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    Albero Monastrell - A Trader Joe's Top Choice

    By: Jon Thorsen Published: June 15, 2019 Last Updated: May 19, 2021

    You can't ask for much more than this for just $6.99, the Albero Monastrell from Trader Joe's.

    Albero Monastrell - A Trader Joe's Top Choice

    100% Organically grown Monastrell (Mourvedre) from Jumilla, Murcia, Spain. The wine is vegan friendly.

    The Albero Monastrell is available exclusively at Trader Joe's and sells for just $6.99. Imported by Latitude Wines.

    From the bottle:

    Albero Monastrell represents Spain's finest. Hand-selected certified organically grown grapes. Albero Monastrell is perfect when enjoying with friends or in giving the gift of wine.

    Location: Jumilla, Spain. Grapes grown in the hills just west of Spain's Mediterranean coast near Valencia.

    Enjoy with: Ideal with grilled meats and vegetables, Spanish cheeses, tapas and ethnic foods.

    Tasting notes: Dark cherry red. Bouquet of spice box, violets and blackberries. Powerful in the mouth, smooth, fruity and well-balanced.

    Grape varieties: Spanish Monastrell

    Serve at: 59-63F

    Vegan. 14.5% Alcohol

    One of the things I love about Trader Joe's wine selection is that they don't just specialize in the big name grapes like Cabernet and Chardonnay. TJ's buyers understand that a lot of the best values are found in the varieties that don't get much attention. Today's wine is a great case in point.

    The Jumilla region in Spain lies along the Mediterranean coast in the southeastern part of the country. Hot and dry, it doesn't seem like a great place to grow grapes but its unique soils help to retain moisture and the higher altitude of the region helps offset some of the heat.

    The grape that really thrives heres is Monastrell, known as Mourvedre in most other regions, and it accordingly makes up about 80% of the vineyard land. Today we've got a great, inexpensive example of this variety that comes from Spain's oldest estate winery, Iranzo Fields, in a label (Albero) created exclusively for Trader Joe's.

    The 2017 Albero Monastrell begins with pleasant aromas of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, grape jam and a little spice and menthol. Tasting the medium-bodied wine reveals red currants, juicy blackberry and black cherry jam. A soft and smooth texture helps to make it easy to drink while excellent notes of spice, cola, black pepper and minerality offer enough complexity to keep it interesting. It ends dry and long.

    The 2017 has a new label (old label below) but it's just as good as the last vintage we tried (2013). This is a fantastic wine for just $6.99.

    The previous label of the Albero Monastrell
    The old label

    2017 Albero Monastrell

    TASTE: 8       COST: 9
    OVERALL RATING: 8.3

    Bulk Buy

    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 here.

    The Best Wines at Trader Joe's - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks

    You can also find more of our Bulk Buy selections here!

    Filed Under: Bulk Buy, Monastrell, Organic, Spain, Trader Joe's, Vegan

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    About Jon Thorsen

    Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...

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    Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good! Jon Thorsen is an independent wine consumer who has been helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob® sign up for my free guide and don't miss our exclusive Insider Deals! Read more about Reverse Wine Snob in the news and about me.

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