A smoky, spicy and delicious $10 find, the Trader Joe's Reserve Red Hills Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 195.
Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Hills Lake County in the Clear Lake AVA in Northern California.
This wine is available exclusively at Trader Joe's and sells for just $9.99.
Just like the Trader Joe's Reserve Chalk Hill Merlot we recently reviewed, the Red Hills Lake County AVA is another great little spot with volcanic soils. In this case, this higher altitude area is named for the soils containing red lava from long extinct volcanoes. We've featured a number of wines from this area in the past and they have almost always outperformed for the price. Let's check this one out.
From the bottle:
The 2018 Trader Joe's Reserve Red Hills Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 195 begins with an attractive aroma of cherry, berry, a little spice, some cedar/barrel room and a touch of smoke.
That bit of smokiness continues when tasting this satisfying wine. Very smooth, the balanced wine has a bit of a round mouthfeel to it perhaps from some added Merlot? Regardless this is quite easy to drink and features similar flavors to the nose with well integrated spice. And it gets even better as it has some air.
It ends dry and long with lasting smoke, spice and fruit.
Taste: 8 Cost: 8
OVERALL RATING: 8
As always you can find an updated list of our recommended wines from Trader Joe's as well as more info on their pricing model and some tips and tricks for shopping the store in our giant guide.
You can also find more of our favorite Cabernet Sauvignon here!