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The Trader Joe’s Coastal Merlot 2022 is a $4.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. The winery of record on the back label is Castoro Cellars from Paso Robles, California. The label says “vinted and bottled by” which does not mean that much anymore.
A winery and its equipment may be organized into one entity or LLC, the vineyards under another, and the bottling line under a different corporation. The workers may be working for a separate management company. Even if a wine is essentially an estate wine the network of separate corporations may well make it “vinted and bottled by.”
Castoro Cellars was founded in 1983, back at the start of the current development of Paso Robles wine, and are pioneers in growing organic grapes with sustainable farming practices. All their 1,400 acres of vineyards are certified organic and sustainable.
The Trader Joe’s Coastal Merlot 2022 does not show any certifications on the label so it does not figure to come from Castoro vineyards. The Trader Joe’s Coastal label has been around since at least the 2012 vintage and Castoro was involved back in those days too.
So, you see a wine and a Merlot of all things selling for $4.99 and you think that can not be any good, especially since this wine has kept its $4.99 price tag for ten vintages. So let us go to the tasting portion and see what five bucks will get us. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Trader Joe’s Coastal Merlot 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is a raspberry jam red with black highlights. The nose is blackberry, with a hint of vanilla, a touch of soft spice, plum, and light herbs. The Trader Joe’s Coastal Merlot 2022 is soft, smooth, and tasty, if not complex or deep.
This Merlot tastes like blackberry, a little black pepper, some fizzy spice, plum, orange zest, and black cherry. There isn’t a mid-palate but what is upfront is very drinkable.
The tannins are smooth and the acidity is balanced.
The Summary
- The Trader Joe’s Coastal Merlot 2022 is a very drinkable $5 wine.
- It is probably a better pizza or burrito wine than a sipping wine, but it can do both.
- Five bucks can get you useful wine!
