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The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive wine. The Petit in the name indicates a limited supply of this wine, though all Trader Joe’s Reserve wines are one-off wines. They may return the next vintage but not necessarily by the same producer.
The Fearless Flyer does not tell much of the story about Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020, mostly musings about Pinot Noirs’ translation from the French is Black Pine cone. They reference a couple of fruit flavors and a silky mouthfeel, but no production details.
An eight-dollar Trader Joe’s wine typically compares in quality to a $12 to $15 retail wine shop brand. The Producers who make Trader Joe’s Reserve wines also make wine for retail shops, so there is rarely a great deal of difference between these wines and retail brands.
Coastal Monterey is an excellent location to source Pinot Noir grapes, there are cool Pacific temps, morning fog, and a wide selection of soil types. A 2020 vintage for a wine released in late 2022 shows that this Pinot Noir had a selection of the full array of production techniques. The wine took almost two years to come together.
The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020 is said to be made in the Classic California Pinot Noir style as opposed to the modern Meiomi style. This should be medium-bodied, dry, and have a nice mix of flavors and textures. The alcohol content is 14.25% which is a little ripe for a classic Pinot Noir. 13.5% is average and ten or fifteen years ago 12.5% would have been desirable. Warmer temperatures have made an alcohol content of 12.5% a thing of the past.
The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020 Tasting Notes.
The color is a clear, shiny, see-thru garnet red. The nose is red berries, herbs, crushed dried autumn leaves, black pepper, spice, ripe raspberry, mint, and black cherry. The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020 is soft and silky smooth with rounded flavors.
This Pinot Noir tastes like black cherry, with a hint of chocolate, and light, but sharp spice, followed by plum. The mid-palate adds cranberry, a little vanilla cream, and tart sour cherry. The tannins are smooth and sweet and the acidity is well-balanced.
The Summary
- The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Monterey Pinot Noir 2020 is an easy-to-drink Pinot, soft and smooth with enjoyable flavors.
- This is a $7.99 Pinot Noir that is enjoyable to sip and would be a worthy addition to the dinner table.
