San Antonio Winery Tres Pinos Three Pines Cuvée – An Inexpensive Red Blend From Trader Joe’s

Another inexpensive red blend from Trader Joe’s.

2009 Tres Pinos San Luis Obispo County Three Pines Cuvée Red Wine, $4.99 at Trader Joe’s.

From the bottle:

Three Pines Cuvée Red is a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. San Luis Obispo County is located along California’s beautiful coast. It’s a big, jammy wine that’s bursting with black cherry and raspberry flavors. Enjoy Three Pines Cuvée Red with all your favorite pasta dishes, risottos, grilled meats, and flavorful cheeses.

13.5% alcohol

We found the Three Pines Cuvée to be a good wine for the price, but nothing all that special. It exhibited jammy, cherry notes on the nose, followed by some coarse tannins with a bit of spice, but it was a bit watery as well. It also has a little bit of heat, which seems odd since it is only 13% alcohol. The finish is on the dry side with a really slight tobacco like taste which I did not like, but it was almost unnoticeable so not a big deal. Overall, simple and easy to drink at $4.99. It seemed smoother on day two so I would run this one through the Vinturi before drinking.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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