Cool label, great story, but how's the wine?
Only $4.99 at Trader Joe's. 50% Zinfandel, 40% Syrah, 10% Carignane.
From the bottle:
Oh erstwhile unstoppable wine market! There are those who have mourned your passing with many a tear, many a boo hoo. But we celebrate the generosity of your death. Those wines which once taunted us from beyond our price range now pour happily--affordably, deliciously, attainably--into our glasses, thanks to you. A toast to failed predictions! To bloated, insupportable markets! Here's to the Benefactor! Benefactor Cellars 2009 Red Wine Mendocino County.
14.9% alcohol
So after seeing the the label and hearing the story, how IS the wine? Not too bad. Not too bad at all.
I found this wine to be fairly smooth but with a tad too much heat on the finish from the high (14.9%) alcohol level. The wine opens up a bit after a couple hours. It's got a bit of a peppery spice to it (from the Syrah probably), which is a little bit reminiscent of the Boom Boom Syrah. Overall, very nice for only $4.99. I'd like to give this one a higher rating, but there's just too much heat at the finish for me. Otherwise it really is quite nice. If you like your wine with a little extra heat, this may be a bulk buy for you.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.8
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