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The Story
The Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Russian River Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a $7.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes grown in the Russian River AVA of western Sonoma County. This Sauvignon Blanc is produced for TJs by Owl Ridge Wine Services.
Owl Ridge is a custom crush and private label facility located in the Russian River AVA founded in 2006. They make wines to order for restaurants and stores as well as a line of retail labels. So this is not some surplus eighteen dollars Sauvignon Blanc from a well-known winery, it is a wine designed to sell at its intended price.
But that is not a bad thing since Trader Joe’s has some built-in price advantages over wines sold in retail wine shops. And Owl Ridge has years of contacts and relationships with Russian River vineyards and wineries. There is a sort of hierarchy for wine pricing and single sub-AVA wines do not often sell for less than ten dollars or maybe a few bucks more.
The $7.99 price category is usually reserved for wines sourced from a more general region, such as California or Mendoza (for Argentinean wines) on the front label. Trader Joe’s is a great resource for wines from high-end growing regions that sell at bargain prices.
Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve is a 2019 vintage which indicates that this is a young wine that did not receive a great deal of aging. This is fine with me because that is how I like my Sauvignon Blanc. When young it is a fragrant wine that is bright and alive.
There isn’t any production information available for this Sauv Blanc, but it is safe to assume it was fermented in stainless steel tanks. It probably had a few months of aging, also in stainless steel. Quick and simple works very well with Sauvignon Blanc. Have the winery do what needs to get done and let the quality of the grapes shine through. The alcohol content is 13.4%.
Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Russian River Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting Notes
The color is a pale lemon yellow. The nose is kind of reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but with some differences. There is melon, tropics; fruit, lemon, green apple, peach, pear, sour grapefruit, slightly grassy, with a solid floral edge
This wine has a nice slightly syrup-like mouthfeel and a clash of strong and interesting flavors. It tastes like a stew of melon, peach, and lemon, followed by a salty sensation and a slap of minerality. The mid-palate brings guava, Anjou pear, and spice, and ends with a soft creamy sensation. The acidity is solid, it is not quite that take another sip acidity I like so much, but it is very well-balanced.
The Summary
- Surprisingly, this $7.99 Russian River Sauv Blanc is not a light and breezy patio cooler. Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve has some weight to the body and an array of complicated flavors. This is a wine you need to concentrate on, spend a little time figuring out all the textures, aromas, and flavors on display. This is a wine that drinks above its price tag.
