from the south suburbs of Chicago and can’t find it either. I thought the wine was good for $5.99 ad like PJ, I would not be embarressed to sever it with friends. I would certainly buy this wine again if Trader Joes would carry it again.

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