An easy, uncomplicated drinker, we review the Trader Joe's Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Lot 233.
Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California.
This wine is available exclusively at Trader Joe's and sells for $9.99.
From the bottle:
Aromas and flavors of luscious blackberry, cherry and plum. Baking spice and pepper notes lead to a long, balanced finish.
Vinted and Bottled by Owl Ridge Wine Services
14.8% Alcohol
The 2020 Trader Joe's Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Lot 233 opens with a pleasing, although a bit one-dimensional aroma, of cherry and plum that's good but a bit stemmy.
The wine tastes smooth with ripe, jammy dark fruit and spice. It's a bit sweet and could use more structure but it's an easy, uncomplicated drinker. Unlike a lot of the TJ's wines that taste like they are worth a lot more than the price, this one pretty much tastes like a $10 wine, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just the equivalent of a lot of other grocery store offerings at this price.
It ends dry with a medium-long finish. It is slightly better on day 2 so don't hesitate to give it plenty of time to breathe.