The 2011 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay is a $5.99 TJ’s exclusive. The Petit Reserve label indicates that Trader Joe’s was offered a one time deal on a relatively small supply of wine, when these wines sell out, they are gone for good. This Chardonnay was “vinted and bottled by” Healdsburg Wine Cellars, vinted and bottled usually means that the winery shown on the label did not grow the grapes and didn’t ferment the wine, but they might of blended and aged it and did bottle it. Healdsburg Wine Cellars is owned by DFV Wines (they also make TJ’s Trader Moon wines, which are good bang for the buck), the makers of Gnarly Head, Bota Box, {noble vines}, HandCraft and several other wines. So, it is almost impossible to tell who exactly grew the grapes and who turned those grapes into Chardonnay, but that hardly matters when you are getting Napa Valley grown Chardonnay for under 6 bucks. The alcohol content is 13.2%.
The color is extra virgin olive oil yellow. The nose is very floral with a little peach, tropical fruit and lemon. This Chardonnay is on the light bodied side, but not at all watery, with bold, bright flavors. It starts with a mix of pineapple and pear, followed by tart juicy apple and lemon chiffon. The mid palate does not add much, but you did get a little melon and a touch of creamy vanilla. The acidity is balanced, just enough to bring a bright shine to the flavors, but not enough to have you smacking your lips. The finish is bold and does last.
The 2011 TJ’s Petit Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay is a really strong $5.99 Chardonnay, delicate, yet bold, fresh, alive flavors and a nice contrast between the citrus and the fruit. This is a $5.99 wine that would pair well with spicy seafood, maybe shrimp with Caribbean spices or Thai spicy noodles, it has enough flavor and acidity to match the spice and is light enough not to overpower the food. The Tj”s Petit Reserve Napa Valley is a $5.99 Chardonnay that does not in any way taste like a 6 buck Chardonnay (though, I must say, the quality of inexpensive Chardonnay has really taken off in recent years), the more sips I take, the more I appreciate this Napa Chard. At $12 to $15, I would still like the TJ’s Petit Reserve, but there is some pretty decent competition at that price range, at $5.99 the 2011 TJ’s Petit Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay is a no brainer…… buy it.
