Bulk Buy: 2008 Trentatre Rosso 33 (Santini Wines Trentatre Salento IGT)

[Note 3/12/2011: Do not confuse the 2008 Trentatre Rosso with the 2009 that is on Trader Joe’s shelves now. Read the 2009 review.]

The 2008 Trentatre Rosso 33 from Trader Joe’s (for just $5.99) wearing the official (and highly sought after) Reverse Wine Snob Ratings Champion Crown!

From the bottle:

This unique wine comes from the Apulia Region located in the depth of Southern Italy. The blend is an equal amount of three different varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon 33,3%, Merlot 33,3%, and Montepulciano 33,4% collectively aged six months in oak barrels, hence the name “Trentatre” which in Italian means Thirtythree. The color is a deep purple-red with a pleasant fruity nose with hints of plum, cherry, and chocolate. Full bodied, it has a supple finish with soft tannins. Enjoy it with pasta, pizza, grilled meats, seasoned cheese…or even on its own!

This wine has a wonderful fruity flavor and is super easy to drink. In fact, it is too easy. We can’t tell you how it holds up on the second day because a bottle has never lasted that long in our house! Stock up on this one now since there’s no guarantee the next vintage will be anywhere near this level (as is the trend with these Trader Joe’s hits, they tend to be one or two hit wonders.) Wine like this is exactly what this blog is all about — great tasting wine at an incredibly affordable price that allows the average consumer to enjoy a glass of wine with a meal on a regular basis!

So there we have it, our first Bulk Buy winner!

What do others think? Here are some more reviews:
Wellesley Wine Press: Value Alert: 2008 Trentatre Rosso $5.99 at Trader Joe’s
Drinking My Way Through Trader Joe’s: Trentatre Rosso `08 IGT $5.99 ****
Jason’s Wine Blog: The Classics – Trader Joe’s Top 10 Wine List

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

All ratings use a simple 10 point scale with 10 being the best. Find out more about my rating systemhere and check out the Interactive Wine Ranking to find all my reviews! You can sort by type of wine, cost, rating, etc. in the interactive spreadsheet.