The Cherry Blossom Pinot Noir 2013 is a $3.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in California. Cherry Blossom Pinot is one of Bronco Wines (2 Buck Chuck) many labels, which isn’t a bad thing since they tend to produce very drinkable wines at very low prices. This Pinot is the 2013 vintage which is a little older than what you would expect for a 4 dollar wine. The least expensive wines tend to be pick them, crush them, ferment them and bottle them, no waiting around. The Cherry Blossom Pinot has been aging for a couple of years and Trader Joe’s mentions oak scents and flavorings in their Fearless Flyer. Neither one of those things is common in $3.99 wine. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a garnet red with black highlights. The nose is OK, it smells like Pinot Noir, there’s cherries, herbs, vanilla, savory mushroom and a little smoke. This is a fruit forward, dry Pinot with some funky cool flavors on the mid palate. First of all, open this bottle and let it breathe for an hour or so, I tasted this bottle right after I twisted the top off and again several hours later and the extra time did wonders. It starts with tart black cherry, cranberry, bitter dark chocolate and a touch of cold coffee. The mid palate adds cherry and cream, along with exotic spice. The acidity is balanced and maybe a little light for a Pinot Noir. The finish is subtle and fades early.
The Cherry Blossom Pinot Noir 2013 isn’t a great Pinot Noir, but it’s not a bad $3.99 wine. There are more flavors and complexity than you can expect in this price range and it drinks very well (especially if you wait for the wine to “open up”). It is not perfect, but 4 bucks doesn’t buy perfect. It will tastes pretty good and it pairs well with pizza and that is the definition of success for a $3.99 wine.
