The 14 Hands Vineyards Columbia Valley Merlot is 78% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, 1% Grenache and 1% Cabernet Franc sourced from several vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. 14 Hands refers to the height of the wild mustangs that used to roam the Columbia Valley, the average regular horse is 15…
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The 2010 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot sourced mainly from vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA and the Wahluke Slope AVA inside the larger Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State. 99% of the grapes grown in Washington are grown in the Columbia Valley…
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The 2010 BV Coastal Estates Red Blend is produced from Zinfandel grown in the Lodi AVA, Barbera and Merlot from adjacent vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA and the Petite Sirah from the Lake County AVA. BV stands for Beaulieu Vineyards which was founded in the Rutherford AVA of Napa Valley in 1900, though BV…
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The 2012 Le Petit du Chateau de La Garde Bordeaux Cuvee Natural is 100% Merlot sourced from their certified Organic Estate vineyard in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux. This is one of those Natural wines you may have heard about, organic grapes, no Sulfites added, produced with natural and chemical free methods, sort of like all…
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The 2011 Coppola Diamond Collection Black Label Claret (Claret is the term used in England for Red wine blends from Bordeaux, France) is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc sourced from Coppola Estate vineyards in Sonoma as well a long term contracted vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and El Dorado AVA’s…
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The 2010 Gnarly Head Authentic Red is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Syrah sourced from the vineyards of long term contract growers in Lodi, California. The 2010 vintage provided a long, cool growing season, which is ideal for developing complex. fully ripe grapes. The Zinfandel portion of the blend was…
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The 2011 Menage a Trois California Red is a blend of 46% Zinfandel, 36% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. Menage a Trois is produced by Folie A Deux Winery, who is in turn part of the Trinchero Family Estates line of wines that include…
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The 2011 Spiral Wines California Red blend is a $5.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive, made for them by private label producer Fior di Sole, Napa, California. The blend is 58% Merlot, 15% Petite Sirah, 16% Zinfandel and 11% Syrah sourced from grapes grown in more than one California grape growing AVA. Trader Joe’s offered a $4.99…
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The 2010 Red Rock Reserve Merlot is sourced from vineyards in several California grape growing AVA’s, but mainly from Sonoma, with Monterey and Napa providing most of the rest. Red Rock is one of E & J Gallo’s 60 brands of wines and spirits. Gallo has extensive vineyard holdings in Sonoma as well as other…
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The 2010 Leese-Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 4% Syrah, 1% Carignane and 1% Petite Sirah. If you are asking yourself, why with all the different grapes used, is this wine called a Cabernet Sauvignon? In California, as long as 75% of the grapes are of…
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The 2011 Chateau Moulin de Beausejour Bordeaux Rouge is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. This Bordeaux is 100% Merlot sourced from Estate vineyards in the Saint-Emilion region on the Right Bank in Bordeaux, though this is not a Saint-Emilion AOC designated wine. Chateau Moulin de Beausejour only grows Merlot grapes and they produce 120,000…
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The 2011 Flying Heart Red is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive produced by the custom and private label winery, Fior di Sole (they also produce Spiral wines), located in Napa Valley, California. This is a “kitchen sink” blend of Merlot, Petit Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay of all things, sourced from…
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The 2009 Mazzoni Toscana Rosso is a Super Tuscan blend of 72% Sangiovese and 28% Merlot grown on the Francechi Estate in the Brunello region of Montalcino in Tuscany, Italy. The Brunello region is the prime growing region for the Sangiovese grape and Brunello’s are among the best of Italian wines. Super Tuscan wines came…
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The 2009 Emerald Bay Central Coast Merlot is a blend of about 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from multiple vineyards in California’s Central Coast AVA. Emerald Bay is an entry level label for Chateau Julien, a family owned winery located in the Monterey AVA, in operation since 1982. The Emerald Bay wines are…
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The 2009 Thorny Rose Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Syrah sourced from vineyards in Columbia Valley, Washington, along with vineyards located in sub-AVA’s, Horse Heaven Hills and the Wahluke Slope, located inside of the Columbia Valley. Thorny Rose is one of Hogue Cellars labels, which in turn is…
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The 2009 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage is a $12.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The term “Meritage” (pronounced like heritage) indicates this a Red blend using the grapes approved in Bordeaux wines. Either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot as the lead grape with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot used as blending grapes (Malbec and Carmenere are…
Read MoreThe 2010 Clos LaChance Meritage (Meritage indicates the wine is a blend of some or all of Bordeaux approved grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere) blend grown in certified sustainably grown Estate vineyards in the northern part of the Central Coast AVA of California. Clos is an old French term for a…
Read MoreThe Chateau Amour Red (Medoc) 2009 , a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive (this bottling was produced specifically for Trader Joe’s) is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot grown in estate vineyards in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France. Chateau Amour is one of Chateau Panigon labels, Chateau Panigon’s usual Bordeaux…
Read MoreThe Natura Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 6% Syrah grown in certified organic vineyards in Chile’s Valle Central. Natura is Emiliana Organic Vineyards organic line of wines, they also offer sustainably farmed wines and biodynamic wines which take organic growing methods to a whole new level. 20% of this Cabernet Sauvignon…
Read MoreThe 2010 Renegade Wine Co. Columbia Valley Red (their motto: Glasses? We don’t need no stinking glasses!) is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 1% Malbec sourced from vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington. If at least 75% of a wine is made up from one grape varietal (here 80%…
Read MoreThe Apothic Red Winemakers Blend 2011 is one of E & J Gallo’s 62 brands, it is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from vineyards located in more than one California grape growing AVA. E & J Gallo is the largest family owned wine company in America, they are also leaders…
Read MoreThe Abancay Mascara Del Sol (translation: Mask of the sun) 70% Tempranillo & 30% Merlot Crianza is sourced from Bodega Abancay Estate vineyards in the Carinena DO of the Aragon Province in Northeast Spain. Crianza is a legal wine term in Spain indicating that the wine was aged for a minimum of 2 years, with at least…
Read MoreThe Steltzner Vineyards Napa Valley Claret 2009 (English term meaning Bordeaux grapes varieties were used, usually referred to as Meritage in California) sourced from Steltzner Estate vineyards in the Stag’s Leap AVA along with grapes from other vineyards in Southern Napa Valley. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 13% Merlot. Steltzner Vineyards…
Read MoreThe Chateau Larose-Trintaudon Haut Medoc 2006 is sourced from an Estate established in 1719 and a vineyard first planted in 1838 (the vines have since been replanted several times due to insect infestation and other reasons) and is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The wine was aged in oak barrels for…
Read MoreThe Chateau Poyanne Cotes de Bourg Bordeaux 2009 is a Trader Joe’s $5.99 exclusive sourced from Estate grown grapes (The Albert Schweitzer vineyards) in the Côtes de Bourg Appellation about a half hour away from the town of Bordeaux in Southern France. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and while it is…
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