The Motto Gung Ho Red 2014 is a Red Blend, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Petit Verdot, 12% Petite Sirah, and 10% Zinfandel, all sourced from California vineyards, that is currently selling for $3.99 at Trader Joe’s. This isn’t a Trader Joe’s exclusive, it is selling on the internet for 6 to 7 bucks (though a few retailers are offering the wine for over $10), and this Red blend seems to be a close-out. The Motto Gung Ho is part of a line of wines from Chateau Ste Michelle, the largest winery in Washington State, using their own winemakers and grapes from California instead of Washington. These wines sold in the $10 to $15 range and for some reason are available for a fraction of the original price. The Motto wines website is down, which isn’t a good sign, sometimes wine goes on close-out when they change distributors or winemakers, but shutting down the website seems like a permanent end. So, this is a wine bargain, a Red Blend produced by a Big-Time winery selling for 30% to 40% of its original price. If you like it, buy what you need now, because it looks like when it’s gone it’s gone for good.
The color is a dark raspberry jam red, bit still slightly see-thru. The nose is bright and crisp for a Red wine, a mix of dark berries and red berries, a little spice, a hint of chocolate powder, and a touch of vanilla. Ok, I am going to say to right now, for $3.99 this is a crazy good Red blend, at $12 to $14 there may be brands you prefer, but at $3.99 this Red is King! It has balance, it has flavor, it is smooth with a touch of spice on the mid-palate to keep things interesting. There is a refinement in the winemaking that regular super cheap wines just can’t possibly afford to have. Plus this blend at the 2014 vintage has a nice bit of bottle age, it is probably at its “sweet spot”. Yes, it is a “drink-it-now” wine, but most ready-to-drink wines can improve a bit with time. I am not going to go into a whole detailed review since the Motto Wines, Trader Joe”s also had a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon will be gone in a week or two. At $3.99 The Motto Gung Ho is the best wine bargain in the store.
