Aldi’s Quarter Cut Red Blend: A $9.99 Bourbon Barrel Experiment

Introduction to Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Wine

Speaker 1
0:05

Hey
,

welcome
,

it's

Domain

Dave
.

Again
,

another

wine

review

podcast

for

cheapwinefindercom
.

We

write

them

up

on

the

cheapwinefindercom

website

three

a

week

under

$20

wines

for

the

most

part

and

when

we're

done

writing

them

up

we

plug

in

the

microphone

and

that's

where

we're

at

right

now

with

a

999

Aldi

wine
,

and

this

is

a

wine

in

their

quarter

cut

bourbon

barrel

line
.

This

is

the

Red

Blend

2022
.

I

checked

out

California

Wine
.

Cola

Registry

is

the

organization

in

California

that

approves

wine

labels
.

There's

a

lot

of

legalese

that

has

to

be

in

there

and

this

is

a

wine

of

Cancha

y

Toro
,

which

is

a

big

winery

out

of

Argentina

and

Chile
.

But

they

also

own

Fetzer

and

Bontera

in

the

United

States

and

this

is

a

California

wine
.

So

one

of

those

companies
,

bob
,

had

something

to

do

with

the

wine
.

Bonterra

is

all

organic

and

this

isn't

so
.

It's

so

the

origin
,

the

grapes

and

all

that
.

They

don't

even

tell

you

what

the

red

blend

is
.

Not

that

that

matters

too

much

with

a

999

wine
.

It

nice

to

know
,

but

if

it

tastes

good
,

it

doesn't

matter
.

Understanding Bourbon Barrel Aging Process

Speaker 1
1:32

Bourbon

barrel

what

the

heck

is

going

on

with

that

and

it's

kind

of

a

fad
.

I

don't

know

why
.

You

know

bourbon

wines
,

whiskeys
,

scotches

will

sometimes

finish

in
.

Maybe

sherry

or

cognac

barrels

add

a

little

extra

and

we're

talking

about

finishing
,

it's

the

last

week

or

two

short

period

of

time

of

aging

to

add

those

little

flavors
.

Wine

barrels

are

toasted
.

They

put

a

flame

to

them

and

they

toast

them

and

there's

different

levels

of

toast

and

the

different

levels

bring

out

different

flavors
.

Bourbon

barrels

are
,

uh
,

charred
.

I

mean

they
,

they
,

they

cook

them

pretty

good

and

the

reason

is

you

need

more

extreme

flavors
.

Uh
,

like

whiskey's

got

to

be

at

least

80

percent
.

Um
,

where

I

think

this
,

this

wine
,

this
,

uh
,

the
,

the

quarter
,

the

quarter

cut

barrel
,

oak

barrel
,

red

blend

is

14.8%
.

That's

a

lot

of

difference

in

alcohol

content
.

So

a

wine's

much

more

delicate
.

Speaker 1
2:36

So

after

they

put

these

in

barrels

if

they

did

put

them

in

barrels
,

they

add

them

into

a

whiskey

barrel

of

some

sort

for

just

a

short

time
,

because

you

don't

need

too

much

and

actually

I

don't

get

a

lot

of

whiskey
.

There's

like

molasses

and

there's

some

really

stronger

spices

that

you

get

in

a

whiskey

barrel

Tasting Notes and Wine Characteristics

Speaker 1
3:00

.

I'm

not

getting

any

of

them

here
.

I'm

getting

a

smooth

kind

of

relaxed

wine
,

fruit

forward
,

kind

of

chocolatey

I
.

I'm

getting

a

smooth

kind

of

relaxed

wine

Fruit

forward
,

kind

of

chocolatey
.

I'm

going

to

take

a

sip
.

Yeah
,

I'm

not

really

getting

those

heavier

flavors
.

I

do

get

more

chocolate

than

normal

and

that's

not

a

bad

thing
.

There's

mocha

cold

coffee

in

there

too
,

but

like

round
,

like

cherries

and

blackberries

and

plums
,

and

maybe

some

cranberry

and

some

spice

and

that

type

of

thing
,

but

none

of

that

is

really

out

of

the

ordinary

for

a

red

blend

and

I

don't

know

what

the

grapes

are
.

Speaker 1
3:41

The

other

wines

in

the

quarter

cut

line

are

there's

a

Malbec
,

there's

a

Cabernet

Sauvignon
,

there

is

a

Pinot

Noir
,

I

believe
,

and

a

Chardonnay
,

which

is

kind

of

a

crazy

wine

to

be

putting

bourbon

flavors

in
.

But

if

they

did

it

like

this

one
,

I

actually

drank

it

a

long

time

ago
.

I

don't

remember

it
.

So

there

you

go
.

I

mean
.

Mean
,

I'm

not

so

sure

that

I'm

really

in

favor

so

much

of

these
,

not

100
.

I

shouldn't

say

in

favor

because

this

Final Thoughts on Bourbon Barrel Wines

Speaker 1
4:10

one

sips

well

and

it's

not

like

I

have

a

say

in

who

makes

what

and

whatever
,

but

I'm

not

like

drawn

to

a

bourbon

barrel

finished

wine

there's
.

Just

they

have

to

be

so

delicate

that

sometimes

you

really

don't

get

the

effect

at

all
.

Like

I

said
,

there's

a

big

difference

between

80%

alcohol

and

14.8%

alcohol

and

that

extra

alcohol

needs

that
,

more

charred

flavors
,

and

this

more

delicate

wine

doesn't

need

it
.

So

you

have

to

just

give

it

a

little
,

or

else

you're

going

to

overpower

the

wine
.

The

line

where

too

much

and

not

enough

is

really

close
.

So

there

you

go
.

That's

it

for

me
.

Domain

Dave

cheapwinefightercom
.

Speaker 1
4:54

This

one

does

sip

well
.

You

know
,

this

is

a

patio

pounder
,

like

they

used

to

say
.

It

drinks

well
.

There's

chocolate

in

there
,

there's

red

fruit

in

there
.

There's

know
,

the

tannins

are
.

Tannins

are

sweet
,

soft

and

sweet
.

The

acidity

is

balanced
.

There's

nothing

wrong

at

all

with

this

wine
.

It's

not

that

I

don't

actually

like

drinking

it
,

it's

just

that

I

just

don't

know

about

if

I'm

into

the

whole

concept

of

finishing

with

Closing Remarks and Sign-off

Speaker 1
5:20

bourbon

barrels
.

But

that's

you

know
,

neither

here

nor

there
.

Because

I

you

know
,

because

when

we

review

them
,

we

drink

them

anyway
.

So
,

adios
,

keep

it

cheap
.

I've

got

more

wines

coming
.

Hopefully

the

weather

stays

warm
.

Here
.

We

get
,

uh
,

71

day

and

snow

the

next
.

So

we'll

figure

it

out
.

So
,

adios
,

keep

it

cheap

and

I'll

be

talking

to

you

in

a

few

days
.

Bye
.