The Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive sourced from grapes farmed in Napa County in Northern California. The Vintjs brand and the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc have been around for over a decade, which is good staying power for a store brand.
It seems the same Napa winery has been making this wine for Trader Joe’s the entire time. Here is a link to our review of the 2016 vintage. Even though this Sauvignon Blanc seems to have been produced by an entity of a well-respected Napa winery, that does not mean that this is a wine they would have produced independently.
First of all, Napa County/ Rutherford AVA wineries do not produce wine that sells for $6.99. Well, at least under their own label. The winery makes the wine does so with the style of wine and price point specified by the contract store brands.
If a winery does not put its name on the label, it is not their wine. Yes, one of their subsidiaries produced the wine but to someone else’s specifications. The one very positive issue is that the producing winery will not skimp on quality. They will make the wine as well as the price point will allow.
So the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 may have been produced by a fancy Napa winery; it is a Trader Joe’s wine. That is not a negative since Trader Joe’s is highly skilled at offering very drinkable, highly affordable wines. And highly-affordable is not a phrase you would associate with Napa wine.
I know I sometimes get caught up in being a wine detective and try to figure out who made which Trader Joe’s wine. But how much does it really matter? The Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 was made by a company that typically produces wine $20 and up. Are they better at making $6.99 wines than a no-name producer that specializes in value-priced wine?
The answer is a definite maybe. It is not a black and white issue. So, let us talk about the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019. Does having a well-known Napa winery make the wine help or hurt? (The winery in question is named in several posts on the web, they have not come out and take credit for producing this wine, so I am not naming them) They seem to have a steady supply of quality Napa Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and the winery has a history of producing quality Napa Sauvignon Blanc wine.
For a $6.99 wine, that is about as good as you can hope for. As a 2019 vintage, the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a young wine. Most likely fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. It should be bright, crisp, fruit-forward, with a good amount of acidity. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Tasting Notes
The color is clear, clean sunshine yellow. The nose is pretty, grassy, with lemon, green apple, grapefruit, pear, melon, ripe peach, and a floral edge.
This is a Sauv Blanc with a syrupy mouth-feel and strong flavors. It tastes of lemon and Anjou pear, melon and stone fruit, along with grapefruit and apple.
The mid-palate brings a salty/nutty sensation, light spice, faint dried banana slices, and peach. In looking back at the 2016 vintage, I had an issue with its acidity. The 2019 acidity is well-balanced and behaved.
The Summary
- The Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is an excellent value.
- I sometimes discount California Sauvignon Blanc, it is OK for the price, but I prefer New Zealand and/or Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
- But I think the California stuff is growing on me. I want to do a taste test, but I think I would choose the Vintjs Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2019 over New Zealand or France’s super value offerings.
