Maker: ???
Grape: Barbera
Region: Mendocino Co, California, USA
Vintage: 2009
ABV: 13.9%
Appearance: light burgundy
Nose: Pretzels (and no, I hadn’t been eating them at the time), blueberry, milk chocolate
On the palate: Very light, slightly tangy. Table grapes, California strawberries shipped to Michigan, New Jersey blueberries shipped to Michigan.
Finish: Very light, a hint of tannin then vanishes.
Parting words: When I said in a previous review that these Trader Joe’s bottles can be dull, this is the sort of wine I was thinking about. Barbera has been a grape that California winemakers have been experiementing with for a long time. In this case, the experiement has to be judged a failure. Not that this is bad, it’s just dull. If Barbera is what you’re after, there are affordable Italian choices that offer good value for money. This is not expensive, but it’s still not worth buying. Trader Joe’s Reserve Barbera is not recommended.