2006 Trader Joe's Coastal Merlot

2006 Trader Joe's Coastal Merlot

Like most of the Trader Joe's Coastal label wines, this one sucked. Well, that may be a little harsh. I didn't pour it down the drain. Let's just say... I won't buy it again. The nose is practically non-existent, mildly floral, but reminiscent a berry-alcohol mixture, and taste was, well... ordinary. I have had worse. A bit of black cherry, maybe. Considering that you can get their other label, names with "Moon" in the title, that are excellent for $1 more I can't recommend this wine. If you have $4 and some change in your pocket, then this will whet your wino whistle in a pinch.

2006 Old Moon (Old Vine) Zinfandel

2006 Old Moon (Old Vine) Zinfandel

I had to fix my car this week, so i went to my shiny new Monterey TJs looking for a bargain. Boy did I find one. This bottle surprised the hell out of me as I wasn't expecting much. Being new to the area and TJs I had never experienced their wine before but I was pleasantly surprised.

bjwdad is right on with the nose and taste. It is subtle for a zin and a bit sharp on the first pour, but excellent after breathing. It does not have that zin "bite" but had just enough fruit and spice to keep me interested. It will be nice to see how it ages, if it gets that far in my cellar. This is the best everyday zin I have found yet so it probably won't.

All in all, this bottle and a nice ready-to-bake pizza made for a nice $10 meal. And yes I mean the whole bottle and the whole pizza. It has been that kind of week.

Enjoy!

Tasting Tags: cherry pepper spice