2010 Revelation Cabernet-Merlot

shot_1335922555338The 2010 Revelation Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (45%) is a Trader Joe’s $4.99 exclusive sourced from the Languedoc region in southern France. The wine is produced by Badet, Clement & Co., 4th generation winemakers working in Burgundy and the Languedoc. This wine is “Mis en bouteille dan nos caves,” meaning bottled in our cellars, indicating just that, they bottled the wine but didn’t grow the grapes or produce the wine. This is Negociant wine, which has a long history in France, a Negociant purchases excess wine from producers and relabels the wine under their own label. Sometimes they take wine from more than one producer and blend the wines together creating something unique and other times all that changes is the label. This is also classified a Pays d’Oc wine, which means it didn’t meet one or more of the standards to labeled a Languedoc AOC wine. That does not mean it is a bad wine, it is more likely to mean that they made the wine to appeal to American wine buyers, so it does not meet all the French criteria. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

The color is ruby red with black highlights. The nose is somewhat muted, a little plum, a touch of cocoa powder, some faint coffee bean. A medium bodied it starts with blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, this wine has balanced flavors, it is definitely not a fruit bomb. The mid palate adds creamy vanilla, tart raspberry and sour cherry. Not bad for a $4.99 wine. The tannins are evident, they provide decent structure, but they stay out of the way of the fruit flavors. The acidity is balanced and strong enough for the Revelation to be a good food wine. The finish is tart and sour berries and it manages to linger until you take the next sip.

See also  2010 P.K.N.T. Pinot Noir

The Revelation Cabernet-Merlot is a perfectly fine Languedoc Red wine that just happens to sell for $4.99. Other than the price there is nothing about this wine that says five dollars. It will pair well with all but the heaviest dishes and it drinks very well on its own. If it sold for $15 you probably would not be overly impressed, but at $4.99 it is a revelation

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

9 comments on “2010 Revelation Cabernet-Merlot

  1. Greg brown says:

    Where can I buy this wine? revelation-cabernet-merlot

  2. linda petraitis says:

    We bought cases of this wine for my sons wedding. So I went back to buy more and Trader Joes is not carring it anymore. Is there another store I can purchase this Revelation cab/merlot?

  3. sharen says:

    i would lke a case of the white i have been to every store in phoenix out of it thanks sharen

  4. Domaine Dave says:

    This wine is a negociant wine, which means the bottler buys grapes or finished product on the open market (or sometimes thru steady sources). It is not the product of a winery with a steady vineyard source. It is a wine that was produced cheap enough that they were able to make it in France then ship to points all over the US for $4.99. If market conditions change next year this wine is not coming back. Trader Joe’s offers great wine for the money, but often they are special one time deals. If you find a TJ’s wine you like buy enough to suit your needs while you can, there are no guarantees that the wine can be duplicated year in and year out.

  5. SoSad says:

    Sure wish I bought a case (or 2) of this wine! So, now that it is no longer available, does anyone have a suggestion for another blend that is close to that of this finished product? And, if so, what is the name and is it on the general market or a specialty offering from a specific chain such as TJ’s? Thanks!

  6. David B says:

    The article indicates that this was just an acceptable wine; however, I thought it was a really good wine. Sadly, when I went back for more they were all sold out. I even called every Trader Joe’s in the San Diego area & all the stores were sold out! So if you can get it at your local Trader Joe’s, I recommend you buy a case or two, not just a bottle or two!

  7. Brian says:

    need to get more of this nice, smooth, and rich blend of red wine….where can I find, and get more?

    B J

  8. Tiggy says:

    I work at TJ’s and it’s now available, and if not in stock, it’s orderable. Get some!

    Loved last years’ chard by the by the same label… and I HATE Chardonnay.

  9. Val says:

    Yes, it is available again…picked it up last night at our Trader Joe’s–very decent for the price!

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