Grifone 1967 Toscana 2014

 The Story

The Grifone 1967 Toscana 2014 is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s wine, sourced from grapes from the Tuscany region of Italy. This wine is also known as a “Super Tuscan“, which is Sangiovese blended with French varietal grapes, in this case 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah. There is a story about how these IGP blends became “Super Tuscan” which I will explain in the companion podcast.

The 1967 in the name refers to the first year the family behind Grifone wines first produced a Toscana “Super Tuscan” wine. Though back then it didn’t have a cool nickname. The 2nd number of note is 2014, which refers to the vintage and is a remarkable amount of aging for a $5.99 wine. Five years of aging for a 6 buck wine is unheard of. Time is money with wine and 5 years is a long time to wait to release such an inexpensive Red wine.

Cheapwinefinder reviewed the Grifone 1967 Toscana 2008 back in 2011 when we were little baby wine reviewers. We seemed to think that version was pretty good. And this was back when sub-$10 wines were a crap shoot, you never knew what you were going to get. Today, cheap wines are almost always drinkable, if not surprisingly good. The Grifone 1967 Toscana 2014 has an alcohol content of a very reasonable 12.5%.

The Tasting Notes

The color is a barely see-thru black cherry red. The nose is a little spicy, blackberry, pepper, slightly herbal, with a hit of ripe cherry. The Grifone 1967 Toscana 2014 is a soft, smooth Red with bright flavors. It starts with ripe black cherry and raspberry, then vanilla and blueberry. The mid-palate mirrors the main body of the wine but does add tart cranberry and a soft slap of spice. The tannins don’t interfere with the flavors and the acidity allows this Red to be an excellent back porch sipper. The finish is light, but hangs around for a while.

The Summary

• The Grifone 1967 Toscana 2014 is a $5.99 Super Tuscan that is very easy to drink. An excellent everyday wine.
• How do they hold a wine back for 5 years, then sell it for $5.99 and still make money?
• If you decide you love Super Tuscan wines, be careful. The next price point is about $25 to $60. Which makes this cheap Super Tuscan all the more remarkable.